At 14:40 on 16 February 1882 the Trimdon Grange colliery suffered a major explosion causing the deaths of 69 men and boys.

The coroner (TW Snagge) reported to both houses of Parliament:[1] The inquest concluded: There is no room for doubt that the explosion had its origin in the Pit Narrow Board District, and that it was caused by the diffusion of a sudden "squeeze" or outburst of gas forced, with accompanying dust, towards the working face by a heavy fall of roof over the northern edge of the Pit Narrow Board goaf, and driven out with a velocity which sent the flame through a miner's lamp.

[1]The coroner further observed: the result of this inquiry is a further proof, if further proof were needed, that the Davy lamp affords no security whatever against the occurrence of grave disasters of a similar kind, and that its employment in dusty mines during long-wall working operations, carried on under conditions of ventilation and roof formation similar to those prevailing in Trimdon Grange Colliery, ought to be absolutely prohibited.

[4] The incident was recounted in the song "Trimdon Grange Explosion" by the local collier-bard Tommy Armstrong.

[5] The lyrics of the song include an accounting of the events that took place, such as: Men and boys left home that morning For to earn their daily bread Little thought before the evening They'd be numbered with the dead[5] The song also asks the local community to help out in the wake of the incident: God protect the lonely widow Help to raise each drooping head Be a Father to the orphans Never let them cry for bread[5] The song became known outside of Trimdon Grange and has been recorded by other artists, including Martin Carthy, The Mekons and Alan Price.