150th Anniversary Commemorative Event of the Ferndale Colliery Disaster of 1867

On Friday 8 November 1867, the whole district was shaken by two consecutive explosions at Ferndale No.1.  Rescuers were hampered by roof falls, and with the air so foul, with some trepidation the furnace which powered the ventilation was relit.  It took a month to recover the remains of the 178 men and boys, with most bodies showing signs of severe burning, and many so badly disfigured it made identification impossible.

ref Wikipaedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferndale_Colliery