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Haswell Colliery (1835-1896)
Haswell Colliery, located between Haswell and Haswell Plough, first began producing coal on 2nd July 1835. It was reputably the first colliery in the world with a steel cable down its mine shaft, which revolutionised mining. 95 men and boys were killed in a disaster on the 28th September 1844, when there was a violent explosion in Haswell Colliery. Many were killed outright by the explosion, others by the toxic mixture of gases resulting from it. The former Engine House (the 'Haswell Arch'), remains as a memorial in honor of those killed in the 1844 disaster.