On the afternoon of the 14 Apr 1874, 152 miners started their night shift at 3:00pm and the underground explosion occurred at about 8:00pm in Half Moon Tunnel, which was accessed via Engine Brow and the 600 yard Cannel Tunnel where 61 men and boys were working.

At about 7:00pm it was noticed that there were slight falls of dirt from the tunnel roof. Four miners were immediately detailed to make the roof safe, helped by a steam engine and tenter. It is likely that this was a portable steam engine and it may be that it was used to pump water away that was entering the tunnel.

For better illumination, this repair work was conducted with open flame lamps and at about 7:50pm the roof began to groan and creak. Before long the pit props, that were shoring up the roof, collapsed. This allowed pockets of gas above the roof to escape into the tunnel and when this came into contact with the open flame lamps and the steam engine firebox there was a huge explosion. This set alight the surrounding timber lining of the tunnel and then spread along it, burning a stable that was in its path.

The ensuing fire burned for another two days. It was still raging 24 hours later and it was not until 2:00am on Friday that it was finally extinguished. Only seven miners managed to escape from the vicinity of the explosion but a further 91 men and boys, working in other areas, were affected by it, many being badly injured in making their escape.

The official explanation of the disaster was an explosion of fire damp, ignited by fire (an open flame) in old workings, caused by a fall of ground (roof) and inadequate ventilation.

Roll of the 54 miners who died

• John Bailey (18), Waggoner, of Bethel Place, off West Street, Dukinfield.
• Henry Beard (34), Waggoner, of 15 Leech Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow and three children.
• Joseph Bickerdyke (35), Miner, of Newton Wood. Left a widow and four children, brother of Nathaniel below, identified by his father-in-law, Samuel Moss.
• Nathaniel Alfred Bickerdyke (33), of Newton Wood. Left a widow and three children, brother of Joseph above, identified by his brother, Israel Bickerdyke.
• Albert Bowker (12), Pony Driver, of Astley Street, Newton Wood. Son of Orlando Bowker.
• James Bradshaw (40), Miner, of 19 Birch Lane, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Ann, and four children.
• Albert Bryce (21), Miner, of 4 Whittaker's Court, Dukinfield. Identified by William Bryce.
• Thomas Brown (31), Miner, of 37 Zetland Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Mary, and two children.
• John Carr (45), Miner, of Meadow Lane, Dukinfield. Died in Ashton Infirmary, left a widow and eight children, identified by his son, Edward, of Birch Lane, Dukinfield.
• James Carter (26), Miner, of 24 George Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Amelia, and two children.
• Aaron Cartwright (38), Miner, of 9 Lodge Lane, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Elizabeth, and two children, aged 11 and 14 years.
• William Chadwick (16), Horse Driver, of Wood Street, Ashton-under-Lyne. Son of Eliza.
• Michael Counley (or Cormley) (29), Miner, of 1 Whittaker's Court, Zetland Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Mary.
• Edward Davies (29), Miner, of Portland Street, Ashton-under-Lyne. Left a widow, Nancy.
• Samuel John Davies (20), Miner, of 100 Wharf Street, Dukinfield. Lived with his widowed mother.
• John Downs (22), Miner, of Taylor Street. Left a widow, Kate, and one child.
• Robert Dugdale (15), Horse Driver, of 39 Birch Lane, Dukinfield. Son of John Dugdale, he had three brothers.
• Richard Fletcher (26), Miner, of 143 Astley Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow and two children.
• John Garside (18), Waggoner, of 164 Astley Street, Dukinfield. Son of Josiah below.
• Josiah 'Siah' Garside (42), Miner, of 164 Astley Street, Dukinfield. Father of John above, left a widow, Mary, and three children.
• Thomas Hadfield (27), Miner, of 93 Birch Lane, Dukinfield. Married with one child.
• James Hallam (29), Miner, of 149 Astley Street, Dukinfield. Son of James, left a widow, Elizabeth, and three children.
• Nelson Harrison (52), Hooker-on, of 19 Pleasant Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Sarah Ann, and four young children.
• William Hartshorn (20), Engine Driver, of 133 Astley Street, Dukinfield. Unmarried, son of Ellen and John Hartshorn.
• Walter Hibbert (21), Miner, of 4 Astley Street, Dukinfield. Identified by his mother, Mary.
• Matthew Higinbotham (or Heginbotham) (35), Miner, of 8 Railway Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Maria, and three children.
• John Hitchen (17), Horse Driver, of 16 Pickford Lane, Dukinfield. Son of Thomas Hitchen.
• James Dugdale Hodson (13), of Pickford Court, Dukinfield.
• Ham (Ambrose) Hyde (14), Waggoner, of 22 Hadfield Street. Son of Ambrose 'Ham' and Jane Hyde.
• John Jackson (15), Door Tenter, of 5 Sack Street, Dukinfield. Son of Jane.
• Charles Jones (25), of Astley Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow and one child. Charles entered the pit at 2:00pm on Wednesday, 15 April 1874, at part of a rescue team, but was overcome by fumes.
• John Kaine (44), Miner, of 61 Wharf Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Ann, and five children, father of Thomas John below.
• Thomas John Kaine (16), Waggoner, of 61 Wharf Street, Dukinfield. Son of John and Ann above.
• William Henry Knott (16), Waggoner, of Hadfield's Court, Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne. Identified by his mother, Martha Whitehead.
• William Lawton (15), Waggoner, of Gaskell Street, Dukinfield. Son of Samuel Lawton. Another son of Samuel's had drowned in the Peak Forest Canal at Dukinfield two weeks earlier.
• John Leyland (44), Miner, of Inkerman Street, Flowery Field. Identified at the inquest by Thomas Thompson.
• George Lindley (16), Waggoner, of 257 Astley Street, Dukinfield. Son of Henry.
• James Merrick (33), Miner, of 45 Peel Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow and two children.
• John Morgan (20), of 9 St Mark's Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Caroline, and one child.
• Edwin Oliver (12), Horse Driver, of 12 Pickford Lane, Dukinfield. Son of James Oliver.
• Timothy O'Neil (40), Dataller, of Manchester Road, Hyde. Died in Ashton Infirmary, left a widow, Margaret, and seven children.
• James Reynolds (24), Miner, of 16 Crescent Road, Dukinfield. Left a widow, identified by his uncle Samuel Laxford.
• John Roberts (44), Miner, of 5 Peel Court, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Catherine.
• John Shockledge (22), Waggoner, of Ogden Square, Oxford Road, Dukinfield. Left a widow, son of William John.
• John Statham (32), Miner, of 12 Park Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Elizabeth, and two children.
• John Swindells (45), Dataller, of King Street, Dukinfield. Died in Ashton Infirmary, identified by his widow Martha, they had a son, Edward.
• Law Taylor (30), Miner, of 141 Wharf Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow and four children, identified by his brother, Paul.
• Robert Thomas (26), Waggoner, of 83 Wharf Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Sarah Ann, and one child.
• Robert Walker (41), Miner, of 14 Leech Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow and three children.
• Samuel Wardle (24), Miner, of 1 Furnace Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Ellen, and two children.
• Henry Watkinson (23), of 47 Church Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow.
• James Welsby (30), Miner, of 2 Highfield Street, Dukinfield. Left a widow, Mary, and a daughter.
• Benjamin Williams (28), Miner, of Crescent Road, Dukinfield. Left a widow and five children, identified by his father-in-law Samuel Laxford.
• George Wright (25), Miner, of 16 Church Street, Ashton-under-Lyne. Left a widow, Mary Ann, and two children.

Roll of 18 miners who were injured or entombed

• James Butterworth, Furnaceman, of 4 Hill Street, Dukinfield. Married.
• David Chadwick.
• Samuel 'Squire' Clayton, of Kay Street, Dukinfield.
• George Dean, (14), (Unspecified) Driver, of Park Street, Dukinfield.
• Henry Fielding.
• Joseph Fletcher.
• George Harrison, Hooker-on, of 347 Astley Street, Dukinfield.
• Thomas Hitchen, of Astley Street, Dukinfield.
• John William Kellett, (20), a Waggoner, of Astley Street.
• Matthew Lee, of Leech Street, Dukinfield.
• Allen Hulme, of Oxford Road, Dukinfield.
• Charles Hulme, of Astley Street, Dukinfield.
• John 'Nepplin' Lees.
• Joseph Normanton (15), (Unspecified) Driver, of Oxford Road, Dukinfield.
• Matthew Robinson.
• Samuel Timbs.
• John 'Jack' Walker, of Leech Street, Dukinfield.
• John Thomas Wood, Waggoner, of Parkside, Dukinfield.

Roll of rescuers who worked in short shifts because of the dangerous working conditions
The names of only a few of these are known

• David Holmes, Underlooker.
• Abraham Elce (or Else), Underlooker.
• James Harrison, Manager.
• George Harrison.
• Elijah Swann.

Blue plaque
Woodbury Crescent, Dukinfield.

TAMESIDE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH
THE ASTLEY DEEP PIT DISASTER 14th April 1874
This plaque is located over the shaft where an appalling gas explosion occurred in Astley's Deep Pit, once reputed to be the world's deepest coal mine.
A previously burnt tunnel was temporarily being repaired when the roof collapsed and pockets of unknown gas were ignited by open flame lamps.
The explosion killed 54 men and boys, making this Tameside's worst mining disaster.
Unveiled by The Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Brian Wild JP on 10th May 2001.