It was one of the largest paper mills in the world and a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution.
But 100 years ago today Bridge Hall mills at Heap Bridge was also the scene of one of Heywood’s worst industrial disasters.
Stretching for half a mile along the north bank of the River Roch the vast works employed hundreds of people from neighbouring Heywood and Bury.
But to satisfy the increased demand for paper from across the globe, the mill was undergoing a expansion project.
On the morning of February 16, 1915, between 20 and 30 men were putting the finishing touches to a 250ft wide, four storey extension when disaster struck.
Shortly before noon ‘without any warning’ the concrete roof collapsed and came crashing down on to the men below.
One onlooker said the building ‘seemed to crumple in like a concertina’.
The Heywood Advertiser reported: “The men on the roof at the time were hurled down among the debris in which those below were buried.
“The noise quickly brought assistance and the task of recovering bodies hidden among the fallen material was commenced with all speed.”
When the dust settled eight men - four from Heywood and four from Bury - were dead and eight others were injured, some seriously.
A ninth man - John Crandon from Wilton Street, Heywood - would later die of his injuries.
The Advertiser described it as ‘one of the most serious catastrophes’ in Heywood’s industrial history.
One worker told of his miraculous escape.
George Preston, 21, of Britannia Street, was carting timber inside the building when the collapse occurred.
Fortunately he became trapped under his horse which prevented the falling masonry crushing him, and after two hours spent calling for help was eventually pulled from the rubble.
He told the Advertiser: “Another man was loading the cart with me when we heard a rumbling noise and suddenly the roof and walls seemed to give way and fell in on top of us.
“The horse and cart were knocked over on top of me and we were all buried beneath the debris.
“My legs were underneath the horse’s body and that, I think, prevented them from being broken by the heavy concrete.”
Another worker, Harry Howarth, of Back George Street, recounted how he was flung through a window into an adjoining building and escaped unhurt.
Making a downward motion with his arm he told reporters: “It went like that and it was over before you could say ‘Jack Robinson’.”
Two days later the county coroner opened his inquiry into the incident.
The hearing at Bury County Court heard the company had commissioned a then new form of reinforced concrete roof in a bid to maximise space and reduce the amount of moisture in the building so as not to affect the paper-making process.
It also emerged no plans had been submitted to the local authority.
The roof designer Hubert Murphy, of London-based Rigid Concrete Company, told the inquiry he believed the cause of the collapse was an error he made in the calculation of the compression of the concrete.
It meant at the crucial point of the roof the concrete was just 16ins thick, instead of the required 32ins.
An architect who examined the building after the collapse also reported much of the concrete hadn’t properly set before props were removed and some steel bars were up to 1.5 ins out of place.
‘Such work was disastrous to designing’ he said.
After considering their verdict for nearly two hours the jury found the collapse was caused by a ‘faulty design.
In a statement read out in court they said: “The cause of the accident was undoubtedly grave errors made in the design of the roof as admitted by the designer Mr Murphy, but the jury do not hold him guilty of criminal negligence.
“The jury is of the opinion that the contractors should have submitted the plans to an expert before giving a guarantee and it is regrettable that the plans were not submitted to the corporation.
“We consider the supervision exercised was lax.”
The coroner summarised the verdict as ‘that the building, by misadventure, collapsed inflicting mortal injuries on the men.’
Monday 16 February 2015
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/remembering-bridge-hall-mill-disaster-8654005
