​Methane and Haematite: The Deadly Mix of Montreal’s Hybrid Mine

Montreal Pit No. 4 was a significant deep mining shaft within John Stirling’s Montreal mining complex at Moor Row. Opened in 1862, it remains a site of geological fascination due to its "dual-commodity" nature, raising both haematite iron ore and coal through a single shaft.

Feature	Technical Data
Location	Moor Row, West Cumbria (NY 008 147)
Operator	John Stirling (1820–1907)
Shaft Depth	350–450 feet (106–137 m)
Active Era	1862 – Circa 1925

Geology: The Sir John Walsh Fault

The operation of Pit No. 4 was dictated by a rare geological quirk. The Sir John Walsh Fault caused the stratigraphy to shift, placing the Coal Measures (Main Band seam) directly adjacent to the Carboniferous Limestone containing the haematite ore.

This allowed Stirling to extract two distinct minerals from one vertical shaft. Cages were fitted with multiple decks: upper decks often carried coal hutches from the shallower seams, while lower decks raised ore bogies from the deeper limestone levels.

🔍 Archive Deep Dive

To understand the complex geological intersection and the dual-commodity extraction methods used at Moor Row, explore this technical breakdown of the Montreal field. This analysis examines how the Sir John Walsh Fault created a unique environment for the simultaneous mining of coal and haematite.

Read: Analysis: Montreal Pit Number 4 →

Social History: Overcrowding and "Hot-Beds"

The success of the Montreal mines brought a surge of labour to Moor Row that the village could not initially sustain. This led to the notorious "hot-bed" system in local terraced housing. To maximise space, beds were never empty; as one shift of miners went down the pit, the returning shift would climb into the beds they had just vacated. This lack of hygiene and extreme density contributed to a significant Typhoid outbreak in the 1890s.

Operational Hazards and Methane Risk

The intermixing of coal and iron created a unique peril. While haematite mines were generally free of explosive gases, the proximity of coal at Pit No. 4 introduced Firedamp (Methane). Miners accustomed to the relatively stable environment of iron workings were often unprepared for the presence of coal gas, leading to several fatal explosions and suffocations.

The Safety Record

Date	Name	Cause of Death	Significance
19 Aug 1879	William J. Bray	Explosion	Likely ignited methane pocket.
May 1889	Robert Downey	Fall of Coal	Confirms active coal extraction.
Feb 1916	James Byrne	Firedamp Suffocation	Rare gas hazard for an iron mine.

Montreal No. 4 and the "Great Deposits"

Historical records indicate that the irregular masses of ore found at Montreal No. 4 were among the most significant in the Whitehaven district. The following data highlights the scale and quality of the haematite extracted during the mine's peak years.

Metric	Historical Record Details
Deposit Scale	Classified alongside No. 1 pit as some of the largest deposits in the district.
Ore Quality	Produced an immense quantity of haematite of good quality.
Output Period	High-level production was sustained for over thirty years.
Extraction	Ore was primarily raised from irregular deposits rather than standard veins.

The Engineering Challenge

Stirling's operations faced significant technical hurdles due to the close proximity of the River Keekle. The bed of the river had to be puddled or "troughed" to prevent water from seeping into the underground workings.

A massive iron trough was constructed to carry the river over the mining area. This structure was approximately 528 yards long. This engineering feat was essential for protecting the deep levels of Pit No. 4 from sudden and heavy floods.

Material Requirements

Maintaining the vast irregular chambers of Pit No. 4 required an immense amount of timber. The records specify that Larch was the preferred material for propping the heavy roofs, while Norwegian Pine was often used for smaller support structures. In areas where the ground was particularly loose, foreign timber was imported to ensure the safety of the miners working the haematite flats.

Final Closure and Legacy

Coal winning at Pit No. 4 ceased in 1918, followed by the end of haematite extraction in the mid-1920s. Once the pumps were stopped, the labyrinthine workings flooded with "cankered" water, heavily stained by iron oxide. While the surface buildings are gone, the site remains a point of interest on the Coast-to-Coast cycle track (near to the "Great Rock Crusher"), serving as a reminder of Moor Row's industrial peak.

Montreal Pit No. 4 Illustration