From the libraries at Barnsley and York I was able to obtain copies of the official report of the explosion, 'Annals of Barnsley' reporting the accident, with copies from the 'Mining Journal' and photocopies from the 'Yorkshire Gazette' newspaper. From the Archives Section at Barnsley Library I was able to obtain copies of illustrations of the colliery, and of the mass burial in the churchyard from the 'Illustrated London News' dated 3 February 1849, which greatly colours the information discovered.

The mine had been inspected by the 'bottom steward', Thompson, on the Wednesday morning. After he had reported the mine to be safe, 101 men and boys descended between 5am and 6am. The mine had been closed the day before, but apparently not due to a ventilation problem. The miners usually worked with the safe Davy lamps, but on this particular morning some had naked candles. The survivors reported that they had not noticed any impure air, but between 11:30 and 11:40am an explosion was heard and the alarm was raised. The noise could be heard by people in the houses in the surrounding area, all of whom were connected to the collieries or the iron works. Due to foul air in the shaft a rescue could not be mounted for some time. Miners from the surrounding collieries, on hearing of the news, arrived to help with the rescue.

The reports illustrated quite graphically the immense scale and the horrific nature of the disaster. The majority of the dead were so terribly mutilated that that it was nearly impossible for relatives to identify them, other than by clothing which had survived. The rescue operation continued until the Thursday evening when the last body was discovered. 74 were dead, 24 had been rescued alive, although all of them were either burnt or otherwise injured. One of the injured died during Thursday night. The author of 'Burland's Annals reports that: "Nearly all the bodies last brought out were dreadfully mutilated and in several instances the head was literally scalped, the hair burnt off and the viscera obtruding from the lower portion of the body".

The inquest into the disaster was opened at the 'Mason's Arms', Worsborough Dale, by the coroner of the district, Mr Thomas Badger. The jury was then taken by omnibus to view the bodies which took the whole day as well as the following day. At the inquest, several survivors reported that that they believed that the ventilation in the pit was bad and the method of getting the coal was irregular. Other witnesses believed that no-one was to blame.

The coroner sent a report to Sir George Grey, Secretary of State for the Home Department, asking the Government to send someone to enquire into the cause of the accident, and to institute steps to prevent another. A Mr Warrington Smythe of the Geological Survey Office reported on the way the seam of Barnsley coal was mined by a method midway between the 'post and stall' work of the North of England, and the 'long wall' method of Shropshire. Mr Seymour Tremenheere, Inspector of Mines to the Secretary of State, also submitted a report. As the coal was worked, large cavities were left which filled with firedamp. Under normal circumstances, the mine was safe but a high wind had prevented proper ventilation, and caused the explosion. The verdict was:

"We find a verdict of accidental death of the 75 bodies we have viewed, caused by one or more explosions of carburetted hydrogen gas or inflammable air which took place on the 24th of January last in the Darley Main Colliery; and we most strongly recommend to the proprietors that that a better code of ventilation be adopted before they recommence working the mine as a preventative against any similar occurrence; and we think from the evidence given before us, that the removing of machinery used for drawing water out of the upcast shaft is essentially necessary, so as to allow the air passing out of the mine to have a better and freer outlet. We also desire that Mr Badger, the coroner, report to Sir George Grey and that he make known to Her Majesty's Government, that we think it advisable that they should appoint a scientific and practical person to occasionally inspect the collieries in this district and see that there is proper ventilation and hear any complaints by the work-people employed theirin."

The inquest did not claim criminal negligence, but felt it vital to improve ventilation and concluded that an independent inspector needed to be appointed, working for the government so that improvements could be introduced. Also, the use of naked candles was condemned for contributing to the accident. Thompson, a witness, had reported that there were only 24 lamps for 100 miners. Mr Tremenheere felt that each man should have a safety lamp, to avoid any repetition of such disasters. However such safety matters seem to have been ignored, as the 'Annals of Coalmining' reveal accidents caused by the use of candles in the following years.

Appended below is a list of names recorded in the burial register of St Mary's Church, Worsborough (WRY) for the 1849 Darley Main Disaster and also for the previous one in 1847 when six men were killed.