Philadelphia
including Success, Bunker hill, Junction Row and Paddock Style
Not the largest of villages, but the hub of the Newbottle Collieries. Within a short distance there were several collieries, Lambton Engine Works, the power station and the Sunderland and District tram sheds, and not forgetting the Engine sheds of the Lambton Railway.
Among the collieries were the:-
Margaret pit, Dorothea pit. There were earlier pits recorded such has Elizabeth, Mary, Jane, Success, and many smaller pits.
1799 there was an explosion and standing fire recorded in the Jane Pit when one man who was killed. The shaft was filled up leaving the body of the man in the pit. In a written report by Mr William Lishman about a later explosion at the Newbottle Colliery, which occurred on the 8th April 1864, it was stated that sometime between 8th April 1864 and July 14th 1865, the body of the man killed in 1799 was found, which is some 64 years later. The explosion had been caused by the old working (Jane Pit) full of gas, being disturbed by men working in the Newbottle Colliery, a pressure of 71 lbs per square inch was recorded. Samples of the gas was sent to the laboratory at Neville Hill, Newcastle, where it was found that the gas was mainly a mix of Hydrogen, Nitrogen a quantity of oxygen, some mix!. The report goes on to say no one was hurt in this explosion.
Many of you may have heard about the iron horse, which was a steam engine, with iron legs which were some how attached to the pistons. It used to pull 12 wagons holding 50 cwt per wagon, from the Peggy Pit, to West Herrington (about two miles), this had been successful for about a year, when it was decided to gain more power, and pull 24 wagons, however it blew up killing the driver, fireman and fourteen others. The explosion was believed to have occurred outside the engine works.
There were a number of streets demolished and forgotten, such has Success Row, Cross row, Yard Row and of course Spring Gardens.
There was also The Northern hospital for infectious diseases, including a mortuary (the hospital is recorded on a 1897 map). The staff recorded in 1945 are as follows :-
Medical superintentand Dr. L.A.M Johnson. (miss)
Matron :- Miss Dolive Mackenzie.
Nurses :-
Annie Hodgson, Rita Rowen, Dorothy Nicholson, Kathleen Hardy,
Temp :- Mrs M. Raine
Caretaker :- Robert Jordison
Cook :- Bertha Jordison.
Laundress :- Miss Grace Stamp.
Ward maid :- Enit Lawton. more to follow.............