On 9 April 1908 an explosion approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) underground killed ten men and boys. As there were no mines rescue teams at that time, the manager and volunteers searched for survivors for 10 days. In 1911, partly as a result of the Norton Hill explosion, Winston Churchill was instrumental in the passing of the Coal Mines Act 1911 (1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 50).[98]
