Due to the great depth of the mine, working under ground must have unbearable due to the excessive temperatures. These temperatures along with earth pressure also meant there was a ever present fear of underground fire. The miners who worked on the coal seam called the mines rumbling 'The Hamstead Bumps'. Life on the surface around the colliery was also a noisy affair. The colliery big wheel constantly revolving, creaking and scraping, the crashes and thumps from the pump house. The tubs of coal and slag trundled over head, the coal on its way the railway station.
The village had had it own station since 1862. and in the days both platforms were on the same side. this had to be changed because of the number of people crossing the tracks, which in turn lead to increased fatalies.

On 11th November 1898 everyone's fear were realized when an underground fire hit the colliery. The fire started about 5pm in pit No.1, fortunately on this occasion there was on loss of life though the fire raged for several months with meant the miner were unemployed. The Mine finally re-opened in March 1900 more then a year after the fire. Colliery life returned to normal for another 8 year before disaster struck.