New research reveals story of youngest Oaks disaster volunteer
19/08/16
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THE story of how a teenager became the youngest rescue volunteer in the aftermath of the Oaks Colliery Disaster has come to light through new research.
John Riley walked from Wales to Barnsley in 1865 to look for work in the mines.
He was just 17 when the disaster struck as he was walking home a shift at the nearby Mount Osborne Colliery and rushed to the Hoyle Mill site to help his friends who worked there, becoming the youngest volunteer at the scene.
The explosions - in 1866 - killed almost 400 people.
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