Registered No.

of Accident.

APPENDIX I.

LIST of FATAL ACCIDENTS in and about MINES under the COAL MINES REGULATION ACTS during the Year 1906.

Cause of Accident and Remarks,

19

April 11

Cramlington,
Northumberland.

Cramlington
Co., Ltd,

Coal

John Alexander Stevinson, 53,

Shifter.

Deceased was hewing alone in a loose jenkin, 5 yards wide, just turned away off an old headways in the 1st East flat of the
Towneley seam, which is 2 feet 4 inches thick, when a stone, 5 feet by 2 feet and 16 inches thick, fell upon him from the
brow of the canch that had been taken down in the old headways. The stone would weigh about one ton, and was
relieved by a breaker over the coal and a slip at one side, and had a free side next the old headways; in its fall it canted
out a prop set under it, and also knocked out a prop under one end of a plank crossing the headways. The foreshift deputy
has been twice in the place during the time deceased's brother occupied it during the foreshift and had observed no special
danger. There was plenty of loose timber close at hand. The Local Inspectors reported, "We find that in our opinion it is
a pure accident, there being sufficient timber in the place." There is always extra danger from falls cf stone in driving the
first yard or two from an old road.

Died April 6. Deceased, who worked along with another hewer, was engaged during the back shift in kyrving in broken
workings in the Maudlin seam, 5 feet thick, in the 2nd South way of the Glebe pit. About 24 tons of coal fell over without
any warning on to him, relieved by a slippery back which had not shown its presence in any way before the accident. The
coal was kyrved about 3 feet under for a length of 7 feet, and a sprag 2 feet long had been set, but the coal in falling
rode over it. His marrow was knocked to one side, but not injured. There was a good supply of loose timber close at hand
and the deputy had just left the face and was sawing timber for them a short distance away, while he waited to fire a shot
in the place. The Local Inspectors reported, "In our opinion we consider it was a pure accident, no blame being attached
to anyone."

This case was somewhat mysterious. A drift, dipping 12 inches per yard, had been driven 98 yards from a point 18 feet below
the Low Main seam in Atkinson's district of the Dudley pit, to search for the Beaumont seam. When 98 yards had been
driven, a feeder of water was tapped at the face and the drift filled, and it stood for three weeks until a pump,
driven by compressed air, was fitted up to unwater it and deal with the feeder. The pump had been in operation a
* All mines are coal mines unless otherwise specified.

FALLS IN MINE-continued.

Falls of Side-continued.

April 12

Cause of Accident and Remarks.

Giles Griffiths,
37,
Stoneman.

fortnight, and the water was lowered 34 yards on the slope, and as is usual in such cases, some falls of roof and side
followed its removal and left the place rather ragged. Deceased, who had met with a blasting accident, which had injured
one of his eyes, while acting as a deputy six years ago, had since been given lighter work and was attending to the pump.
He had gone to work at 6 a.m., and was last seen alive at 10 a.m., when he came to get his bait at a hauling engine not far
from the top of the drift. At 2.15 p.m. the back overman found him lying at the edge of the water with his face in it,
quite dead. His skull was fractured, some teeth dislocated, and there were abrasions on the left side of his face and neck,
and his left leg was broken, this fracture being stated by the doctor to be post-mortem as it was bloodless. No stone was
upon his body, but some was lying near. His lamp was found extinguished on the floor 2 yards outbye from his body.
A screw key for tightening up the suction pipes was near him. The pump was standing, and as the water would rise 3 feet
on the slope in an hour, it is probable that when he received the injuries he fell clear of it, and it afterwards advanced and
covered his face. The drift was well ventilated by the exhaust air from the pump. A deputy had examined the place at
6.25 a.m. and at 9.15 a.m.; on the latter occasion deceased was at the pump. The deputy thought some stone had fallen
since his visit. The jury found that death was caused by a fall of stone from the roof or side. The Local Inspectors made
no report.
Died April 23. Deceased was going his rounds in the long wall workings of the Staple district in the Yard seam, and when
about 33 yards from the face on the Mothergate, was adjusting a canvas sheet in an auxiliary air road, when some blue
metal stone, 5 feet 6 inches long, 3 feet 6 inches wide, and 2 feet 11 inches thick, fell off the side above the pack, relieved
by jacks, and fastened him. Some men at the face heard the fall, and he was at once released, but he was unconscious and
paralysed, his spine being broken. The Local Inspectors made no report.

Deceased was shooting up a bottom canch in a longwall heading in the 8th North flat of the Yard seam, 2 feet 10 inches thick,
of the A pit. The heading had only recently been started off an old road with coal sides, in which both top and bottom
stone had been removed to make height. He was visited by the chargeman at 7.55 p.m., after he had fired two shots, and
as the second shot had displaced a pair of gears set under the brow next the old road, the chargeman replaced it, and after
jowling the stone left the place at 8.10 p.m., as he considered, safe. The chargeman returned at 8.35 p.m. and found a
blue metal stone, 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 17 inches thick, relieved by jacks at each end and at the back, and with a
free side next the old road and a good parting above, had fallen on him from the brow, displacing the pair of gears that
had been re-set and a prop under another pair set at right angles under one end of the stone, also breaking but not
displacing the plank. Deceased was released 20 minutes after the chargeman found him, but he was then dead. There
was sufficient loose timber for use lying near. The Local Inspectors reported, "In our opinion it was a pure accident."
Deceased and three others were working bargain work during the night making a new flat in the Haugh way of the Stone Coal
seam of the Derwentwater pit. The seam is 2 feet 8 inches thick, and a top canch of 1 foot 8 inches, already partly taken
down, with a bottom canch of 2 feet 6 inches made the height. A shot of saxonite was fired in the bottom canch at the
left side about three-quarters of an hour before the accident, and deceased was at the top of the canch a few feet inbye
building a pack on the same side, when a piece of blue metal, 74 feet long by 2 feet wide and 144 inches thick, relieved by
slips at each end, which appear not to have been observed before the accident, fell upon his head partly from the side and
partly from the roof. The leading man of the party had examined the stone before the accident, and set a prop with a
sleeper as a headtree under the inbye end of it. The prop was canted out. There was plenty of loose timber handy for
use. The backshift deputy passed the place about the time they started work, but they were not visited by an official
during the course of the shift, although the master shifter came directly he heard of the accident. The Local Inspectors

North Seaton,

Northumberland.

Cowpen Coal Co.,
Ltd.

John Mitcheson,
45,
Chargeman.

April 27

Bedlington,

Northumberland.

Bedlington Coal Co.,
Ltd.

330

May 25

Choppington,
Northumberland.

Bebside Coal Co.,
Ltd.

George Young
34,
Hewer.

Charles Perkins and
Partners.

William Penny,
31,
Deputy.

333

July 30

Bedlington,
Northumberland.

Bedlington Coal Co.,
Ltd.

Robert Morris,
23,
Hewer.

reported, " In our opinion it is a pure accident from a fall of stone through an entire deceptive roof. There has been no
negligence whatever on the part of any one, as the place round about was securely timbered, also there, being plenty of
timber at hand."
Died June 15, Deceased and another hewer, the president of the local union, were hewing together during the fore shift
in broken workings in the Bensham seam, 2 feet inches thick, of the Crossent flat of the A pit. The lift had not
advanced far and only a little top stone had been taken down at its entrance. This stone, blue metal, had been complained
of by the hewers in the back shift the day before and had been attended to in the night. When deceased and his marrow
reached the place, after seeing the deputy, who had examined it an hour or two before, they set a prop and plank under the
brow. The deputy visited them at 6.40 a.m. and ended this plank. After he left them deceased went into the old bord
and drilled a hole about the middle of the seam in the solid to blow out about 18 inches of coal, and as candles were used he
fired the shot himself; it blew out, simply cracking the coal, and made a loud report, which the deputy heard when 280 yards
away. After the shot, while deceased was filling coal near the brow, a stone fell from it, about 7 feet long, 1 feet wide,
and 14 inches thick, inflicting serious injury. The shot was fired in contravention of the regulations of the colliery, and
may have contributed to the accident in two ways: 1st, by the extra concussion shaking the roof stone, and, 2nd, their
anxiety to remove traces of it may have led to the neglect of precautions as regards the roof. Deceased was treated at
home until June 5th, when he was removed to Newcastle Infirmary, where he died. The Local Inspectors reported, "Found
a hole in solid coal, having been fired, and stone falling from brow, and in our opinion no fault to find with the officials.'
Deceased, who held an under-manager's certificate, and was very proficient in ambulance work, was engaged on a Sunday
morning with a stoneman in shooting down a top canch of 18 inches of blue metal on the South-east Crosscut wagonway,
in the Beaumont seam of the Shop pit. They made an examination of the place before starting work, and were satisfied all
was safe. The machine tree was then set, and a distance of 18 inches had been bored, when a piece of stone fell from the
brow, which crossed the place at an angle, 74 feet long, 3 feet wide in the centre, tailing out to nothing each way, and
18 inches thick, displacing a prop and headtree in its fall. Deceased was caught by it and instantly killed, his neck being
broken. There was a good parting above the stone, but the side next the brow seemed a new break, probably a previous
shot had loosened it. The Local Inspectors reported, "We are of opinion it has been a pure_accident, as we found plenty
timber set and also plenty of suitable timber lying close by."

Deceased, with another hewer, was working in the fore shift in a lift 13 feet wide in broken workings in the West flat, Far
South district of the Docter pit Low Main seam, 5 feet thick. They commenced about 4.30 a.m. to kyrve across the place,
and about 6 a.m., when the jud was nearly made, part of it, 7 feet long and 2 feet 2 inches wide, fell over, riding over a
stay set 2 feet from the loose side; deceased was caught by it; he was released in 2 or 3 minutes, but never spoke, and died
as he was being taken outbye. The coal fell away from a crack, probably caused by a previous shot, and from an ordinary
headways cleat. The deputy examined the place before work commenced, and afterwards just as they were starting
work, but little kyrving had then been done. There was an ample supply of timber for sprags or stays, and they showed
both want of judgment and disregard for the Special Rule as to spragging, in not having a support set in the 11 feet between
the sprag near the loose side and the fast side. The Local Inspectors reported, " In our opinion there is no blame attached to
anyone, and an unforeseen accident."

U. A. Ritson & Sons, John Hall Knowles. A fall of stone had taken place on June 7th at an old air crossing on the main haulage road in the Bensham seam, and 70 tubs
Ltd.
47,
of stones were filled away. A second fall occurred at the same point on June 8th, and was also cleared away, and on the
Stoneman.
evening of that day the master shifter and a gang of men went to the place to make it secure. The fall was 24 feet long,
and had left a space 15 feet wide and 14 feet high. Two old steel rails, weighing 70 lbs. per yard, one 20 feet and the other
24 feet long, were placed on either side of the road, resting on props 5 inches diameter and 6 feet long, and a lofting of balks,
10 feet long and 10 inches by 5 inches sectional area, was placed on these rails. A stretcher, in case of side pressure, had
been placed between the rails at one end, and deceased was on the lofting, measuring for a stretcher at the other end, when
about 1 a.m. on June 9th, a stone, 5 feet by 4 feet by 3 feet, relieved by slips, fell from the side above him, knocking out a
girder and causing the collapse of the whole structure. Deceased was fastened but not killed, and was heard to speak; the
master shifter and the other men at once tried to release him, when a second fall took place, somewhat seriously injuring
three of them, including the master shifter, and killing deceased. The Local Inspectors reported, "We think it is a pure
accident, judging from the place, as we saw every precaution had been taken for safety."

37

June 20

Heworth, Durham

Heworth Coal Co.,
Ltd.

Richard Bray,
48,
Stoneman.

Died July 15. Deceased was drilling a machine hole in the roof stone of a new gateway in long wall workings, in the 4th South
district of the Five Quarter seam, when a stone, 2 feet by 1 foot 8 inches and 7 inches thick, relieved by a joint and a break,
fell from the left corner of the brow and caught his knee and ankle. The place had been examined by a chargeman before
work started, when it appeared safe, and afterwards a fellow workman had examined it, jowled the stone that fell, and
after trying to get it down with a pick, left it, as he considered, safe. Deceased was attended by a doctor the same day, who
found bruises on the left ankle and foot and abrasions of the left leg. On the third day an abscess formed, followed by
others, and the injuries took an unhealthy course, and death was due to exhaustion and heart failure. The Local Inspectors
made no report.

* All mines are coal mines unless otherwise specified.

Deceased and another hewer in the fore shift were turning away a lift 12 yards wide off an old wagonway in which a 3 feet top
canch had been taken down in the 5th South way of the Five Quarter seam, when a stone fell without any warning from the
brow at the loose side of the lift and killed him. The stone would weigh about 24 tons and was relieved at the back by the
breaker nearly always found from 2 feet to 4 feet from the side of an old road. The deputy had examined the place about
3 hours before the accident, when he thought it safe. There was a supply of loose timber close at hand, but none had been
used to secure the brow. The Local Inspectors reported, " In our opinion it was a pure accident and that there was plenty of
timber lying near.' In my opinion the stone should either have been taken down or stayed, and the manager has decided to
use extra precautions when starting places off old roads in the future.
Deceased was hewing during the night shift in a bord 6 yards wide in the Coronation flat of the Low Main seam. The tract of
coal here is known as "Swalley" coal, and is of abnormal thickness being made up of 4 feet 10 inches of top coal separated
by a 3-inch band from 3 feet 11 inches of bottom coal, or 9 feet in all. Deceased was working his place forward in the top coal
and had been sitting on his cracket kyrving his back end. His marrow in a wall 23 yards away heard a fall and ran to the
place and found him on the bottom coal and band under a fall of about ton of top coal which had fallen away from a
sooty back and a free parting above, riding over a stay he had set. The deputy had examined the place within 2 hours
before the night shift hewers started work, when it appeared safe and he saw there was plenty of spare timber. The Local
Inspectors reported, "We are of opinion it is a pure accident, the coal having come off by a sooty facing, and we are satisfied
that deceased had his stay in and that the weight of the coal pressed the stay out.'
Deceased and another stoneman were shooting down post stone at the face of a longwall gateway in the 2nd North way of the
Main Coal seam of the E. F. pits. They had fired a shot charged with 4 cartridges of gelignite and were ploting it;
deceased went under the brow to pinch down a stone from the side, and when he had done so a stone weighing about a ton
fell from the brow and killed him. He was got clear in 10 minutes but was then dead. The stone was released by two
jacks almost at right angles, apparently not visible before the accident, and the other sides were free forming the brow of
the canch; it was held in position by the stone deceased pinched down. The Local Inspectors reported, "As far as we were
able to judge the necessary precautions were taken for his safety, and in our personal opinion it was a pure accident.'
Died August 19. Deceased and his stepfather were hewing together during the fore shift in a wall 14 feet wide in the Bensham
seam, 5 feet 6 inches thick. The left side of the place had been driven forward narrow 8 feet wide for about 4 feet, leaving
a trail jud which they were taking off bordways way and, after the place had been examined before they entered by the
deputy, were kyrving when about a ton of coal fell off the side, relieved by a sooty back lying over away from them from
the bottom upwards. Both were knocked down and the deceased fastened, but his stepfather was able to liberate him. The
place was approaching a trouble. A shot fired the day before may have helped to loosen the coal. Deceased was sent to
Newcastle Infirmary on the 19th, but he died there the same day. The Local Inspectors reported, "Find the same in perfect
order and cannot find anything to account for the fall of coal except purely unforeseen circumstances."
Deceased and another stoneman, who was injured by the accident, were making a road across an old bord, the roof in which had
fallen to a height of 9 feet, in the Main Coal seam 6 feet thick of the Ann pit. They had ridded away the fallen stone and
put in lofting to within 6 feet of the coal on the far side and had sent the stone putter to the flat for some balks 6 feet
long, which he had some difficulty in finding and did not bring to them, and as deceased said he was not in a hurry the
putter left them for a while and did other work; on returning about an hour after he found both men fastened by a fall,
which had brought away some of the timber from the brow across the old bord near where deceased had been cutting a hole

Forster,
30,

Hewer.

in the coal to receive the end of a balk. The putter was not able to release them and went for help. Deceased's mate,
whose hand was fastened between a balk and the stone tub, was soon set free and a stone resting on deceased's mouth, which
he complained of as interfering with his breathing, was removed, but notwithstanding all efforts he was not released until
an hour and a half had elapsed, when he was dead. The fall amounted to 5 or 6 tons, and stuff kept sliding away as they
worked to free deceased. It came away from a breaker near the side of the pillar of coal, fell the full height 9 feet of the
old fall and was widest at the top. No doubt deceased had disturbed it while cutting the hole for the balk. Deceased was
himself a competent examiner, and the chargeman had been near them about an hour and a half before the accident and had
asked if they were all right and they replied in the affirmative. The Local Inspectors reported, "Find that it was through
the brow coming away, and we are of opinion that it was a pure accident and no blame attaches to anyone."
Deceased was driving forward a place 8 feet wide on the right of a longwall face in the 9th West way of the Low Main seam
in the Maude pit. A coal-cutting machine undercut the coal along the face and the place deceased worked in was kept in
advance so as to make room for the machine to start a new cut. The place was loose on the right side. The seam is 2 feet
thick and is overlaid by 2 feet 2 inches of blue metal, succeeded by post stone; the blue metal is taken down in the roads
and had been shat down in deceased's place three days before, and on the day of the accident the coal was taken out for a
distance of 5 feet from the brow. The deputy was in the place at 6.20 a.m., and fired a shot in the coal for deceased and
left the place apparently safe. About 9 a.m. the putter found a fall had taken place and raised the alarm, but the deputy
arrived about the same time and released deceased from under the fall, but he was dead. The fall came off the brow and
extended right across the place and was from 2 feet to 14 inches wide, and consisted of the 2 feet 2 inches of blue metal. It
was liberated by a jack at the left side by a roughly defined slip parallel to the face, and it had a free side to the right. It
canted out one of two props in its fall. There was a sufficient supply of loose timber near. The Local Inspectors reported,
"Found everything satisfactory so far as we can judge. There was plenty of loose timber in the place if any had been
required.'
Died November 20. Deceased was working in a longwall heading 17 feet wide in the South-west district of the Five Quarter
seam. The coal was nipped out at the right side of the place; it had been worked forward 7 feet, gradually thinning from
18 inches until it was entirely lost. A canch extending half-way across the place from the right side, above where this
thin coal had been taken out, had to be blown down. At the brow there was 2 feet 4 inches of post overlaid by blue metal.
Deceased set his boring tree just outbye of a 6 feet balk, which, with a prop at either end, supported the permanent roof
1 foot 9 inches from the brow, and sat down on a piece of stone between the balk and the brow to drill a hole near the top
of the post, and had his legs stretched out under the brow. When he had drilled 16 inches, a stone, 24 inches by 20 inches
by 18 inches, fell off the brow on to his legs and broke his left thigh. It was relieved by jacks at the side and by a parting
above and fell between two short props set 2 feet apart under the brow. The chargeman was in the place at the time,
having examined it, and thought all was safe, and when the stone fell was coming out from under the brow close to
deceased. Deceased was taken to Newcastle Infirmary, but as the broken bone would not unite, he was put under
chloroform, and was being operated on when he died from shock and heart failure.

Deceased was hewing alone in the fore shift in a bord 19 feet wide in the Bensham seam, 4 feet 7 inches thick, in the 3rd West
flat, South Bensham district of the C pit. He had bared a lie over sooty back more than half-way across the place from
the left side in the lower part of the seam, and he had also pricked it near the floor on the right side where he had fixed a
stay against the coal. On the left side the top coal projected about 2 feet over the back, and was an evident source of
danger, as the parting above is a good one. In front of this coal a piece of band, about 34 feet long by 14 feet wide and
7 inches thick, lay on the floor, and deceased may have been moving this preparatory to bringing down the projecting coal,
when it fell over and crushed his head on the band. The coal in falling does not appear to have displaced any stay, but it
knocked out a prop set close to the face about the middle of the place. The place was well timbered so far as the roof was
concerned, and there was a good supply of loose timber close at hand. Deceased was found by the putter, who
summoned the deputy who had only left the place a few minutes before, but who did not appear to have insisted on the
necessary precautions with regard to the projecting coal. The Local Inspectors reported, "In our opinion it was a pure
accident."

Deceased and another wasteman, who had been a deputy and who acted as chargeman, were repairing an airway in an old
headways in the North flat of the Brockwell seam of No. 2 pit, when a stone, triangular in area, having sides about 4 feet
long, fell partly from the side and partly from the roof and pinned deceased's head against a pack wall he was building on
the opposite side of the road. The stone was relieved by a breaker 6 inches over the coal and a slip at one end; it was
2 feet thick next the coal and thinned out to a thin edge in the direction of deceased, and is known locally as a "side waver."
No timber was set under it, although there was loose timber close at hand. Deceased's mate examined the place before they
started work, and the master shifter had seen it shortly before, and while they were at work the overman visited them, and
no sign of danger had been observed. There was pillaring next the thick part of the stone, but it had no hold of it. The
Local Inspectors reported, "We are of opinion that it was a pure accident, and no fault whatever of the management or the
deceased,'

* All mines are coal mines unless otherwise specified.

John Thomas