Cannock Wood Colliery

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Brown, John, 20 Dec 1909, (accident: 18 Dec 1909), aged 27, Engine-plane-man, Fall of Roof. A tree from under the end of a bar on the main endless-rope engine plane had been knocked out, either by the empty tubs of a journey being derailed or by a piece of rock falling from the building by the roadside, causing the bar and a small quantity of roof to fall on the road. Most of the fallen material had been cleared away by two other men, and deceased was just starting to shovel the remainder from the rails, when a further piece of rock fell, fracturing his thigh and causing other injuries from which he died two days later. The overman and deputy stood by at the time, the former having examined the roof before the men commenced to clear away the fall ; he examined it with a light stick only, and was no doubt deceived by it

Chapman, Frank Oaks, 17 Apr 1924, (accident: 14 Apr 1924, 9.30 a.m., 2nd hour of shift), aged 27, Stallman, Deceased was setting liner bars near a new junction in a level, which had recently been restarted after standing for upwards of 20 years, when a heavy fall occurred, burying him. He was alive when extricated 18 hours afterwards, but succumbed to his injuries 3 days later. The fall occurred where a roof break, the result of the face having been standing so long, crossed the level. The choice of this site for the setting out of a new stall road was an unfortunate one

Elsmore, Bertie, 15 Feb 1924, 9.30 a.m., 2nd hour of shift, aged 30, Stallman, Deceased was filling a tub of coal at the face where a downthrow fault was being stripped, when suddenly the roof collapsed and he, together with his mate, was buried. The latter was got out unhurt, but deceased, when released half an hour later, was dead. He had been in a doubled-up position, and his lamp, which was hanging from his belt when the fall occurred, had pressed into his stomach and so had helped to suffocate him

Evans, Samuel John, 21 Oct 1914, aged 44, Stallman, Deceased was engaged with a man, named Shaw, in the construction of an underground engine-house. The roof was supported by steel girders and wooden bars. Additional height being required, deceased and his mate were changing the props supporting the girders and bars, and setting longer ones, the floor being lifted where required. While thus engaged, a girder and a bar came out, a fall of roof occurred, and they were partially buried. Shaw shouted for assistance, but before help could be given, a second fall occurred, completely burying them. When got out, Shaw was alive, but Evans was dead. Shaw could give no explanation as to why the girder and bar came out, and as there was no other witness, it is difficult to say precisely what caused the fall [More information ...]

Handy, John, 09 Jan 1906, 10.20 a.m., aged 34, Stallman, Deceased was taking a piece of top coal off a longwall face to make room for a prop, and thereby liberated a piece of rock about 7 feet in length, 1 foot 6 inches in width at bottom, and about 5 feet in thickness, which fell upon him. Its outer side was formed by a longwall break, and its inner side by a slip which was not visible before the accident took place

Perks, Edward, 05 Mar 1888, aged 34, Stallman, Fall of roof which knocked out the timber. Cause: encircling slips

Prince, John, 03 Mar 1890, aged 24, Stallman, Fall of roof. Cause: a previously unseen slip and timber knocked out

Rowley, Edward, 04 May 1909, aged 18, Horse driver, Fall of Side. This accident occurred on a longwall face in the Six Feet Seam. The coal had been cut by a coal cutter, and two men were employed in the stall filling it away, deceased being the driver for them. While one of the men was away seeking a drill, deceased went along the face to the place where the man had been working, and appeared to have been working at the coal with a pick when a large quantity of the holed coal fell suddenly upon him, burying him, and killing him instantly. A "slip" was exposed at the back of the coal which fell. Deceased had no duty to perform along the face, and should not have been there

Tunnicliffe, George, 08 Sep 1910, aged 40, Stallman, Deceased was engaged in setting a prop when a loud bump occurred, followed by a sudden fall of roof shale which buried and killed him instantly

Walker, Edward, 23 May 1913, aged 41, Dirt filler, Deceased was working at the mouth of an old road, which was being cleaned out to form an engine-room, when a triangular piece of rock, about 10 inches thick, in the centre, fell from the roof and killed him instantly. Along one of its sides the piece came off at an old break, and was feather-edged at the other sides. About half an hour before the accident the chargeman found the roof rather "drummy" but did not consider it unsafe. Although he was a very experienced man his judgement was apparently at fault on this occasion. A little more care would probably have prevented the accident

Woolley, Jonathan, 01 May 1888, aged 28, Stallman, He had drawn the sprag from some holed coal, and was trying to ease them with his pike when they fell and killed him

Wooton, George, 28 Feb 1914, (accident: 20 Feb 1914), aged 33, Loader, Deceased died on 28th February from exhaustion following upon severe injuries received by being crushed between a tub of slack and a cocker spray on a longwall face in Shallow seam. The inclination of the face was 1 in 9½, and deceased was last seen, prior to the accident, filling a tub which stood on the rails at the rise side of the stall. A little later he was seen about 20 yards lower down, crushed as stated, The tub was not quite full, and it is supposed that deceased either accidentally knocked out the scotch which held the tub, and was overcome in trying to stop it, or that he was lowering the tub down with his back against it, and was overcome by it — more probably the latter