Gatewen Colliery

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Abram, Arthur, 11 Feb 1916, aged 35, Collier, Fall of roof on roadway — crushed head and chest

Andrew, Joseph, 01 Jun 1916, aged 59, Timberman, Fractured skull by fall of roof

Baines, John, 08 Apr 1931, aged 22, Haulage hand, Killed by tubs which started suddenly

Bradley, Owen, 10 Dec 1892, 11 a.m., 6th hour of shift, aged 70, Powderman, Inspection and inquiry made. The deceased was knocked down by the company's engine when shunting two trucks of stones near the colliery screens, as he was crossing the line. Nobody seems to have seen the old man until he was struck down ; engine driver is said to have whistled when passing the screens

Davies, Albert, 02 Dec 1921, aged 22, Engineman, Fractured legs — run over by tubs

Davies, John, 06 Feb 1901, aged 60, Locomotive Driver, Inspection made. Deceased was engaged repairing the injector on the side of the loco., when the brakesman lowered two railway waggons towards the screens, and as there was very little clearance for the waggons to pass the loco, at that point deceased got fatally crushed between the loco, and the waggon passing. The brakesman was on the opposite side of the waggons and was not aware deceased was in the way

Davies, Thomas, 10 Dec 1904, aged 65, Byeman, Fall of roof. Inspection made. He had withdrawn a bar supporting the roof, and when securing the gablock and chain around the prop, a stone fell from some slips in the roof upon him

Edwards, Adam, 25 Apr 1884, aged 72, Fireman, Found dead in the stables underground, supposed to have been from heart disease

Edwards, Richards, 16 Dec 1930, aged 26, Cutterman, Killed by a fall of roof

Griffiths, David, 14 Jan 1921, aged 42, Metalman, Walked into gassey place and collapsed

Hughes, William, 12 Feb 1913, aged 16, Waggoner, Whilst the deceased was attending to the endless rope haulage in a brow dipping 1 in 8, a lashing chain 3/8 inch thick attaching two full tubs to the haulage rope broke, causing the two full tubs of coal to rush down brow. The two tubs left the rails and knocked out five bars set at intervals of 3 feet, and liberated a large fall of roof 16 feet long, 8 feet wide and 11½ feet thick. Deceased was killed by a portion of the fall while taking shelter in a refuge hole. The fall occurred at a fault which crossed the roadway at that point

James, Joseph, 09 Dec 1909, aged 45, Byeman, He was engaged timbering after a fall of roof, and setting new bars in a roadway, when some more roof fell, capping two new bars, and fatally injuring deceased

Jenkins, Henry, 15 May 1884, aged 30, Screenman, Inspection made and inquest attended. This was due entirely to carelessness. He was lowering empty waggons to the screens, and just before they reached the loaded ones he endeavoured to pass between the two sets and was crushed

Jones, George, 16 Dec 1924, 8.0 p.m., 6th hour of shift, aged 43, Byeman, The deceased and his mate were engaged in shifting rails on a jig in order to prepare the road for a self-acting incline. The road was 10 ft. wide and 4 ft. 6 ins. high. While so engaged a stone, 6 ft. by 2 ft. 10 ins. by 1 in. thick, suddenly fell away from a slip and displaced a prop, killing the deceased and injuring his mate. The roof of the roadway was supported by props at each side at distances varying from 4 to 5 ft. It would have been much safer if bars had been used before commencing to lay the rails [More information ...]

Jones, Jeremiah, 25 Sep 1911, aged 50, Collier, Fall of side. When engaged holing between sprags five feet five inches apart, a fall of coal five feet in length fell from the face between the sprags and killed Jones

Jones, John, 25 Jan 1884, aged 45, Collier, Inspection made. The man was setting a prop when a piece of the roof shelled off. The place was fairly well timbered

Jones, Llewellyn, 06 May 1884, aged 19, Pony driver, Inspection made and inquest attended. A small "pot hole" fell from between the bars, which were set at intervals of 3 feet. The roof all round appeared to be perfectly sound and good

Jones, Thomas, 17 Feb 1882, aged 25, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased had drawn his sprags to allow the coal to fall, and was pulling at it with his pick, when a piece from the upper portion of the seam fell on him

Jones, Thomas, 31 May 1910, aged 38, Collier, When engaged capping sprags, after the coal had been holed, a fall of coal came from a slip upon him

Phoenix, Samuel, 09 Jun 1899, aged 50, Byeman, Inspection made and inquest attended. They were making an airway along the face of a roadway, and building a pack wall, when the roof gave way, capping a bar and a prop, and crushing the deceased

Phoenix, Thomas, 28 Feb 1921, aged 46, Collier, Fall of roof — injury to spine

Povah, William, 24 May 1911, aged 67, Collier, When travelling up an endless rope haulage a three eights of an inch lashing chain broke, causing the empties to run back and fatally injure Povah opposite a manhole

Pritchart, Robert, 06 Dec 1918, aged 55, Bricklayer, Fall of roof — fractured skull

Roberts, Robert, 14 Jun 1900, aged 64, Fireman, Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased had just coupled the cable to a charge of electronite, and having requested his son, who was present, to assist him, and who, through some misunderstanding, turned the handle of the battery before his father had got away from the place of shot, causing him to be fatally injured

Robinson, Samuel, 17 Oct 1902, aged 24, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. He was engaged filling a tub of coal in the face of a roadway, when a stone fell upon him from the roof from between slips. The roadway was propped on each side, but not barred. The fireman who examined the roof one hour previously, stated he thought the roof was strong and safe

Sanderson, Henry, 09 Oct 1911, aged 32, Byman, Deceased was caught in a thirteen inch diameter jig pulley, into which he was drawn by the rope while using a wooden prop as a brake while a full set of tubs was being lowered down an incline dipping one in seven. He probably slipped when using the brake, as his arm was drawn into the groove of the pulley

Sedgwick, William, 31 Feb 1903, aged 27, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. He was chipping the roof down in a roadway, which was propped each side, when more came than he expected, and a stone fell from a slip upon him

Simons, Arthur, 14 Feb 1928, aged 15, Haulage hand, Crushed between tub and bar while illegally riding

Tattum, Edward, 22 Oct 1916, (accident: 03 Oct 1916), aged 41, Contractor, Injured thumb — blood poisoning. Died 22nd

Taylor, Edward, 22 Nov 1906, aged 68, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. A fall of roof occurred upon the deceased, coming from between two slips in a roadway, capping a bar and two other props. The fireman stated he had examined the place twice that shift, and had considered it safe

Williams, David, 20 Sep 1875, aged 63, Sinker, Struck on the head by winch handle

Williams, Herbert W. L., 06 May 1924, 3.15 p.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 41, Timberman, The deceased was killed on a coal cutter face, by being struck on the head by a prop thrown by the revolving chain of the machine. The prop was let into the floor and was 4 ft. from the coal face and 12 ins. from the revolving chain. It is thought that the prop became dislodged by a sudden weighting of the roof

Williams, Job, 20 Apr 1925, aged 36, Machineman, Leg severed by cutter chain picks

Williams, John, 26 Nov 1915, aged 22, Filler, Injured head and body by fall of roof

Williams, John, 24 Nov 1921, (accident: 19 Nov 1921), aged 48, Contractor, Fall of coal — injury to back. Died 24th. Nov

Williams, John William, 28 Mar 1927, aged 26, Contractor, Fractured skull by fall of roof

Williams, Pryce, 06 Sep 1911, aged 51, Waggoner, This occurred on an endless rope haulage road. No one witnessed the accident. It is supposed that he was attempting to put some derailed tubs on again, while the rope was in motion. He was found fatally crushed between the two lines of rails where the space was two feet ten inches

Williams, Thomas, 14 Nov 1877, aged 35, Sinker, Fell from hoppet when ascending pit. Hoppet caught against "bearer" 34 yards from bottom

Williams, Thomas, 10 Jan 1894, aged 21, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. Having finished holing the main coal they knocked the sprags out and while examining the place afterwards a piece of top coal gave way to a slip crushing the deceased

Williams, William, 08 Apr 1913, aged 44, Collier, Fall of side. Williams was about to re-start holing under the coal in the 4 feet seam, the coal having been partly holed, and sprags set about 3 feet 6 inches apart during the previous shift. A sudden weighting of the roof appeared to have taken place, causing a piece of coal 8 feet in length to burst off the face, which fatally injured him. The fall of coal displaced two sprags and disclosed a smooth parting