Radstock Colliery

Current Status - Page under construction! and is far, far from complete!

Bishop, John, 02 Dec 1907, 10.30 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 53, Horse Driver, Crushed on the surface between a journey of empty trams, which he was bringing back from the rubbish tip to Ludlows Pit, and a journey of full trams which was standing in a double parting or siding waiting to be taken on to the rubbish tip. Apparently the full trams were standing near the crossing, so that there was not sufficient space for him to pass between the full and empty trams. There seems ample space between the rails of this siding, 3 feet 4 inches, except where they approach to the crossing leading to the points

Button, B., 01 Feb 1875, (accident: 23 Jan 1875), aged 24, Collier, Fall of stone in the Tinings Pit ; died on the 1st February

Carpenter, Acquilla, 10 Jul 1907, (accident: 03 Jul 1907, 12.20 p.m., 7th hour of shift), aged 44, Collier, It is alleged that he was working at the face of his working place and that kneeling on some small coal caused an abrasion of the skin on his knee. Erysipelas supervened on the 7th or 8th July, and he died on the 10th. The management deny that he received the alleged injury, but I have not seen any proof to that effect to lead me to consider that the evidence given at the inquest was untrue. This case, also would never have come under notice but for the Compensation Act

Carter, Daniel, 16 Aug 1856, aged 16, Collier, Cage raised by mistake ; a ladder struck against signal wire

Currie, George, 23 Jul 1920, Killed by a fall of roof

Edwards, Tom, 17 Aug 1905, aged 15, Driver, He was lowering full tubs down a self-acting incline, and failing to stop them in time by means of the brake, he was crushed by the ascending waggons against the drum

Gullick, William, 05 Nov 1903, aged 22, Carting-boy, William Gullick, 22, carting-boy at Radstock Colliery, was found in the sump at Wellsway Pit on the 5th November. It is supposed that he jumped down the shaft on Sunday, 1st November, during a fit of temporary insanity [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Hamilton, Harry, 07 Jun 1910, aged 34, Miner, He was killed by a stone which fell front between two parallel slips and came off at a hitch ; it broke off at the goaf edge

Hand, Tom, 28 Nov 1902, aged 56, Hitcher, While he was lifting a derailed tram into the cage, the engineman started under the impression that the signal had been given, he was drawn up the shaft some distance and badly crushed, falling back into the sump. It is a very busy shaft, and the engineman is expected to lose no unnecessary time; he receives signals from various landings; but did not try to exonerate himself in any way beyond stating that he thought the signal had been given to start

Hurley, Harry, 14 Nov 1910, aged 64, Examiner, Deceased, who was an examiner on the night shift, combined with this duty that of "hitcher" at a mouthing in the shaft. He had sent all his men up and was about to ride himself, for which he had to give the signals himself. He appeared to have made a wrong or indistinct signal to the engineman, and the cage was moved away as he was entering it. He was caught and dragged up, and crushed between it and the side of the shaft

Moon, Albert, 19 Dec 1906, aged 15, Hitcher Boy, He, with others, was travelling down the incline leading to the shaft, about 700 yards long, with a moderate gradient. He and another boy had taken refuge in a manhole to allow the full journey to pass, but being apparently in a hurry he left without a light, expecting to overtake some of the others who had gone further on, he however was caught by the empty journey and thrown into a manhole so seriously injured that he died in the mine. Neither men nor boys should be allowed, as seems the practice, when coming out from work to travel without a light

Padfield, Thomas, 07 Dec 1874, aged 16, Hitcher, Killed on surface incline

Prangley, John, 09 Dec 1905, aged 45, Collier, Fall of roof from slips which he could not reasonably anticipate. The place seemed to be in good working order but very cramped for space, the coal being only 14 inches thick

Pratten, Azariah, 19 Feb 1866, aged 34, Collier, Killed by a fall of stone while at work in Ludlow's pit. He had tried hard to get the stone down but it would not come. He then went under it to get some still further in coal loosened by a shot which he effected and after a short space of time the stone

Shearn, James, 05 Apr 1871, aged 18, Carting boy, Fall of "bell mould" in the "Tyning pit"

Shepperd, Charles, 14 Jun 1865, aged 21, Coal breaker, A slip in the roof let off a mass of stone as he lay at work and so injued him that he died about half an hour later

Tanner, Charles, 24 Jan 1870, (accident: 07 Jan 1870), aged 14, Collier, Explosion of gunpowder 7th. Died 24th

Turner, Ernest, 17 Jan 1903, aged 40, Collier, Fall of roof. When holing, a thick stone from the roof fell on to him, in consequence of insufficient propping, there being no posts set near it. This is a case which shows how desirable it is that the men should be visited by responsible officials frequently during the shift