Shawcross Colliery

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Bannister, David, 02 Sep 1924, 7.15 a.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 67, Engineer, He had gone underground to inspect a haulage clutch gear and found that it was not properly adjusted. After stopping the rope and sending a boy out to inform the engineman he and his son began to adjust the clutch and to do so they got upon the rope wheels. They had just begun when the rope started and deceased was carried round the wheel, his legs being severed between the rope and the wheel. He had not given the boy sufficient time to reach the engineman before starting to work on the clutch. If a blocking signal had been in use this accident would have been avoided

Breasly, Henry, 17 Jan 1915, aged 51, Collier, Lifting derailed tub by buffers to get it on rails when fingers were trapped. Decided to amputate and he died under anescetic

Burton, Frederick, 07 Dec 1911, (accident: 06 Dec 1911), aged 18, Slack Filler, He was employed at the bottom of a hoist which is operated by a steam engine, and is used to lift material from ground level on to the pit hill, a height of 22 feet. An empty tub was being put into the hoist cage, on the pit hill, when the engine was started without any signal having been given. The tub fell from the cage on to deceased, causing injuries which proved fatal on the following day

Chappel, George, 20 Sep 1904, aged 25, Sinker, When he was filling a kibble in the bottom of a sinking shaft a piece of stone 10 ft. by 6 ft. by 2 ft. fell away from the side and killed him instantly. The piece of stone was timbered with sprags, but it came away over them ; it was considered to be so sound that two shot holes were being put into it for the purpose of blasting it down

Fell, Maurice, 24 Feb 1911, aged 26, Miner, He was "breaking in" at the coal face when a large piece of clod 9 feet long, 2 feet wide and 1 foot 10 inches thick fell suddenly upon him and killed him instantly. The fall disclosed several curved slips in the roof

Fewster, John W., 06 Sep 1934, aged 63, Byeworker, Dismantling steel arch girder in three sections — he had removed 2 struts and was hammering girder fish plates to release tension girder when it sprang and projected fishplate which struck his head. Walked 2 miles to Infirmary

Heegan, James, 30 Oct 1912, (accident: 06 Aug 1912), aged 27, Dataller, He was gobbing dirt in the pack when the clod in the shape of a "pot hole" came away from the roof and fell on to him. The stone which fell was about 5 feet diameter and 1 foot 6 inches maximum thickness, and was insufficiently supported. He died on the 30th October

Lyles, Ernest, 14 Mar 1919, aged 19, Hurrier, On his way to pit bottom at end of shift and became entangled with rope and was killed

Newsome, Joseph, 16 Dec 1915, aged 42, Collier, Sitting at gate end with his back to face when there was a slight bump which displaced 6 props — suffered injuries from which he died a few days later

Newsome, Sam, 31 Mar 1904, aged 50, Enginewright, He got into one of the buckets of a slack elevator to examine a damaged one, when by some misunderstanding a man gave a signal to the engineman to start the elevator, and deceased was carried up to the top of it and fatally crushed

Pollard, Thomas, Jan 1908, aged 64, Wagon Loader, His duty was to load wagons at a hopper, but occasionally he brought wagons down to the screens. On the morning of the accident he brought two wagons to the screens to get them out of the way, and was passing in front of two partly loaded wagons standing under the screens on another road, when three empty wagons bumped into them, with the result that the two wagons shot forward and the wheels of the first passed over him and so seriously injured him that he died on his way to the infirmary. A piece of wood had been placed under the back wheel of the first wagon under the screens, but very improperly, the brakes had not been applied and pinned down. If this reasonable precaution had been taken the accident would not have happened

Senior, Walter, 09 Nov 1908, aged 25, Collier, He pulled a slab of coal off the face which exposed a slip in the roof, and a fall occurred from it and killed him

Spencer, Sam, 26 Oct 1913, (accident: 23 Sep 1913), aged 54, Collier, Whilst riding on a full tub along the endless rope haulage road he was crushed between the top of the tub and a low bar. He admitted to his son that he knew that it was against the rules to ride on the tubs. Two other men who were riding at the same time were prosecuted and convicted. Deceased died from his injuries on 26th October

Sturgeon, John, 18 Jul 1910, aged 39, Dataler, Whilst waiting for the shot-firer to fire a shot in a road which was being repaired, Sturgeon foolishly went under the overhanging side and was killed by a heavy fall of rock

Watson, Arthur, 29 Aug 1919, aged 45, Collier, Passing under gate ripping when caught by fall of stone