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Thomas Hope
| Age: | 40 |
| Died: | 28th Jan 1875 |
| Accident: | 28th Jan 1875 |
| Year Born: | abt. 1835 |
| Colliery: | Netherend |
| Company: | Joseph King and Co. |
| Occupation: | Manager |
| Notes: | Suffocated whilst incautiously penetrating the workings when they were known to be charged with "firestink" (noxious gas), the result of spotaneous combustion |
| Buried: | [not known] |
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No. 5 was a very sad case, especially when it is considered that the manager himself, who really ought to have known better, not only lost his own life, but led to the death of one of his overmen or subordinates.
Mr. Thomas Hope, manager, a Durham man, and John Troupe, overman, of the Netherend Collieries, the two men alluded to, were engaged in the mine, whilst a bricklayer and other persons were closing a permanent dam to prevent the escape of fire-stink (foul and poisonous gases) from the goaf and other places. This gas was produced by spontaneous combustion, and it appears to have prevailed most in the top workings of the thick coal, where Mr. Hope and his companion had gone quite unknown to the workmen closing the dam in the workings below.
One of these persons having found a jacket belonging to Mr. Hope or the overman, suspected something was wrong, and immediately went into the top workings, where he found them side by side, suffocated by the deadly gases which more or less were permeating the whole mine, and which had evidently for a time overpowered the ventilation in the main air-way where the bodies were found. How and for what purpose the manager and his overman came to push on their course in the face of such a deadly enemy will always remain a mystery. The only conclusion I am able to come to is, that both were ignorant of the effect of such poisonous gases, and went on determined to go through the workings, till at length the atmosphere became so thoroughly charged therewith, that they either sat down to rest and were gradually overcome, or that a sudden and unexpected rush of foul air overtook or met them, and so overpowered them that escape became impossible.
Colliery mnnagers and workmen should always be careful in penetrating these gases, and should retire the instant they feel any ill effects therefrom.
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- 1875 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1499), South Staffordshire District by James P. Baker, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 145 Where to find this report
- 1875 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1499), South Staffordshire District by James P. Baker, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 148, Accident Number: 5 Where to find this report
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