Description

The greatest loss of life due to any single accident during the year occurred upon an engine plane at the Wyken Colliery, near Coventry. The miners, after descending the shaft, have to travel a steep incline of over 800 yards to reach the workings, and although the rule was for the workmen to walk both in and out, yet the officials were allowed to ride, and when riding to take men with them.

On Monday, September 16th, an official of the mine gave leave to six men, who were waiting at the top of the incline, to ride down with him. Three tubs were attached to the rope of the hauling engine, and the party of men with the official entered the tubs and prepared to ride down the engine plane. The train in which they were conveyed had only proceeded a few yards when the hook connecting the tubs to the wire rope broke. The train, freed from restraint, dashed with frightful and increasing velocity down the engine plane until the tubs left the metals and were wrecked at a distance of 407 yards from the top of the plane, three of the men were killed instantaneously and the others were seriously injured.

A subsequent examination of the hook revealed a slight flaw, which appears to have escaped the notice of the person whose duty it was to daily examine the hook and other machinery connected with the hauling gear. The hook had been in regular work for some time, and only twenty minutes before it broke had drawn up a loaded train from the bottom of the incline. There appears to have been no jerk or slack rope at the starting of the train down the incline, and the cause of the breaking of the hook could not be ascertained at the coroner's inquiry. The evidence given at the inquest showed that the iron from which the hook was made was not of the best quality, having little or no "fibre," and that the blacksmith who made the hook depended more upon the maker's name on the iron than upon his own judgment as to the quality.

We have two lessons to learn from this accident, first, that great care and attention should be paid to the class and quality of material used for chains and hooks where safety of life is dependent upon their strength and durability; secondly, that upon all descending trains, an overchain, or chain running over the tubs from the front end, and attached to the cap of the wire rope, should be used for the purpose of stopping a runaway descending train in case the couplers break or become uncoupled, or the connecting hook break.

Sources

• 1889 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6015), Midland and Ireland District (No. 8) by Arthur H. Stokes, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 31, Accident Number: 42 Where to find this report
• 1889 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6015), Midland and Ireland District (No. 8) by Arthur H. Stokes, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 9 Where to find this report

Researchers

 Return    Return to Top