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William Postlethwaite
| Age: | |
| Died: | 2nd Sep 1858 |
| Accident: | 12th Aug 1858 |
| Born: | |
| Colliery: | Whitehaven, Croft Pit |
| Company: | Earl of Lonsdale |
| Occupation: | Deputy |
| Notes: | explosion of firedamp ignited by a naked light |
| Buried: | [not known] |
| Category: |
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| Description | |
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August 14. The most important explosion during the year took place in the Croft pit, Whitehaven bannock band seam. (See accompanying sketch of the workings.)
The explosion originated in a rise-board A, standing without brattice 18 yards up ; the brattice and rails having been improvidently withdrawn a few weeks before.
Postlethwaite, the deputy, had called two of the hewers who wanted places to accompany him to said board. He had in his hand a safety lamp, the two hewers with naked lights following at a short distance; he had improvidently removed the top of his lamp, and was within five or six yards of the face when the explosion took place, and himself and both the others were so seriously burnt that they all eventually died. Postlethwaite was an old and experienced deputy, and this mistake could not be accounted for.
No fault was discoverable on the general state of the ventilation, an ample current of air being supplied past the board end; and so much reflection was cast upon Postlethwaite's thoughtlessness, that if he had survived he would most probably have incurred a criminal verdict from the coroner's jury; for in a place so far advanced, the removal of the brattice was considered highly improvident.
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| Related Articles | |
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| Pub. Date | Article (Newspaper) |
|---|---|
| 14 Aug 1858 | Serious Accident In Croft Pit (Whitehaven Herald) |
| 19 Aug 1858 | Explosion of Fire-Damp in Croft Pit (Whitehaven News) |
| 21 Aug 1858 | The Late Explosion In Croft Pit, The Adjourned Inquest (Whitehaven Herald) |
| 04 Sep 1858 | The Late Explosion In Croft Pit (Whitehaven Herald) |
| 09 Sep 1858 | The Late Accident In Croft Pit, Inquest Yesterday (Whitehaven News) |
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| Sources | |
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- 1858 Mines Inspectors Report
- 1858 Mines Inspectors Report, Northern District by Matthias Dunn, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 5
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