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	Individual Details		Individual Details

Age:	26
Died:	3rd Mar 1873
Accident:	3rd Mar 1873
Year Born:	abt. 1847
Colliery:	Eppleton
Company:	Hetton Coal Co.
Occupation:	Sinker
Notes:	drawn up against pulley in staple
Buried:	[not known]
Category:

Overwinding.

Only one case of accident under this head occurred, No. 17, and arose in consequence of the kibble in which a man was riding being drawn up against a pulley and thus causing him to fall out and down a staple or shaft. An underground staple was being sunk in the Eppleton Colliery. An engine situated on the surface had been utilised by taking a rope 135 fathoms down the principal shaft of the colliery, thence under a sheave and along a drift for some distance, and then over another sheave or pulley and down the staple, by which means the materials and men were drawn to the top of the staple. All the fittings were in good order and good of their kind. The distance from the top of the staple where men and materials were delivered to the pulley above was 8 feet, and this probably, although the engine was geared 5 to 1, i.e., the engine made five revolutions whilst the drum, on which the rope wound, made one revolution, was rather too short a distance, to allow the engineman for stopping with accuracy, especially as the engine was at such a considerable distance. Every precaution was taken that any slackness of rope which might have arisen from the long distances should be guarded against by the rope being conveyed between points in close spoutings, moreover it was stated in evidence that the work had been carried on for some time without the slightest mistake. At the time the engineman was drawing the man up the staple, the fireman had gone into the engine house although a notice prohibiting any person from going in was fixed upon the door, and I think it is very likely that this had disturbed the engineman's attention. The engine was properly fitted with an indicator showing the position of the load in the shaft.

• 1873 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1056), South Durham, Westmoreland, and Cleveland District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 12, Accident Number: 17 Where to find this report
• 1873 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1056), South Durham, Westmoreland, and Cleveland District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 5 Where to find this report

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