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John Coyne
| Age: | 28 |
| Died: | 15th Aug 1873 |
| Accident: | 8th Aug 1873 |
| Year Born: | abt. 1845 |
| Colliery: | Westerton |
| Company: | Bolckow, Vaughan, and Co. |
| Occupation: | Hewer |
| Notes: | explosion of gas |
| Buried: | [not known] |
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| Description | |
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Explosions of Fire-damp
One fatal accident occurred during the year, under this head, numbered 49 in the list. The explosion caused the death of one person, John Coyne, The deputy on examining the place where it was intended Coyne should work, found indications of gas, and also found, on trying to discover the cause of the gas being present, that a slight disarrangement of the brattice had taken place. He re-arranged the brattice and, as he said at the inquest, removed the gas by "waving" it out with a shovel. He then left the place and went forward examining other places previous to the men commencing work in them. On meeting the men at the station he asked Coyne if he understood how to manage a lamp, and if he understood indications of gas, to which questions he gave satisfactory answers. The deputy then gave him a locked lamp and sent him to work cautioning him in the hearing of others not to work with his candle, to which he promised obedience. After working some time Coyne had come out a little way to partake of refreshment, where he was joined by the putter boy who had a naked light with him. According to his statement, for he lived a few days after being burnt, when ready to go back to his working place he lit a candle at the boy's light (this the boy denied) and went in, when the explosion occurred. Of course he was much to blame for taking a naked light into the place and thus wilfully disobeying the orders of the deputy, but the deputy was also much to blame for not taking further steps than merely cautioning him. At the place end he should have fixed a "caution" board, beyond which no naked light is allowed to go, and thus he would have given additional warning to Coyne, and not only so, but this "caution" board would have prevented the putters going in with their naked lights, which it was proved they had done whilst Coyne was at work; and so had also the overman. It is of no use to give a hewer a safety lamp, and not take any steps to prevent others in the discharge of their duties going into his place with naked lights. Coyne, I think, most likely further contributed to his own death by casting the coals he had worked, at the end of the brattice, and thus materially lessening the airway and impeding the ventilation. I have no doubt the deputy left the place "clean" but Coyne having destroyed (almost) the airway by casting his coals where he did, and then leaving the place to get his food, made the opportunity for gas to collect in sufficient quantity to cause the explosion when he returned.
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| Sources | |
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- 1873 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1056), South Durham, Westmoreland, and Cleveland District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 13, Accident Number: 49 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: 4 Where to find this report
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