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Martin Lewens
| Age: | 21 |
| Died: | 2nd Feb 1888 |
| Accident: | 2nd Feb 1888 |
| Year Born: | abt. 1867 |
| Colliery: | St. Hilda |
| Company: | Harton Coal Co. |
| Occupation: | Hewer |
| Notes: | roof stone fell in jud |
| Buried: | [not known] |
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| Description | |
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Deceased and another hewing putter came in with the lads, and not being required to put were directed by the foreshift deputy to hew in the jud where the accident occurred. The deputy had been in the place and timbered it up. The young men were not visited by a deputy after starting work, but the manager and back overman were in the place about 11 a.m. The stone fell about 1 p.m. The coal is about 5 feet high (Bensham seam), and is directly overlaid by post. The coal cleaves to the post, and this may obscure any jacks or slips that might otherwise be observable. The deceased was under a large stone, which in falling had broken into two pieces. The top of this stone was a very free parting and was false bedded, the thickness next the fast side being about 14 inches and on the other side 12 inches, and further back the parting came down to the coal. A prop was lying near stones, which had been canted out. Neither of the lamps had been put out or injured. There was spare timber near.
This case shows that notwithstanding very careful and repeated examinations and timberings by officials, much must depend upon the hewer himself in securing his own safety. Fresh exposure of roof by the extraction of the coal, and consequent new sources of danger, is a continuous process and requires most careful watching. The accident, however, does not show lack of judgment on the part of the hewer, as from the nature of the roof described above, the coal cleaving tenaciously to the stone, the slip or jack which no doubt gave rise to the accident most probably could not have been observed by any one.
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| Mines Inspectors Report Entry | |
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| Sources | |
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- 1888 Mines Inspectors Report (C 5779), Newcastle District (No. 3) by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
- 1888 Mines Inspectors Report (C 5779), Newcastle District (No. 3) by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 28, Accident Number: 6 Where to find this report
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| Researchers | |
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