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	Individual Details		Individual Details

Age:	12
Died:	23rd Aug 1892
Accident:	23rd Aug 1892
Year Born:	abt. 1880
Colliery:	An old drift
Company:
Occupation:	[Not employed]
Notes:	suffocation by carbonic acid gas
Buried:	[not known]
Category:

An extraordinary occurrence took place at an old drift from which lead was formerly worked, by which Susannah Snowdon, a widow, 51 years of age, and her son, Joseph Snowdon, aged 12 years, lost their lives. The drift was situated about three miles from Shotley Bridge, close to the River Derwent, and the deceased lived in a cottage about 200 yards from the drift, which had not been worked for many years. The drift mouth had become partially closed, owing to the earth rolling down the hillside, and consequently there was always an accumulation of water which was used in the summer time for drinking purposes by the Snowdon family, as had been done for more than 20 years. The drift was very difficult of access, and as a matter of fact was known to very few persons. On the evening in question the deceased boy was sent for some water, but not returning his brother went to look for him, and found him lying just inside the drift mouth. Alarmed, the brother ran for his mother, who immediately went to the place, and crawled through the aperture, which was only of small dimensions, when she immediately died. Assistance was procured as soon as possible, and attempts made to recover the bodies, but although they lay a few feet only from the mouth of the drift it was found impossible to reach them, owing to the large volume of carbonic acid gas that was issuing. Repeated attempts were made, which only resulted in the rescuers being overpowered by the gas, and it was not until eight on the following morning that the bodies were recovered.

I visited the place shortly after the accident, but could find no trace of any noxious gas, although the atmospheric conditions were favourable, the barometer having fallen considerably since the date of the sad event.

In view of this accident I thought it desirable to draw the attention of the Chief Constable of the county, Captain Terry, to a circular issued by the Home Secretary of a few years ago asking for information to be sent to the Inspector of Mines for the district of any old shafts that might be found to be in a dangerous state by any police officer, and I have thus been able to get fenced several shafts of the existence of which I was not previously aware.

• 1892 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6986), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 13 Where to find this report

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