Description

Number 12 on the list occurred at West Auckland Colliery on the 6th of March, about 3 o'clock p.m., causing the death of James Swinbank, a water leader.

This accident occurred in the face of a crosscut in the Brockwell Seam, dipping one in four ; there were two roads lying side by side for a few yards from the face, one of them being for a water tub and the other for the coal tub. The coal tub was standing about yards near the face than the water tub.

Deceased's duty was to ladle the water out of the place into the tub.

There was a loose rope, one end of which was attached to the full tubs in the face, and the other to the engine set to take them up the heavy gradient to the landing ; the empty tubs and loose rope were let down into the place by means of a brake wheel worked by a lad, whose duty it was also to walk down and put the rope to one side of the place, so as nothing would catch it, and he was quite positive that he had done so in this case, and stated that it was the water tub he let down before the accident occurred, whereas the rope was attached to the coal tub. I imagine deceased had unloosed the rope off the water tub and pulled it down two yards and attached it to the coal tub, and in doing this had caused the rope to twist, and thus thrown the outer end on to the way. The empty set from the shaft to the landing came in, and the rope end became entangled in the tub wheels, and the coal tub in the face of the crosscut was jerked with great violence against deceased as he was in the act of passing in front of it, and injured him so severely that he afterwards died.

Mines Inspectors Report Entry

Sources

• 1893 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7339), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 14 Where to find this report
• 1893 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7339), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 34, Accident Number: 12 Where to find this report

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