Description

The two fatal cases also occurred in the western part of the district at collieries where gas has never been known to exist. The first, which is No. 28 on the list, occurred about 9 o'clock on the 30th June last at the Butterknowle Colliery, near to Cockfield Fell, causing the death of Joseph Tarn, a coal hewer.

On the day in question the competent person appointed under No. 4 General Rule, on making the examination before the commencement of the shift, found that fire-damp was present in deceased's place, and he, in consequence, fenced it across its whole width, hung a caution board that no naked lights were to pass that point on any pretext whatever, and on the outbye side of this he placed a baulk, and chalked DANGER on it.

At the meeting station he told deceased, in the presence of the other men, that he could not go into his place because there was gas in it, and deceased replied that he wanted to as he had left to picks in the day before. He was again told he must not do so.

About an hour and a half afterwards the deputy heard a sound like a fall, and at once went towards the place from which is proceeded, and in doing so met deceased coming out of the place he had been forbidden to go into ; he had no light, and at the time said he had not taken a light beyond the caution, but afterwards, on an examination being made by the overman and deputy, his lamp was found some distance on the in bye side of the caution board and fence. Deceased was burnt about the face, arms, and chest, and succumbed to the injuries on the 10th of July.

The lamp deceased had was an open case, safety lamps not being used in this mine. The place was a rise "bord," and 60 yards past the last holing. The proper course to have been adopted when the presence of gas was first detected would have been to have had it removed by putting brattice in, but this was not done; the reason, as given by the manager, under manager, and deputy, was that the roof was bad, and it was thought best to wait until the "wall" had been holed closed to the face of the place in which the explosion occurred. This holing was expected to be made in the course of a shift or so.

The deceased man was, however, altogether responsible for the accident himself. I cannot for one moment comprehend how a man can be so foolhardy, and especially so after he had been warned he must not do so, as to deliberately take a naked light and walk past caution boards and fences into a place which he had been told contained gas. It can only be complete ignorance of the danger run, and a contempt for all rules and regulations that can make such a thing possible.

Mines Inspectors Report Entry

Sources

• 1893 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7339), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 36, Accident Number: 28 Where to find this report
• 1893 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7339), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 8 Where to find this report

Researchers

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