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William Old
| Age: | 37 |
| Died: | 10th Jan 1894 |
| Accident: | 10th Jan 1894 8:00 PM, 1st hour of shift |
| Year Born: | abt. 1857 |
| Colliery: | Holmside |
| Company: | Thomas Hedley and Brothers |
| Occupation: | Stoneman |
| Notes: | Fall of side stone while timbering a gateway. |
| Buried: | [not known] |
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| Description | |
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Number 4 on the list occurred at the Oswald Pit of Craghead Colliery, about 8 p.m. on the 10th of January last, causing the death of William Old, a stoneman.
On the night previous to the one on which the accident occurred deceased, who had the taking down of top canches in the gateways, building pack walls, and setting timber for the purpose of keeping the roof safe next to the goaf, contracted for, fired a shot in one of the gateways, which did not do its work, and the stone was not brought down. As it was near the end of the shift, he did nothing more that night, and the place, in consequence, was not available for the hewers on the following day. The next night deceased went to it first and commenced to set timber, and, while doing so a large stone, measuring 8 feet x 6 feet x 1 foot thick, fell upon and killed him instantly.
It broke off at the end next to the goaf, two sides came to feather edges, and at the other there was a slip or parting in the roof.
There is no doubt deceased was deceived by the slip and feather edges, and more so because the stone fell on the side of the gateway where the coal had not been worked out, and where he would expect the stone to be sound and good. This accident, for which I do not think anyone can be blamed, goes to show how necessary it is that the greatest care and vigilance should always be exercised in the timbering and otherwise securing the roof and sides, and in examining the stone, and especially so in seams where slips or partings in the stone occur or are likely to do so.
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| Craghead Colliery Memorial | |
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| Mines Inspectors Report Entry | |
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- 1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 12 Where to find this report
- 1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 36, Accident Number: 4 Where to find this report
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| Researchers | |
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