Description

The second shaft accident, which resulted in the loss of two lives, occurred at the Southam hematite Iron Ore Mine, near Bigrigg, on the 19th December, and was the result of an overwind at a sinking pit where no detaching hook was in operation.

On the day in question water was drawn from the pit by means of two water barrels, one in either partition of the winding portion of the shaft. Dixon Nulty, the joiner and shaftsman, was told that there was some timber floating in the water and interfering with the valves of the barrels. Taking a labourer, William Wilson, who was accustomed to shaft work, with him, he descended the pit, and after finishing the necessary work, they were brought to bank again, but the barrel on which they were standing was about 2 feet above the surface level. They were then in full view of the engineman. Nulty then asked the banker to have the barrel lowered a little bit, and the latter shouted the order to the engineman. Instead of the barrel being lowered it instantly shot upwards with the men, who were crushed against the crown-trees of the headgear, and received such severe injuries that Wilson succumbed in a very short time, and Nulty only survived for three days.

It was evident that the accident could be attributed to one of two causes only, either defective machinery or to some error on the part of the engineman, Isaac Yeaberry, who very frankly admitted, that he had no fault to find with the engine, which was in good order in every respect.

At the inquest held at St. Bees by Mr. Gordon Falcon, the Coroner for West Cumberland, on the body of William Wilson, evidence was given to the foregoing effect, and the engineman, who was cautioned by the coroner, also made a statement, which showed conclusively that he alone was responsible for the accident. He admitted that he had made a mistake, but at the same time could not explain exactly how it happened. As the second barrel contained some water, it was thought possible that its weight and that of the rope might have been sufficient to raise the empty barrel and the two men, but experiments, at which the engineman was present, showed that such a result could not be attained. The only conclusion I can arrive at is that on drawing the men to the surface level Yeaberry shut off steam and applied his brake, and then turned on a little steam to enable him to take the barrel to the pit top, and on getting the order to lower he had taken off the brake, forgetting the position of his reversing lever, when the barrel would rapidly ascend. There could not have been much steam on, however, or something must have given way.

The jury found "that the deceased was accidentally killed, and that Yeaberry was in fault, but his fault did not amount to culpable negligence."

A similar verdict was returned by the jury at the inquest held at Whitehaven to inquire into the death of Dixon Nulty.

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Mines Inspectors Report Entry

Sources

• 1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 26 Where to find this report
• 1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 55, Accident Number: 9 Where to find this report

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