Description

Number 70 on the list occurred at East Howle Colliery, on the 15th November at about 5.50 p.m., causing the death of John Starkie, a shifter.

Deceased was working with his father shooting down top stone, and building packs in a long wall district. They had drilled a hole, charged, stemmed, and fired it, and then commenced to build the pack. There were, however, two props which impeded their work, and they knocked them out, and almost immediately a stone fell and caught deceased between he shoulders, breaking his spinal chord, and he died two days afterwards.

The long-wall had just been opened out where this man was working, and, as is usual, the roof had settled down on to the packs, and caused the stone to be somewhat broken. I have no doubt that when the shot was fired if had shaken some of the stone, and deceased and his father had not noticed it, and in removing the props they had caused it to fall, with the unfortunate result.

Too much care cannot be exercised in examining the roof and sides after a shot has been fired, and more especially when timber has to be removed, as had to be done in this case.

Sources

• 1895 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8074), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 10 Where to find this report
• 1895 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8074), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 25, Accident Number: 70 Where to find this report

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