Description

Included in the 20 deaths reported to me under the above heading is one of a specially sad nature, resulting, as it did, in the death of a promising young mining engineer, Mr. Robert Ernest Robinson, the son of a gentleman well known in the mining world, Mr. Robert Robinson, chief manager of Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan, & Co.'s collieries, county Durham, and a brother of Mr. C. L. Robinson, who was recently appointed an Assistant Inspector of Mines in the South-Western District. The deceased, who was only 23 years of age, served his apprenticeship with Mr. Robinson at Auckland Park Collieries, and was looking forward to his approaching examination for a colliery manager's certificate.

On the 9th of June he visited the Hazelrigg Collieries, a few miles north of Newcastle-on-Tyne, for the purpose of seeing some work in connexion with the fixing of guides in the shaft.

In company with the sinking contractor, Mr. James Johnstone, an able and experienced man, he descended in the kibble to the cradle, a distance of 64 fathoms, where they both alighted. Mr. Johnstone was about to signal for the kibble to be raised, when he heard a sound which caused him to look round just in time to see the unfortunate deceased disappear over the edge of the cradle, from which he fell a distance of 60 fathoms, and was instantaneously killed.

The cradle was of the ordinary description, with very little margin between it and the sides of the shaft, and the only conjecture that could be hazarded as to the cause of the accident was that deceased stepped back to get a better view of the guides, on which his attention was fixed, when his foot slipped on the somewhat wet surface of the cradle, and before he could recover his balance he fell between the cradle and the wall side.

The cradle, in consequence of the exigencies of the work, was tilted a little, owing to two of the hanging chains being drawn up under the lowest bunton, thus causing a vacancy between the cradle and the shaft side of about 15 inches, which, if the cradle had been level, would not have exceeded four inches.

This was unknown to Mr. Johnstone until the cradle was reached, and consequently the deceased would not be aware that so much space existed between the cradle and the walling in the shaft, hence the accident, which was of an unusual nature, but it must have been some consolation to the relatives and many friends of the deceased to know that it was not due to any defect in the arrangements or want of care on the part of anyone concerned.

Census Data

Please note: the census extracts shown here are our 'best guess match' to the person shown on this page and is not intended to be definitive — only knowledge of the family would allow this.

Tombstone

Related Articles

Mines Inspectors Report Entry

Sources

• 1881 Census — taken 3rd April, 1881
• 1896 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8450), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 15 Where to find this report
• 1896 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8450), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 15, Accident Number: 1 Where to find this report
• Church/Cemetery photograph (T-05771-09-0002) © Kev Duncan
• Headstone(s) in St. Andrew's Churchyard, Bishop Auckland
• Tombstone photograph (T-05788-09-0002) © Kev Duncan

Researchers

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