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	Individual Details		Individual Details

Age:	35
Died:	12th Feb 1897
Accident:	12th Feb 1897
Year Born:	abt. 1862
Colliery:	Deaf Hill
Company:	Trimdon Coal Co.
Occupation:	Hewer
Notes:	Killed by a fall of stone from between two slips, in longwall face
Buried:	St. Bartholomew's Churchyard, Thornley
Category:

No. 83 on the List of Fatal Accidents occurred at Deaf Hill Colliery, belonging to the Trimdon Coal Company, on February 12th, causing the death of two hewers.

These men were working together in a long wall face, and up to the time the stone fell everything appeared to be perfectly safe; there did not seem to be any break in the stone forming the roof and there was no working in the goaf but suddenly a large stone, measuring 15 feet long x 5 feet broad x 2 feet in thickness, fell and killed them both.

It was found afterwards that the stone had been surrounded by slips or natural joints, and that the coal was under one of them. As soon as the coal, which was the only support the stone had, was removed it fell without the slightest warning.

This is a pure accident in the fullest meaning of the term, and I only mention it for the purpose of drawing the attention of officials and workmen to the dangerous nature of these slips or natural joints, and to say how necessary it is to use every endeavour to discover them, and having found them to take measures, either by taking the stone down or setting timber, for their own safety.

• 1897 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8819), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 10 Where to find this report
• 1897 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8819), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 38, Accident Number: 79 Where to find this report

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