Description

No. 237 on the list occurred at Horden Colliery, belonging to the Horden Collieries, Ltd., on July 14th, about 4 a.m., causing the death of a chargeman and a sinker.

At this colliery three shafts are in the course of being sunk and the accident occurred at what is known as the East Pit, which at that time had been sunk to a depth of about 40 fathoms. Water was running into the shaft at the rate of about 1,000 gallons a minute, and for the purpose of pumping this water there was a pulsometer pump in the bottom of the shaft. It was slung by a chain to the end of a wire rope which was attached to a winch at bank. It was supplied with steam from three Lancashire boilers, each 30 feet long by 8 feet diameter, working at a pressure of 160 lbs. to the square inch. Steam was conveyed to it through a range of pipes down the side of the shaft. These pipes were 3 inches diameter to a delivery drift, leading to one of the other shafts, where a tee piece and stop cock were fitted, and below the tee piece they were 2 inches diameter.

A week or two previous to the accident the top joint of the pulsometer was re-made with asbestos sheet, and the flanges were secured by square bolts fitted in open slots.

Owing to some pumps or pipes being put on in the North pit, this pit had been standing over the week end and the pulsometer became drowned, to a depth of about 7 feet, and as soon as everything was ready the pulsometer, although it was under water, was set to work again and it delivered water to the delivery drift, 9 fathoms above but not in the usual quantities.

It vibrated and rattled a good deal and gradually shook the bolts out of the slots until the joint at the end of the 2-inch steampipe was free, and as the steam at a pressure of 160 lbs. per square inch escaped direct into the water, it gradually heated it until it was scalding hot

The master sinker for the night shift inspected the water about midnight and found it to be 7 feet above the pulsometer. The latter was working at the time and there was a little steam coming off the surface of the water and a slight noise, but this was thought to be due to the steampipe passing through the water. About half an hour afterwards the attendant at the delivery drift noticed steam rising from below and the noise the pump was making had increased.

About 3.40 a.m. the master sinker again inspected the water and found it still to be 7 feet above the pulsometer, and the steam had increased so much that it filled the shaft.

The deceased men, who had also inspected the water from time to time, again descended the shaft for that purpose. It was the practice in ascending and descending by the kibble to give the signals by hitting the side of the kibble with a hammer — one rap meant "hold" or stop ; two, "to lower;" three raps; "bend up;" and four, "bend away." As the men were descending, the attendant at the delivery drift could not see them, and they were by sonic means lowered into the water, the attendant heard them shouting and he shouted "bend away" to the banksman, who did not hear any raps, although the men say they had given some ; but he heard the shouts and the kibble was brought to the surface, when it was found to be full of water, and both men were standing on the bow of the kibble holding on by the chain, having been severely scalded by the hot water in the shaft. The master sinker was at the other pit and when he heard the raps and shouting, rushed across to the East Pit and shouted "bend up," and pulled the rapper, and the signal was obeyed. He was on the ground level.

The banksman was on a heapstead 20 feet above the ground level, and it was his duty to transmit any signals from the shaft to the engineman, but he says he never heard any signals until someone shouted. He had at the time been at work 16 hours.

At the inquest held before Mr. Coroner Maynard, on July 18th and 21st, the jury after a long and careful enquiry into the circumstances returned a verdict of "accidental death," with the following rider :-

"We further say that, in our opinion, when the condition of the water in the shaft was found, the pump should have been lifted for examination, and we are also of opinion that the time the waiter-on had been at work was excessive and wrong, and unfitted him for his work."

With both these views I agree, and especially the one respecting the hours worked by the banksman or waiter-on. It is responsible work and the safety of the sinkers depends to a great extent on his being energetic, alert, and having all his faculties about him. I drew the manager' s attention to the excessive hours and he, at once, gave orders that, in future, these men should not be employed more than 12 hours in any shift.

The Board of Trade held an inquiry under the Boiler Explosions Acts, 1882 and 1890, and in the report (No. 1,389) the engineer says "Asbestos sheet is greatly used for making steam joints, but when put into water it becomes soft and pulpy, and no doubt it (in this case) gradually got into this condition when the pulsometer was immersed and became unable to withstand the steam pressure from within. Under these circumstances it is not surprising that it was finally blown out. The steam escaping through the joint into the water would also cause the pipes to vibrate and the bolts to be shaken out of the slots in the flange, and the cap at the end of the pipe was then free. The steam to escape into the water, the latter became scalding hot, and it is surprising this was not observed earlier by those in charge, as all the circumstances pointed strongly to something being wrong."

With high pressures of steam such as this was, the question of the material of which joints are made is an important one, and as high pressures are being used at all the modern places I hope it will be duly considered by those in charge, in order to prevent accidents.

Mines Inspectors Report Entry

Sources

• 1902 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 1590) Where to find this report
• 1902 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 1590), Durham District (No. 4) by R. Donald Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 51, Accident Number: 237 Where to find this report

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