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Harry Teasdale
| Age: | 41 |
| Died: | 2nd Dec 1904 |
| Accident: | 2nd Dec 1904 |
| Year Born: | abt. 1863 |
| Colliery: | Burnhope |
| Company: | U. A. Ritson and Sons Ltd. |
| Occupation: | Master Shifter |
| Notes: | suffocated by stythe when examining a place in the Maudlin Seam |
| Buried: | [not known] |
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On December the 2nd an accident occurred in the Maudlin Seam at the Burnhope Colliery, belonging to U. A. Ritson and Sons, Limited, which caused the death of a master shifter, 41 years of age, named Henry Teasdale. It is a most regretable case, as if the men who arrived shortly afterwards had made the slightest effort his life could in all probability have easily been saved.
A staple 12 feet high had been driven up from the low main to the Maudlin Seam. in which a ladder was fixed. After driving 20 feet from the top of the staple the leader of a rise fault of six feet was met with, and a place had been driven up this and a holing made. On the evening in question Teasdale took a man named Close with him and went in to examine this place. He went up the ladder, leaving the other man at the bottom. There was some carbonic acid gas, or stythe, coming off and his lamp would not burn, so he went up in the dark, which he should not have done, with a view of seeing if there was a fall in the road way or to remove a stopping. A minute or two afterwards Close heard what he described as Teasdale snoring. Being a weakly man, and having lost a foot, he did not attempt to go in but went for assistance, and two men who were not far off came, but neither of them dare go up the staple. One, however, went to the pit and got assistance, and Close also went for more help. He found two men, Gattis and Grosen, who were working in the Low Main Seam about a mile away, and they came at once, and just about the same time Heckles, the under manager, who was at home at the time, arrived on the scene in company with Johnson, the back overman, both having come about two miles from their houses. Johnson went up first and said he had touched the deceased, but was overcome by the gas and had to be taken out. Then Gattis went up and succeeded in lifting him down. The lamps were burning well at the bottom of the staple but would not burn near the hitch leader. Teasdale was alive when he was got out, and an attempt to restore him by means of artificial respiration was made but without success, and he died before reaching the surface. He was so close to the staple that the rescuers were able to reach his feet without going in beyond the top of the ladder.
There was nothing for Teasdale to do in this particular place, but finding the air bad he made up his mind to ascertain the reason, and said something to Close about pulling down a canvas stopping. During the day the barometer had fallen four-tenths of an inch, and as the Maudlin Seam is over the Low Main and Hutton Seam goafs stythe is often found when a sudden fall in the barometer takes place, and that accounted for its presence on this occasion, and not an obstruction in the airway, as Teasdale suspected. The two men who reached the place first and abandoned Teasdale to his fate left the colliery and have not been seen since.
It is very seldom one has to chronicle a case of this sort. The cases of individual bravery which occur daily in our mines would fill a large volume if they came to light, but they seldom do. Men go to the most dangerous work in a mine day after day without hesitation or demur, and if a colleague is in difficulties, or a serious disaster has occurred, instead of urging men to come to the rescue it is often difficult to restrain them from running unnecessary and foolish risks. Teasdale lost his life in the laudable endeavour to maintain the ventilation of the mine in a proper condition, unfortunately ignoring the warning his lamp had given him, by going out, that it was unsafe to venture further.
I append a short cutting from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle of December 6th giving a report of the inquest
PERILS OF THE PIT.
MASTER SHIFTER'S DEATH AT BURNHOPE.
MINERS' ALLEGED COWARDICE.
CORONER'S STRONG COMMENT.
An inquest was held by Coroner Graham at Burnhope, this morning, touching the death of Henry Teasdale, master shifter, who was killed in the Maudline Seam of Burnhope Pit on Friday night.
Robt. Close, a shifter, residing at Lanchester, said that he was employed with deceased in inspecting the works on Friday night. When at the head of the hitch staple, deceased found that his lamp would not burn, and thinking there was Home canvas affecting the ventilation, he went on in the dark. Witness heard deceased snore directly afterwards, but being a delicate man he did not care to risk his life in following him, and went for assistance.
Allison Heckels, under-manager, said that he was called out of the house shortly before 10 o'clock on the night in question. He travelled with a workman named Johnson a distance of two miles in-bye to the hitch staple. Assisted by two other workmen — Gatis and Gibson — they endeavoured to rescue Teasdale. Johnson went in first and got hold of Teasdale, but was obliged to drop him. At a second attempt they were successful in getting him out, and conveyed him to bank, where, however, he died. The fall of the barometer in witness's opinion accounted for the gas rising from two lower seams to the Maudline. Two men, Benjamin Edwards and John Hallier, were there earlier, and it would have been possible for them to get Teasdale out if they had tried. Close had only one foot, and was not able to give much assistance.
The Coroner: Were the other two strong men ?
Witness: Yes, they were.
Did you ask them if they had made any attempt to get him out ? — Yes.
What was their reply ? — They said that they did not think it was possible. I told them that they ought to have tried.
The Coroner: If these men had taken the slightest trouble to get him out, they might have succeeded ? is either of them here ?
Mr. Kirkup (colliery manager): They have not been seen at the colliery since.
The Coroner: I am not surprised. I have often had to remark on the courage of men employed down the mines, but here is a different story. To think that a master shifter should have been allowed to die within the reach and within the hearing of these men ! Surely they must have known that he was not far away. Close knew what the "snore" meant. He is excusable on account of his delicate health and his unfortunate accident, which prevented him rendering any assistance. That these two able-bodied men made no attempt to rescue him is remarkable to say the least. A stronger term would he "most cowardly," and they certainly deserved to he branded as cowards. I hope that neither of them belongs to this part of the country.
Mr. Kirkup explained that neither of the men belonged to the County of Durham.
The Coroner said it was pleasant to turn from the two men who were present, and did nothing, to the other men who at a later period succeeded in pulling Teasdale out. He complimented them on their action.
A verdict of "Accidentally Suffocated" was returned.
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| Related Articles | |
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| Pub. Date | Article (Newspaper) |
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| 06 Dec 1904 | Perils of the Pit, Master Shifter's Deaths at Burnhope, Miners' Alleged Cowardice (Newcastle Evening Chronicle) |
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| Mines Inspectors Report Entry | |
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| Sources | |
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- 1904 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2506), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 24 Where to find this report
- 1904 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2506), Durham District (No. 4) by R. Donald Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 48, Accident Number: 452 Where to find this report
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| Researchers | |
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| Researcher | Date | Interest | |
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| Ronald H. Teasdale |
Member of Guild of One-Name Studies researching all Teasdale & variant names, especially in Durham & Yorkshire areas. I have 30 years worth of research information which I share free with anyone. |
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