John Chappellow
A stone drift rising 1 in 7 starting in the Low Main Seam about 1½ miles north of Wallsend Colliery had cut the Bensham seam 23 fathoms above; a limited extent of driving had been done in the Bensham seam old workings had been holed into with bore rods and water run off which was followed by fire-damp in such volume as to prevent access to the old workings. The main drift which was intake for air was supplemented by a road which acted as the return air way consisting of two shorter lengths of steep stone drift, a staple and about 200 yards of level road. A new pit was being sunk from the surface to the Bensham seam beyond where the drifts had reached it and it was desired to drive under where the pit would come down, and as this could not be done in the Bensham a second pair of drifts rising 1 in 1¼ were put up from the Bensham to the Yard seam 9 fathoms above in which seam there were no old workings; at the time of the accident two places 8 feet wide had been driven, one 40 yards and the other 13 yards in the Yard seam with one stenton 11 yards long connecting them. Both places were bratticed close up to the face. The barometer fell considerably from Saturday midday to Monday evening when the accident happened. It was usual at the week-end to open cooks in pipes communicating with the old workings in the Bensham seam to allow the gas to escape, these cocks were closed on the Sunday. On Sunday night the places in the Yard seam were found to be foul and they were not occupied by hewers on the Monday morning but on the evening of that day the overman and back overman accompanied by the two night shift hewers went to the place to remove the gas. A regulator was closed to force more air into the Bensham and Chappellow's idea seems to have been to remove the canvas opposite the stenton in the Yard seam so as to allow the air a freer play. One hewer was left at the bottom of the intake drift to the Yard seam with both the hewers' lamps and Chappellow's lamp, the other hewer was stationed about half-way up the Intake drift with Fawcett's lamp, and Chappellow and Fawcett went forward in the dark and attempted to remove the brattice, they partially succeeded but the gas immediately backed and showed on the lamp with the hewer half way up the drift and both men were overcome. A deputy was called and he went up the drift and was overcome but fortunately rolled back into purer air. A borer then went up and managed to draw Chappellow out, on whom artificial respiration was tried without effect. The manager and others were soon on the scene and Fawcett's body was recovered just in the stenton. The Local Inspectors reported "The accident in our opinion is an unforeseen accident."
- 1907 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 4045), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 46, Accident Number: 8 Where to find this report
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