Description

The second and third accidents occurred at the Dawdon Colliery sinkings belonging to Messrs. The Londonderry Collieries, Ltd. The former accident occurred on 6th September when two men were killed and four injured. These six men were in a kibble examining the shaft after shotfiring in the bottom. They were being lowered down steadily and above them was an electric lamp, suspended on its own cable, which provided them with light, and which was lowered as they were lowered. They had descended about 250 fathoms when the electric light cable broke about 15 fathoms from the surface, and failing down the shaft caught the men in the kibble, killing two of them and injuring the other four. The accident was due to the fusing of the cable, but it is difficult to determine what was the prime cause of the fusion. Probably it was due to chemical action which could not very well have been foreseen. The cable had a breaking strain of 3¼ tons and its own weight was 10½ cwt. It was not supported in the shaft at all, but was paid off a drum at the surface and travelled over a pulley placed over the shaft.

Sources

• 1907 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 4045), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 16 Where to find this report
• 1907 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 4045), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 38, Accident Number: 461 Where to find this report

Researchers

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