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| Date: | 12th February 1871 |
| Colliery: | Vane's Hartley |
| Company: | R. Summerson and Co. |
| Cause: | Overwinding |
| Lives Lost: | 1 |
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| Description | |
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Overwinding.
No. 11 accident. This case showed an utter want of discipline, and an unaccountable ignorance of the requirements of the law.
Richard Gill was in charge of the winding engine at Vane's Hartley Colliery. A signal had been given from the bottom of the pit indicating that men were to be drawn up, and just at this moment Gill saw a friend of his, Robert Croudace, who had previously been in charge of the engine for six years, pass the door, and asked him to come in and draw "them" up. Croudace, who admitted at the inquest that he heard the signal for "men on" did so, and from some cause or other drew the cage to the pullies, when two boys who were "riding" were thrown out, one falling on the "flat sheets" without injury, and the other falling to the bottom of the pit, by which he was killed. All the special rules, with which I am acquainted, forbid any person in charge of an engine allowing another person to "take the handles" unless by authority from the engineer. I found in the course of the inquiry that not only had Gill never been supplied with rules, but that special rules had not been established as required by the Act, although the colliery had been working for some years.
By your authority I instituted proceedings against the agent (and part owner) of the colliery for non-establishment of special rules. The case was to have been heard before the justices at Barnard Castle, but in consequence of there being only one magistrate present and of the infrequency of more than one attending the court, it was suggested that with your sanction a fine of £5 and costs be inflicted, which was agreed to.
Overwinding is of very rare occurrence in this district. There have been many attempts to introduce contrivances for detaching the rope in such cases, many of which have had fair trials, but have ultimately been abandoned for various reasons, more particularly because it is adding to the risk of accident by having more machinery to examine and keep in repair, and that such contrivances are liable to induce a degree of carelessness in the person having charge of the engine. Most of the plans if not all with which I am acquainted have only provided for detaching the rope, other provision by keps on the pulley framing, or by catches on the cages, being required to prevent the cage falling to the bottom of the shaft. Of late years, however, an invention has been introduced called "Ormerod's link," which not only detaches the rope but at the same moment and by the same apparatus suspends the cage, and thus prevents further mischief of any kind. These are being rather largely introduced, and I have been made acquainted with several instances where they have prevented much destruction of property, and some cases in which by their use many lives have been saved.
| Source: | 1871 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 653), South Durham, Westmoreland, and Cleveland District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 25 Where to find this report |
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| Fatalities | |
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 | Parkin, Joseph, aged 15, Driver, drawn up pulley, fell out of cage and down shaft |
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