| Disasters - Names |
|
Disasters - Names | ||
 |
 |
|||
| Date: | 19th January 1875 |
| Colliery: | Hutton Henry |
| Company: | Hutton Henry Coal Co., Ltd.. |
| Cause: | Shaft accident |
| Lives Lost: | 1 |
| Category: |
 |
 |
| Description | |
|
|
No. 11 accident took place at a new winning at Hutton Henry, near to Castle Eden, causing the death, it is supposed, of Mark Curtis, whose body has not yet been recovered. The pit was being sunk through the Permian and was 20 feet diameter finished size, it had passed through 60 yards of clay, sand, marl, &c, also 48 yards of limestone, making a total depth of 108 yards sunk; the top part of the pit was walled for about 64 yards with firebrick lumps 12 inches in the bed ; on the morning of the accident some workmen descended the pit for the purpose of boring a hole into the lower measures, and observing some pieces of walling had fallen down, an examination of the shaft was made, which revealed the fact that it was giving way on the north-east side about 50 yards from the surface, the manager at once determined to fill it up, but before much progress had been made it collapsed altogether, the walls, cribs, and other timber used in supporting the sides while sinking through the sand, &c, fell in, followed shortly after by the head-stocks and all temporary wooden erections on the surface, and it is supposed at the same time the deceased who was engaged on the pit top had fallen with them although not observed by anyone.
Mr. Coulson, of Durham, an eminent colliery sinker, was called in to examine the pit, with a view to its being opened out. I append copy of his report, with which I quite agree. To attempt opening through all this wreck, and with the broken sides of the pit, would be attended with very great danger, and I am also of opinion, from the description given of the state of the shaft at the time the bank erections went down, that the body of Curtis will not be within the circle of the pit, but will have fallen into the cavity at the sides where an immense quantity of sand, &c, had fallen out and filled the lower part of the pit.
"Shamrock House, Durham, 25th January 1875.
"Gentlemen, Messrs. the Hutton Henry Coal Co., Limited.
"Agreeable to your request, I have examined your 'Richardson' shaft at Hutton Henry Colliery Winning.
"I find that the walling in the above-named shaft gave way at about 25 fathoms from the surface, whereupon you commenced to fill the shaft up, which was the only safe means you had, in fact the only means to secure the pit again.
"Also, that on the 19th instant, on account of the sand wasting from behind the walling where it (the walling) had broken the shaft fell together, and it is supposed a workman employed filling the pit up either fell, or through fright run the wrong way into the pit.
"No person saw him go down the shaft, but it is known that he was employed filling the pit up at the time of the accident, and he has not since been seen.
"To open the shaft out again it will be necessary to fill it up to the surface, and let it remain so for at least three months before anything is done, after which it will require nine months to clear it out, and make it good down on to the limestone, if it can be done at all; thus it will require 12 months before the body of the man can be recovered.
"I think if the pit can be opened out and made good again that there is very little or no chance of finding the body of the man, as he may be lying out of the circle of the pit altogether, i.e., in the side where the debris has fallen out, or he may be crushed by the weight on him, and that there will be great danger of losing more life in the attempt.
"Yours faithfully,
"(Signed) Wm. Coulson."
The pit has since been filled up to the surface and abandoned, and another commenced sinking at a distance of about 200 yards to the south of it.
| Source: | 1875 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1499), Durham by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 7 Where to find this report |
|
|
| Fatalities | |
|
|
 | Curtis, Mark, aged 55, Labourer, buried in the shaft owing to the sides giving way - body not recovered |
All names found | |
Those names marked with |
Return
Return to Top
Contains public sector information licensed under the 
