| Disasters - Names |
|
Disasters - Names | ||
 |
 |
|||
| Date: | 21st August 1886 |
| Colliery: | Hebburn |
| Company: | |
| Cause: | Railway accident |
| Lives Lost: | 1 |
| Category: |
 |
 |
| Description | |
|
|
Mon 23 Aug 1886 (Newcastle Journal)
A few minutes before 12 o'clock on Friday night a shocking fatality took place at Hebburn Colliery. It appears that a man named Isaac Laws, residing at No. 4 Hedley St, Hebburn Quay, was returning home at the time stated, and when in the act of crossing or walking along the wagonway, the engine conveying the tubs to the nightshift men struck him, and it is supposed, passed over part of his body, which is frightfully mangled!
The injured man was at once conveyed to Mr. Hutchinson's public house, and Dr. Sweet of Hebburn was sent for; but Laws died a quarter of an hour after the accident, and before the medical gentleman arrived. The deceased leaves a Widow and two children.
Tues 24th Aug 1886 (Newcastle Chronicle)
The Railway Fatality at Hebburn
An inquest on the body of Isaac Laws, 35, miner, who died on Saturday morning, from injuries supposed to have been inflicted by a railway engine, on the colliery railway at Hebburn colliery between Friday night and Saturday morning, was held at Hebburn police court yesterday, before Coroner Graham and a Jury.
James Lawson, miner, employed at Hebburn colliery said that he knew the deceased. Witness and he were at Jarrow on Friday night the 20th inst, and left the Turf Hotel, Jarrow about 10 minutes to Eleven intending to walk home. Deceased was tipsy.
Before they got to the Pontop railway they came to some men fighting, and deceased seemed inclined to fight, and witness parted with him there, witness being taken away by a young man named Simpson. Witness never saw deceased after that till the Saturday morning.
It would be about 100 yards east of the railway crossing in Western Rd where witness left deceased, and would then be 11-20 p.m. The Coroner asked the Inspector if there was any doubt as to deceased having been killed on the line. Inspector Harrison said that there was not.
In reply to a question by the Coroner, the witness Lawson, said the deceased was taking a short cut home in going up the railway.
Coroner: Then he was trespassing on the railway at the time?
Inspector Harrison: Yes, the railway company have been trying to stop people going there.
A Juryman suggested that in future houses where dead bodies were left should be ventilated. The Coroner said that that brought up the question of having a public mortuary, which he had mentioned before. He would not hesitate to put the law in force, and order all dead bodies to be sent to a mortuary as soon as the local board provided one, but he could not do so, for there was not a mortuary. He quite admitted that it increased the offensive nature of the duty of the Jurymen when they had to go into a close room to inspect a body. The foreman (Mr. Woodward) said that all the members of the local board were agreed upon the question of getting a mortuary, but there was difficulty in securing a site.
At this stage it was found that the inquest could not be proceeded with, owing to the absence of a witness, and the Coroner decided to adjourn till this afternoon.
Wed 25 Aug 1886 (Newcastle Journal)
The Railway Fatality at Hebburn Colliery
The inquest on the body of Isaac Laws, 33, who was killed on the railway at Hebburn colliery on Saturday evening, was resumed at Hebburn police court, yesterday afternoon before Coroner Graham and a jury.
George Kennedy, a spragger, employed by the Tyne railway company, and living at Hebburn, said that about midnight on Friday last he was on locomotive No. 2 on which Thomas Watson was driver and James Storey, fireman.
It was a light engine and was coming up from the drops to the pit. He was on the left side of the locomotive, which was running funnel first. When witness came past the opening near the wagonway, he fancied he saw something on the south side of the line. Witness got down and went back, and found a man lying outside the rails, with his feet towards Hebburn, as if he had been knocked down by the buffer of the engine. His head was injured and he was not able to speak. There was no-one near him at the time, but two persons came up afterwards. Witness was much troubled with trespassers on the line. Thomas Watson corroborated.
A Juryman asked at what point Watson blew his whistle.
Watson said he blew his whistle at the crossing, coming over the road. He always blew there. He did not think it would be thirty yards from where he blew his whistle to where the man was found. There was no gatekeeper stationed there at night.
The Coroner said the deceased might possibly have heard the whistle, and stepped to one side, but not stepped far enough. Watson said it was very dark at the time.
There was not much room for a man to walk between the rails and the wall.
The Coroner thought it was quite clear that deceased had been walking where he had no right to be.
A Juryman said that if deceased had wanted to take a shortcut, there was a bridge, and he could have gone over.
A verdict was returned that the deceased had been accidentally killed while trespassing.
|
|
| Fatalities | |
|
|
 | Laws, Isaac, aged 35, accidentally knocked down by a locomotive on Hebburn Colliery Railway whilst trespassing |
All names found | |
Those names marked with |
|
|
| Newspaper Articles | |
|
|
| 23 Aug 1886 | News (Newcastle Journal) |
| 24 Aug 1886 | The Railway Fatality at Hebburn (Newcastle Chronicle) |
| 25 Aug 1886 | The Railway Fatality at Hebburn Colliery (Newcastle Journal) |
Return
Return to Top
Contains public sector information licensed under the 
