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	Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	18th December 1895
Colliery:	Cleator, No. 6 Pit
Company:	Cleator Iron Ore Co.
Cause:	By explosives
Lives Lost:	1
Category:

Two deaths were due to shot explosions, I both cases caused the unlawful action of the deceased men.

At Cleator Mine, No. 6 Pit, a miner was killed by the explosion of a dynamite shot, which, there is very little doubt, he was attempting to unram at the time. On the previous day the deceased lighted the shot, but as it failed to go off, he left it for the night. Shortly after commencing work on the day of the accident an explosion was heard, and on entering the place the deceased, who had been working alone, was found seriously injured.

There was no direct evidence to show that he was unramming the shot, but apart from the improbability of its hanging fire for 16 hours, there were indications to that effect, inasmuch as some of the tools were lying in a position in which they would otherwise not have been.

The Special Rule provides that in case of a miss-fire, the miner shall no re-enter the working place until he has reported to and received instructions from the official in charge, but this was not done ; and it is not an unreasonable inference to draw, that the deceased had some object in view when he failed to comply with the Rule. The Special Rules, unfortunately, do not directly prohibit the unramming of shots, neither, as in the case of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1872, when any explosive other than powder is used, and in view of this the jury at the inquest, whilst returning a verdict that deceased was accidentally killed, unanimously instructed the coroner "to forward to the Home Secretary a general recommendation for the amendment of the Metalliferous Mines Act." With this recommendation I cordially agree.

Source:

1895 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8074), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 38 Where to find this report

	Rowe, John, aged 62, Miner, shot explosion (gelatine dynamite); deceased was alone at the time of the accident, but the presumption is that he was "unramming," as a hammer and scraper were found near him with indications that they had been used for the aforementioned object; the hole had missed fire the day before, 16 hours previous to the accident
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19 Dec 1895	Shocking Mining Fatality At Cleator (Whitehaven News)
02 Jan 1896	Unramming Misfires (Whitehaven News)

 

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