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| Date: | 30th April 1897 |
| Colliery: | Burnhope |
| Company: | U. A. Ritson |
| Cause: | Fall of ground |
| Lives Lost: | 1 |
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| Description | |
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No. 191 on the list occurred at Burnhope Colliery, belonging to Mr. U. A. Ritson, on April 30th, and caused the death of a deputy.
The deceased man and another deputy were drawing timber from a broken jud, and all appears to have gone well until they got within two pairs of gears of the breaking off timber, when a prop was knocked out from under a plank, and deceased, finding the prop at the other end of the plank was fast at the top, got on to his knees and commenced to saw it; he had got it sawn about half way through when a large frame of stone fell at a break in the stone running the whole length of the jud, and broke off at the coal at the other side and at the timber on the out-bye side, and killed him instantly.
I think, knowing the break in the stone was there, the other prop should either have been left in or another set for his protection while he was sawing the prop next to the breaker. If he had been using an axe he could have got clear, as he was only caught by the extreme end of the stone. I do not for a moment wish to suggest that this man was careless, it was probably an error of judgment on his part. He had been a deputy for eleven years and was always considered a steady and careful man.
Drawing timber is always dangerous work, and it behoves all men when engaged at it to do everything they can to protect themselves.
| Source: | 1897 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8819), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 11 Where to find this report |
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| Fatalities | |
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 | Hutchinson, Robert, aged 39, Deputy, Killed by a large fall of stone upon him while drawing timber from a broken jud |
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