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	Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	8th July 1898
Colliery:	Delves
Company:	Consett Iron Co., Ltd.
Cause:	On Surface
Lives Lost:	1
Category:

No. 319 on the list occurred at a water-level in connection with Delves Colliery, belonging to the Consett Iron Company, Ltd., on July 8th, causing the death of a shifter.

This water-level is being driven to unwater some of the royalty belonging to the Consett Collieries.

A staple was sunk about 9 feet from the surface, and a small heapstead erected at the top of it ; the height of it from the ground-level was about 9 feet. and the level was set away from the bottom of the staple, and at the time of the accident had been driven about 60 yards, and was passing through sand containing large stones. One of these, weighing about half a ton, was too large for the kibble, and was brought to the bottom of the staple on a bogie, where the rope of a "jack roll" was attached to it. and six men — three at each handle — raised it to the ground-level, when a wooden pin was put into the frame of the "jack roll" to prevent it running back ; two of the men then went down the ladder from the heapstead intending to pull the stone out of the staple on to the surface, and this left two men at each handle. They fastened a rope round the stone and commenced too pull, and shouted to the men above to lower it.

One of the men at the roll eased the handle and took out the pin, when they found they could not hold the weight ; the roll reversed and the handles flew round, one of which caught this man and threw him over the fencing round the heap stead, and he fell on to the ground 9 feet below. He had two ribs broken and his hip was dislocated, and was removed to the infirmary at Consett where he died three days afterwards.

It would have been better if the six men had remained at the handles, and got someone else to pull the stone out of the staple at the ground level, but the four men had evidently thought they could hold the weight.

Source:

1898 Mines Inspectors Report (C 9264), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 32 Where to find this report

	McClelland, John (died: 11 Jul 1898) , aged 60, Shifter, He, with other three men, was releasing a jack roll handle to lower a heavy stone to the ground. The stone being heavier than they expected, the roll went amain and the handle caught this man and threw him over the gangway, and he fell 8 or 10 feet and broke two ribs. Died at Consett Infirmary on the 11th.
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