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	Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	30th October 1899
Colliery:	Lumpsey (Ironstone)
Company:	Bell Brothers, Ltd.
Cause:	Fall of roof or side
Lives Lost:	1
Category:

No. 421 on the list occurred at Lumpsey Mines, belonging to Messrs. Bell Brothers, Ltd., on October 30th, causing the death of a filler and injury to another filler.

A place had just been turned and was properly timbered close up the face with crossing baulks let into the stone at the ends, and props were also set under these baulks. The shot-firer came in to fire some holes which had been drilled by the drilling machine; he charged, stemmed, and fired four holes all right ; he then fired the fifth, and the stone from it displaced two of the props set under the crossing baulks. He then went back to examine the place, as required by the Special Rules, and on finding the baulks displaced, he told the two fillers to clear away some of the stone so as to enable him to reset the timber. He considered it was quite safe to do so, as the props at the opposite end of the. baulks were still standing, and the ends of the baulks were let into the stone for about four inches; but while they were working underneath, the baulks suddenly broke and drew the ends of them out of the holes and let the stone on them at that end on to the two unfortunate men.

Assistance was got at once, and they were got out from under the stone as quickly as possible, but one was found to be dead, and the other had his arm and leg badly broken.

It appears the weight on the baulks had been too much for them to bear without the support of the displaced props, but this could not be seen until after the fall took place.

Resetting timber displaced by a shot, where the roof is heavy, is always attended with danger, and great care should be taken to ascertain the condition of the stone above, and to set temporary timber to protect the men who are doing this work.

Source:

1899 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 134), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 18 Where to find this report

	Armsby, Henry, aged 22, Fitter, The shot-firer had fired a shot in a place which was just turned away, and returned with the fillers, who commenced to remove some stone so that two props might be put up which had been knocked out by the shot, when the timber above them suddenly gave way and this man was caught and killed instantly.
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