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	Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	26th November 1907
Colliery:	Whitburn
Company:	Harton Coal Co., Ltd.
Cause:	(See description below)
Lives Lost:	1
Category:

Deceased had only been employed underground five days, and he was engaged tracing up and coupling loaded tubs at a landing where only three sets of 20 tubs were run per day, and in this work he was assisted by another lad of more experience. The landing is on a road inclining in-bye about 3 inches per yard. A compressed air engine situated some distance out-bye works a main and tail rope to within 100 yards or so of the landing, where the tail rope is knocked off and the empty set runs by gravity, drawing with it the main rope. Near the out-bye end of the full way in the landing are two wooden chocks working on pins and placed by hand across the rails, and about five tub lengths further in is a balk, 8 feet long by 8 inches by 4 inches, lying on its edge on the pavement, with its in-bye end fitting against a prop, and capable of being placed across one of the rails to act as a chock. The practice was for the landing lads with the trace pony to pull the first three loaded tubs singly past the two chocks, dragging the wheels, coupling the tubs and allowing the third tub to rest against the two chocks. Then other five tubs were brought up, dragged and coupled and the second chock put in position behind the eighth tub, then the remaining 12 tubs were brought up, coupled and dragged, and a cow attached to the shackle of the twentieth tub. When the set was made up the drags were removed and it was rapped away, but only the first seven tubs started, as the seventh and eighth had not been coupled, but whether this was deceased's fault or the fault of the other lad, could not be determined, as they had taken up tubs alternately. The lad working the compressed air engine felt he had not his full load, and stopped the seven tubs after they had travelled 10 yards. The lad of more experience, and the run rider, who rode on the fore end of the set, rapped the set back and it came within a yard of the necessary distance, it was rapped back again and it then bumped into the eighth tub and forced it over the balk chock, and the weight of the tubs came on to the cow and it lifted the twentieth tub and it fell over on to deceased, who was then engaged with a putter emptying a water tub into a cistern, which stood by the full way near the in-bye end of the landing. Deceased sustained a broken thigh and broken collar bone, and other injuries. He was taken to the Ingham Infirmary, South Shields, where he died. The Local Inspectors in their report described the accident, and added, "We recommend a runaway switch to be placed where the last tub of the set stands."

Source:

1907 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 4045), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 49, Accident Number: 98 Where to find this report

	Cuthbert, George Edward (died: 06 Dec 1907) , aged 16, Landing Lad, [Sunderland Echo reports: accident - 10 Dec 1907]
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