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	Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	22nd February 1860
Colliery:	Shelf
Company:	Bowling Iron Co.
Cause:	Falling down the shaft
Lives Lost:	1
Category:

Accident No. 8 in the Tabular List.

Falling down the shaft at Shelf Colliery, near Bradford.

The deceased (John Ambler) and another miner were being raised up the pit; and through the carelessness of the engineman (Joseph Firth), the cage was lifted violently up to the pulleys, when one of the unfortunate persons fell back into the shaft and was killed ; while the other by a dexterous and desperate effort seized some portion of the pulley framing, and almost miraculously saved himself.

The winding machinery by which the poor fellows were drawn up was in good working condition, and there was no mechanical defect discernible to account for the misfortune.

The Bradford magistrates were therefore of opinion that the engineman's negligence amounted to "manslaughter;" and they accordingly committed him for trial at York assizes, but the prosecution there did not succeed, and the jury acquitted the prisoner.

Source: 1860 Mines Inspectors Report, Yorkshire District, by Charles Morton, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 5

	Ambler, John, Falling down the shaft
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