Durham Mining Museum - Newspaper Articles (original) (raw)

31st May 1900

Fatality At William Pit, Whitehaven

A miner named William Doran, of Back Row, Newhouses, Whitehaven, 52 years of age, who was married, and who met with a serious accident on Tuesday week, while following his employment at William Pit, Whitehaven, died at the Whitehaven and West Cumberland Infirmary, early on Saturday morning. An inquest on view of the body was opened on Saturday afternoon by Mr. Gordon Falcon (coroner for West Cumberland), and a jury. The widow of the deceased having given evidence of identification, the inquest was adjourned.

The inquest was resumed at the Infirmary, Howgill Street, on Monday afternoon. Mr. J. Waugh was foreman of the jury. There were present:— Mr. Nicholson, H.M Inspector of Mines; Mr. T. H. Brockbank, solicitor, representing Whitehaven Colliery Company; Mr. S. Turner, manager of William Pit; Mr. A. Sharp, workmen's representative, for the relatives of deceased.

John Shepherd, Countess Terrace, Bransty, said he was an engine fitter at William Pit. He was working there on Tuesday last. He went down at six o'clock. He was working with Doran at the job in question. They went straight to work after seeing the engineer. Deceased was a shiftman. They got started about a quarter to seven o'clock in the old working, which was now used as a water road. They were going to put a cistern in the floor of the working, for the purpose of getting water for the engines. Deceased made an examination of the place before they began work. He did it in the usual way, by sounding or "jarling" the roof. They went on all right until about eight o'clock, about an hour after they started. They were in the act of sinking the cistern at the time. Witness had sunk a little on the previous Friday, and did not return to this job until the Tuesday. They wanted to take another foot out. They had sunk down about 16 inches. They got no warning, but a fall took place, from the right hand side. It was coal that came down. The lump would be about three yards long, and about 20 inches thick. The place was eight feet high, and it fell right down from top to bottom. It was a metal floor. There was footing of about 15 inches for the wall. Deceased was caught by the fall. This sort of work came in witness's department. The coal came off by what was termed the "back." The cistern was four feet long by two deep.

By the Inspector: The coal sounded all right. Neither of them pulled any loose coal down before they started.

By Mr. Sharp: Witness had not charge of Doran. They both had charge of themselves. Deceased inspected the place before starting. No one else was in the place that morning.

George Hunt, Regent Square, Senhouse Street, said he was engaged in the air courses at William Pit. He was not at the pit at the time of the accident. He came to see deceased at the Infirmary on Thursday. Deceased said he gave the place good jingling before he started work, and it sounded good.

John Rothery, under-manager at William Pit, who resides at Hugh Street, Bransty, said he was called to the place after the accident happened. He saw deceased about 8.30 before he was removed. He made inquiries of Shepherd as to how the accident occurred. Witness made an examination of the place afterwards. The side of the place had come off from the cheek. He accounted for the fall by a break in the coal. Witness thought that with "jarling" it ought to have been discovered. Deceased told witness that he sounded it.

By Mr. Sharp: It was a break from the pillar corner. He could not say that it would be so easily seen. There was nobody in charge of the two men. If the men had been undercutting they would have put in sprags. There was not a breaker at all the pillars. Deceased had no instructions to set sprags, but would have had if they had been undercutting. He could not say that the break was known.

Richard Eilbeck, master wasteman at William Pit, residing at George Street, said he was in this place ten days previous to the accident. He examined the place, but could not see the break in the pillar.

Mr. Brockbank said this place had been closed for 85 years.

By Mr. Sharp: There was generally a break at the pillar corners. He ordered Doran to work with Shepherd. Shepherd was in charge of deceased.

In summing up the Coroner said there did not appear to have been any negligence on the part of anyone.

The jury found a verdict that the deceased was "Accidentally killed."

Newspaper transcript kindly provided by
West Cumbria Mines Research.