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

14th January 1904

Mining Account At Whithaven

Large Fall Of Rock

A Driver Killed

On Monday afternoon Mr. Gordon Falcon (coroner for West Cumberland), and a jury of whom Mr. John Waugh was chosen foreman, held an inquest in the Albion Hotel, King-street, Whitehaven, on the body of Ernest Chalmers, who was killed in William Pit, Whitehaven on Saturday night.

Deceased was 16 years of age, and resided at 7, Dickinson's Court, Chapel-street, and was employed as a driver in the William Pit. He went to work at two p.m., on Saturday last. At 11.30 p.m., he was engaged on the main incline along with a man named John Bradley, when a large quantity of rock slipped from the side. A large piece about six feet long caught the deceased on the head, and jammed him against the wall on the opposite side. A man named Adam McKee, a deputy overman, working close by when he heard the fall at once went to the place and with assistance got deceased out. Deceased was found to be quite dead, having received serious injuries to his head.

There were present at the inquiry :— Mr. A. D. Nicholson, H.M. Inspector of Mines; Mr. L. T. Helder, for the Whitehaven Colliery Company; Mr. S. Turner, manager at William Pit; and Mr. H. Hanlon (miners' agent).

Evidence of identification was given by Mary Ann Kincade, mother of deceased.

Mr. Blair, surveyor to the Whitehaven Colliery, produced a plan of the scene of the accident. Questioned by the Coroner, Mr. Blair said the fall was of coal and "cash." The place was not timbered, as it was supposed to be strong enough.

John Bradley, of 15, Sandhills-lane, Whitehaven, deposed that he was employed at the pit as a trailer. He descended the shaft at two o'clock. He was working along with deceased. Deceased's proper work was driving. At odd times they did the "cleaning of the road," picking up loose metal. Witness had done this several times. Adam McKee set them on to do it. The accident happened at eleven o'clock p.m. They had received no warning whatever. The fall took place from the coal side, nearly half-way up. Witness could not say how it caught deceased as he (witness) was hit and knocked out of the way. The rope was not running at the time. From two o'clock till nine they were in another working place, and then they went to this job of "cleaning" the road. Neither deceased nor himself made any examination. McKee showed them how to work the place. McKee and another were working within a hundred yards from witness. They were storing metal away. There was a prop in, but he could not say whether it had come away or not. It was just a "simple" prop.

Cross-examined by the Inspector, the haulage was stopped when they went down the mine. They started to work a little "in-by." He could not say whether the timber was to support the wires. He thought it would be their third tub they were filling at the time of the accident.

Adam McKee, deputy at William Pit, stated that he was in charge of the section. He went down the pit with the boys at two o'clock. About 9.30 p.m., he set them to clean up upon the engine plane. Witness was working about 40 yards away. He made an examination of the place, with a lamp, where the accident occurred. It was a strong freestone roof. If he had "jowled" it would have given a solid sound. He examined the full side, but did not see any signs of a flaw. The reason why no timber was set there was because it was considered a strong roof. There was a prop set to hold loose stuff back. When the accident took place he rushed right to the spot. The face had come away by a slape place which overhung the road. There was 2ft. 5in. of "shale," which was very heavy, and had been standing there for ten or eleven years in exactly the same position, and he was of opinion the weight of the metal brought the fall away. There was bad air which created a dampness, and led to "slaping" this "shale." The "shale" was about eleven yards long, and if it had been "jowled" it would have given a solid sound. Chalmers was caught by the stone, which pinned him by the head.

By a Juror (Mr. Stewart): He was then dead.

Another Juror (Mr. Wilson): They were using no picks or anything.

Cross-examined by the Inspector: He only examined the side, which consisted of coal, except the two feet six inches of "cash" at the top with his lamp. Had it been coal at the forehead he would have examined it.

The Inspector said the Act stated that all places should be examined where men were engaged working.

The Coroner pointed out that a careful examination should be made, but it was impossible to examine every inch.

McKee informed the jury that he did carefully examine the place, but did not "jowl" it. In his opinion the dampness caused the fall.

The Coroner, in summing up, thought it seemed quite simple how the accident took place. The place was examined by McKee, who truthfully told them so, or if he wanted to tell a lie he would have said he "jowled" it. It was questionable if McKee had "jowled" it that he would have got a sound. The Act stated that careful examination should be made. The place where the accident occurred had been standing for eleven years. It was a very big fall, eleven yards long, and the only explanation was that it would have been done by nothing else but dampness.

The jury agreed that it had been a pure accident, and brought in their verdict accordingly.

Newspaper transcript kindly provided by
West Cumbria Mines Research.