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

20th April 1911

The Fatality At William Pit, Whitehaven

Mr. E. Atter, coroner, held an inquest on Thursday afternoon, at the Whitehaven and West Cumberland Infirmary, touching the death of Thomas Evans, a coal-hewer, who was hurt by a fall of coal while at work at William Pit, Whitehaven, and who died afterwards at the Infirmary.

Mr. Abbott H.M. Inspector, was present; Mr. L. T. Helder appeared for the Whitehaven Colliery Co., and Mr. A. Sharp, miners' agent on behalf of the relatives of the deceased.

Frances Ann Evans said she lived at No. 1, Low Harras, and was stepmother to the deceased. Deceased, who was 23 years of age, lived with her. He worked at William Pit and had done so for the last ten years. On the 5th inst., when he met with his accident he was in his usual good health, and was in very good spirits. He was to have been married a week come Saturday. She saw him at the Infirmary after his accident, several times before his death. He did not blame anyone whatever. He just said that it was a fall of coal. Different times he made that statement, and he was always quite conscious when he was speaking to her. He did not explain how it happened, except that it was a fall.

J. T. Lowrey, of the Colliery Office, put in a plan of the working place, showing how the deceased was working when a fall of coal occurred which struck and injured him.

Richard Johnston said he lived in 86, Main-street, Parton. He was a coalminer at William Pit. He had worked for the Colliery Co. for 16 or 17 years. He knew deceased. They were marrows and were working together on the 5th inst. They had brought a tub of coal down an incline from the forehead. He left deceased with the tub, and a minute or two after witness heard a fall, and asked, "Are you clear?" Deceased replied, "Oh, oh, come on Dick." Witness ran and found about a tub of coal had come down on deceased. Witness got him clear in a few minutes, and three other men then came and assisted witness, and they carried deceased.

By the Inspector: They did not hear that the roof was uneasy at all. All was quiet. They had not noticed that the coal was loose or overhanging at all any coal like that they were supposed to bring down for safety. Witness did not examine the place afterwards to see why the coal had come down.

By Mr. A. Sharp: It was top coal that fell.

By the foreman (Mr. R. Wilson): We thought it was quite safe.

James Bigrigg said he lived at 19, Woodville-terrace, Prospect. He was a deputy at William Pit. He knew the deceased well. On the 5th inst. he saw him and Johnston, and shortly afterwards was about 200 yards away from where they were at the time of the accident. Witness having been told of the accident went to the place and found that some eight, ten, or twelve cwt. of coal had fallen on deceased. Deceased told him that he was taking his lockings out when the side came over. He did not blame anyone. Witness accounted for the fall by the existence of a slape face rising up the brow, and which would cause the coal to slide down. The men were experienced and reliable.

By the Inspector: Were there any indications of coal having been filled off the side? — Well, there have been between me leaving and coming back again — that is from Wednesday morning to the Wednesday night. I could not say when it was.

It was before the accident? — Yes, before the accident.

Had you given any instructions that that should be done? — No, sir.

And had that affected the fall of the side coal? — Well, it might weaken it, and the fact that the slape face ran 2ft. in would weaken it too.

John Rothery, 11, Henry Street, Bransty, under-manager at William Pit, said he had known deceased all his life, and he was a very steady young man. He knew the place where deceased was working at. It was all right on the Tuesday. He afterwards saw it on the Thursday at eight o'clock in the morning and saw that there had been a fall of coal from the pillar corner. It could not have been told before-hand that there was likely to be a fall.

By the Inspector: I could not say that coal had been taken from the side. There was certainly no over-hanging coal.

By Mr. Sharp: On Tuesday I did not give particular attention to the corner that came down. I just inspected the place generally. The corner was not over-hanging. There had undoubtedly been a little crumbling in the undergrowth coal, but nothing to call for any particular attention. It is the softest coal in the seam and always crumbles away a little. There was nothing conspicuous about the corner. A tub coming amain did not hit the corner — not to witness's knowledge: that of course would have done it.

By the foreman: Had the place appeared to be dangerous the men would have been told to take it down.

By the Coroner: Deceased and his companion were not men likely to have taken coal off the side. They were in a good working place, and it would have been no advantage to them.

Dr. Craig, house surgeon at the Infirmary, said deceased had to be operated on twice. The last time was on the 10th, and he died the following day. He died of kidney trouble due to the accident.

The jury found that deceased died from injuries caused by a fall of coal.

Newspaper transcript kindly provided by
West Cumbria Mines Research.