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

6th November 1879

The Narrow Escape Of A Collier In Henry Pit

William Stevens, collier, Ribton lane, was charged with a breach of the special rules of the Whitehaven Colliery. Mr. W. W. Lumb, who prosecuted, said the defendant was charged with passing a danger board, without authority, in the high level back end of Henry Pit, on the morning of Monday, the 27th ult.; and he was prosecuted as a warning to himself and as an example to other men in the pit, to obey the orders of their superior officers. Defendant had acted contrary to the orders of the officials in going where he did; and as he very nearly lost his own life, he (Mr. Lumb) did not wish to press the case against him. It was intended principally to let him and others know that they were bound to obey the special rules for the good of the colliery; and Mr. Lumb pointed out that defendant had been summoned for a breach of rule 182. R. W. Moore, colliery manager, south side, was called to prove a statement that had been made to him at his office yesterday by defendant. Defendant told him that he had passed the place, though it was properly fenced off, and he had been warned by the deputy not to go there. Defendant told him he left his lamp behind and climbed over the fence to get his shovel, otherwise he could not have worked that day. He left his lamp behind, as he knew there was gas there; and he said he was knocked down by the gas and was nearly choked with it. There was no air in the place; it was pure gas. Richard Harker, deputy overman in Henry Pit, said he was in the pit at half-past six on Monday morning, and saw the defendant, who is a coal hewer in the pit. Witness first saw him at the lamp station; and subsequently he saw Alexander Wilkinson and some other men bringing defendant out of this place insensible. Alexander Wilkinson, overman in Henry Pit, said he saw the defendant in this place on Monday morning. He (defendant) had been working in this place on Saturday; but owing to an accumulation of gas it had been barred, or fenced off, in accordance with the special rules. Witness took his lamp two yards past the partition inside. It was burning; and witness brought it out himself, and then went for assistance and fetched defendant out. Defendant was struggling against the gas, and driving it back to where the lamp was; and the lives of the men in the pit were consequently in danger. Witness risked his own safety to bring defendant out. Defendant made a long statement to the Bench as to the circumstances under which he had gone to hunt for his shovel. He admitted that he had been warned not to go into the place, but that notwithstanding this he climbed over the fence to look for his shovel, and went all through the working with his lamp. He said that without his shovel he could not work; and people were anxious to work. The Chairman said the Bench considered it a very bad case. Defendant had not only risked his own life but those of other people, and many a one might have been killed had an explosion taken place. He had acted contrary to what he had been told; and the Bench considered a fine would not be sufficient to deter others from doing the like. Defendant would therefore have to go to prison for one month, with hard labour. Mr. Jackson: You defied all warnings. Prisoner was then removed in custody.

Newspaper transcript kindly provided by
West Cumbria Mines Research.