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

4th February 1899, Page: 2, Column: 7

The Cramlington Fatality

Singular Fall Of Coal

On Saturday, Mr. H. T. Rutherford, deputy coroner, held an inquest at the Colliery Office, Hartford, into the cause of the death ofJames Harris, a hewer, who was killed whilst following his work on the previous day at the Lamb Pit, Cramlington. Mr. Bell, government inspector, was present and also the colliery manager. The workmen were represented by Messrs. William Stansburyand Joseph Hume.

William Ollet, putter, stated that he was employed in the Lamb Pit. He was putting from deceased and his brother when the accident occurred on the previous day at No. Landing Main Coal. He last saw the man about 3.30 when the deceased was drilling a hole about the centre of the "bord" in the centre of the bottom coal. Witness went out to the flat with a full tub. He had been waiting on the men filling the tub and he did not go back to the place for half-an-hour. He was told that a fall of stone and coal had taken place and that deceased was buried under it. There was more coal than stone.

Coroner: The stone was nearly fragments which were lying above the coal I suppose — Yes.

Witness: The men were busy trying to get the man out. There was a large quantity of coal on the top of deceased. He did not assist in getting deceased out but assisted to get Joseph Harris out of the pit.

Replying to the Coroner witness said that deceased's brother had crawled about 50 yards from the face to seek assistance. The accident occurred about 4 p.m. The men were busy working when he left the place.

Coroner: So far as you could see was the place properly timbered? — Yes.

Did you hear deceased or his brother make any complaints regarding timber? — No.

Was there plenty of loose timber lying about. — Yes.

Mr. Bell: How far was the kirving in? — Witness: I did not notice.

Was there any kirving at all? — I never noticed anything about the place at all.

Coroner: Would the drilling of the coal be any cause for the fall? — The Manager replied that it could not be.

Mr. Bell: Was there any sprags in he coal? — Witness: Yes there was I think.

Mr. Bell: You think. I thought you did not notice anything? — Witness said he was not sure of anything.

Michael Agan stated that he was a deputy at the Lamb Pit. He was informed that an accident had occurred about 4 p.m. on the day in question, and when he went in he found deceased was under a large quantity of coal and some stone. He met the brother of deceased, Thomas, with a broken leg crawling in the gateway, who told him not to stop to attend to him but to go to his brother who was buried up. Witness went into the face and there saw a large fall of coal.

Mr. Bell: Did you notice what the men were doing when you were in at noon? — They were hewing in the bottom preparatory to making a shot in the low side. Deceased was filling.

Replying further to Mr. Bell, witness said that the coal was usually kirved in a yard of a little less. They were going to put the shot into the bottom coal.

Mr. Bell: Did you find any sprags when you went in? — I found one prop.

Mr. Bell: Do you think it had been set to keep the coal up? — Yes, it must have been, or it would not have been there.

Mr. Bell: What is your opinion as to how the coal came away? — Witness said there was a "sooty back" in the coal which ran for about two yards and it came off at a "facing" making it V shaped. It was "canted" from the side.

Coroner: What quantity of coal would there be in the fall? — About 4 tons.

Coroner: Really.

Mr. Bell: What would he be doing? — Witness said he could not tell.

Mr. Harris said his injured brother told him that they were both engaged filling a tub when the coal came away and deceased was caught below it, and the other brother was struck on the shoulder and knocked out of the way with the exception of one foot.

In reply to Mr. Hume, witness stated that they could not have detected the "back" until the coal fell. The coal was in one solid piece.

The Coroner read the report of the men's inspectors, Messrs. Hume and Stansbury, which was as follows: We the undersigned examined the place where the fatal accident occurred, and we are of opinion that it is a pure accident, and we found plenty of timber.

The workmen's representatives were not asked any questions and no further statement was made by them.

The Coroner intimated his opinion that after that report they did not require to labour the case any longer.

The jury found that James Harris was accidentally killed on Jan. 27th, by a fall of coal in his working place in the Lamb Pit. That he was 36 years of age and a hewer.