Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	18th April 1857
Colliery:	Sherburn Hill
Cause:	Crushed by cage
Lives Lost:	1

The shaft accident, No. 18 in the list, was caused by a cage descending on a person while engaged at the bottom of a pit, in cleaning out the place where the cages rested; he having given no signal to the engineman before entering the place.

Accidents Nos. 18 and 45 show very clearly the necessity of a rule being established, that no person should be allowed to go in to the bottom of a pit where a cage rests when at the bottom, without a distinct signal having first been given that the cage is not to be lowered or moved until a further signal is given for that purpose, and even this should not be relied upon until a reply signal has been communicated from the top to the bottom of the pit.

Source:

1857 Mines Inspectors Report

	Bolton, James, Onsetter, he was cleaning out the cage hole when the brakesman lowered the cage on him. Signals were made to get the cage taken up, but, in his confusion, the brakesman lowered it a second time onto Bolton, who suffered severe crush injuries and died on 29 April
	All names found
	Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been kindly provided by Jim Grainger from his research into early newspapers (primarily the Durham Advertiser and Durham Chronicle) and are marked with .

 

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