Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	18th February 1899
Colliery:	Broompark
Cause:	(See description below)
Lives Lost:	1

No. 69 on the list occurred at Broompark Colliery, belonging to the North Brancepeth Coal Co., Ltd., on February 18th, causing the death of a driver.

This boy was standing in a landing behind eight full tubs which were in the full-way, waiting for an empty set coming in, and when it did so it ran into the full-way, collided with the eight full tubs, which were driven forward with much force, and they knocked him down and killed him.

It afterwards was found that the switches were pinned back for the full-way, and this was the cause of the tubs going into it and colliding with the full tubs, and the accident.

There was a boy acting as landing keeper, whose duty it was to put the points or switches right for the empty-way before signalling for the set to be sent in. He declared he did so, and suggested that someone must have altered them afterwards, but I think there is very little doubt he made a mistake and fastened them for the wrong way.

While it is necessary that landing keepers should exercise the greatest care in setting the landing switches, it is also very necessary for a refuge hole to be provided at the in-bye end of the landing, and for everyone to be in it when the sets are coming in. If this was always done there would be fewer accidents.

Source:

1899 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 134), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.

	Anderson, John, aged 14, Driver, Standing behind full set in landing, waiting of empty set coming in : the set came into full way and knocked full tubs away, and they caught and killed him. The points were found to be fastened for full way of landing.
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