Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	2nd September 1904
Colliery:	Prudhoe
Cause:	(See description below)
Lives Lost:	1

Deceased and three other hewers were working in a longwall face about 30 yards long in the Brockwell seam, which is 2 feet 5 inches thick, and is overlaid by 1 foot of black fossiliferons shale left on as a roof. The coals were drawn along the face on a new system: a long low iron tub running on rails laid along the face to a gauge of 2 feet 10 inches was worked on the main and tail rope system by a thin wire rope and wheel turned by a boy in the gateway, where a deep bottom canch enabled the face tub to be drawn over the ordinary tubs and the coal dropped into them by drawing a slide in the bottom of the face tub. The face was supported by chocks between the rails and the goaf and by props between the rails and the coal face, but no gears were set across the rails. The roof began to work, and deceased, who was third man from the gateway, endeavoured to reach it, when he was caught by a mass of the black shale about 22 feet long and 3 feet wide relieved by a parting above and ordinary cleets, which ran through both it and the coal, at the sides, falling directly over the rails, and terminating about 9 yards from the gateway. There appeared to be some want of care in regard to the timbering (although the supply was good) both on the part of the officials and men, and the Jury recommended more care in this respect. The Local Inspectors in their report described the timbering, and stated "we think there was sufficient props in," and "there was sufficient, props for the men to get."

Source:

1904 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2506)

	Gee, Thomas, aged 46, Hewer
	All names found

 

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