Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	4th November 1935
Colliery:	Cambois
Cause:	Fall of stone
Lives Lost:	1

A verdict of Accidental Death was returned by a jury at the inquest, conducted by Mr J. P. Dodds, assistant deputy coroner, in the Police Station, Blyth on Tuesday afternoon on George Wm. Laws of 1, Tillery Cottages, South Newsham, who died in the Knight Memorial Hospital on Saturday after an accident in the Cambois Pit. It was revealed that Laws lived for five days with a fractured spine.

Evidence of Identification was given by Joseph Gregory Laws, of Newcastle Road, Newsham, who said the deceased was his brother. He was 41 years of age and was a conveyor puller by occupation.

The chargeman, James Dix, 26 North View, Cambois, said on Monday, November 4, he examined deceased’s working place about 10 minutes before the accident occurred. He only found the usual face break which was found on every cut. Deceased and his marrows were at that time laying a belt half-way between that working place and the next

Place properly timbered

After the fall he again examined the place and found that a stone had fallen from the roof at the left side of the face. It was a "good sized" stone. The height of the face was about two feet three inches. Answering the Mines Inspectorate, witness said the place was timbered properly as far as he could judge.

Ald. W. Golightly (representing the Northumberland Miners Association): How do you account for this big stone getting down when there was all this timber in position? — "I think it broke away from a feather edge and crushed a pair of gears out."

Geo. Taylor, Gees’s Houses, Cambois said he was working on the conveyor belt with the deceased when the accident happened. Deceased was in a sitting position facing witness, but about five feet away. The stone fell on top of Laws. Assistance was rendered as soon as possible. Dr. R .D. Kerr said he saw Laws after the accident. He had a dislocated fracture of the spine. He died on November 9.

The men’s inspectors reported that the stone fell between two breaks in the roof. In their opinion it was a pure accident.

Source: Newspaper report

	Laws, George William, aged 41, Conveyor Puller, suffered a broken spine from a fall of roof, died 5 days later in the Knight Memorial Hospital, address: 1, Tillery Cottages, South Newsham
	All names found

Nov 1935

Cambois Pit Fatality, Miner who lived 5 days with broken spine, Killed by a fall of stone (Newspaper Cutting)

 

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