23rd. November, 1875.
Matthew Hampson aged 45 years and James McDonald aged 27 years both sinkers were killed by bricks falling down the sinking shaft. (Mines Inspectors Report)
27th. November, 1875.
Colliery Accident at Burtonwood.
A serious accident was reported at Messrs. Evans colliery at Collins Green, Burtonwood. At about 4.30 p.m. a large bucket of water was being wound up the shaft but the browman missed the trough and a large quantity of water went down the shaft carrying a considerable portion of loose bricks and stonework. All the men working in the shaft were injured by the falling debris and two so severely that they died the following day. Matthew Hampson died at 10.30 a.m. and James McDonald also died on Tuesday. Both men left families. (St. Helens Newspaper and Advertiser)
17th. April, 1885.
William Parr aged 61 years, collier was taken ill on the way home from the effects of what he said was inhaling powder smoke and died the following day. At the inquest, the Coroner said the manager had not provided sufficient supervision over the ventilation. (Mines Inspectors Report)
25th. May, 1885.
Robert Howarth aged 17 years, labourer was loading a winding rope with a pair of sheerlegs when one of the guide ropes slipped and the leg fell on him. Died 8th. June. (Mines Inspectors Report).
14th. November, 1885.
Henry Critchley aged 17 years, dataller was working with some men including the fireman had been putting a drum underground and had completed the work when a stone fell from the roof close to where he had fixed the supports for the drum. It fell on him as he was fastening a rail at the time and killed him. (Mines Inspectors Report).
19th. April, 1886.
Joseph Owen aged 55 years, collier was working at his place when all the face fell capping the props. The roof was rotten and broken all around the prop. Bars should have been used with such a floor. (Mines Inspectors Report)
22nd. March, 1887.
Ralph Summers aged 15 years, assistant hooker-on was passing over the sump on the bars contrary to the rules when he slipped and fell in and was drowned. It happened during the breakfast hour and he passed under the fence during the absence of the hooker-on. (Mines Inspectors Report).
19th. January, 1888.
John Roberts aged 40 years, dataller who was injured 16th. August 1887. He and another man were sent to get some roof down and pack it close by. They pulled out a prop and some chocks without taking proper safety precautions and went on building the pack when a stone fell on him. (Mines Inspectors Report).
9th. February, 1888.
Matthew Bate aged 29 years, hooker-on when three ten foot bars were being sent down the pit when one slipped off the cage and rebounded from the walls of the shaft and struck him. The bars were not properly secured in the cage by the banksman. (Mines Inspectors Report).
29th. January, 1891.
Joseph Rigby aged 41 years and Richard Booth aged 30 years, both timbermen were working at 4 p.m. in the first hour of the shift they were retimbering a man road with rising bars about two feet apart and had finished the whole length except 6 or 7 yards and they were pulling loose rubbish of the low bars when all the roof suddenly collapsed. They were found under the low roof and they should have kept under the newly timbered roof. (Mines Inspectors Report).
22nd. July, 1891.
Daniel Yates aged 38 years dataller was killed when he was crushed by the props and tubs he was bringing out. The roadway at this point was narrow and not fit for persons to gang ride. (Mines Inspectors Report).
21st. August, 1891. Thomas Dowd aged 40 years, dataller was working at 2 a.m. in the 6th. hour of the shift as he was passing some overhanging coal which fell bringing with it a layer of metal and pushed him against a prop. Died 26th.
23rd. January, 1893.
John Wimbs aged 43 years, dataller was working at 5 p.m. in the second hour of the shift, when he and some other contractors were taking some side off the haulage road when some of the roof fell on him and killed him. They had taken down some props and were plucking the roof from loose stones without repairing the roof. (Mines Inspectors Report).
28th. October, 1894.
John Heyes aged 15 years, packer was killed when a lowered wagon bumped against the wagon the boy was on and he was pushed against a screen. The boy was warned too late. (Mines Inspectors Report).
8th. February, 1897.
Michael Mullam aged 57 years ostler was going down the pit and the banksman though on duty was not present and through some misunderstanding, the cage was lowered before he was safe and was crushed by the descending cage and killed. (Mines Inspectors Report).
18th. April, 1898.
COLLIERY FATALITY AT COLLINS GREEN.
Richard Cookson aged 44 years, collier was killed by a fall occurred at the face in his working place between two slips and running along the coal face. He was in the act of setting a prop the fireman having left instructions to set some.
The inquest was held at Chapel House Burtonwood of the body of Richard Cookson collier of Mercer street Burtonwood who was killed by a fall of roof at Collins Green Colliery on Monday. Elizabeth Anna Cookson deposed she was the wife and they lived at 55 Mercer Street. He was a collier aged 42 and left home at 5 a.m. on that morning and was in good health but was brought home dead later the same day. he had been working in the colliery for about three weeks. Alan Fouke said that the deceased and his wife lodged with him and he worked in No.1 Florida pit at the colliery, in a place called Platt’s Level. Welsby was the drawer for both of them and at about 6.45 he told then to set props. At about 11 o’clock the witness and the drawer went away and had been away about a minute when he heard a voice shout, ‘Alan’. He returned and found a fall of the roof but could not find the deceased but they removed sufficient material to get him out with the help of some workers from the next face and he was quite dead. The fall was about 7 feet long and a yard wide at the bottom and about 2 feet thick. It had broken off the coalface. George Miller, fireman, knew the place where the accident happened and he had visited it prior to the accident the day before when the men were not working and left a mark. Another foreman, Tom Meakin, also visited the place as he was the night fireman at Saturday night and Sunday morning at 5 a.m. Mr. Matthews the Deputy Inspector of Mines said that the inspected the place and found the there was a slip 11 feet long. He thought it was better to bar but there was not much room and they seemed to be dependent on props.
The Coroner told the jury they had to decide if it was accidental. There was plenty of stuff there to bar or was it good enough to just prop? The fireman said that this was not practical. After a long discussion the jury found that death was accidental. The jury also said that the deceased was well aware of the risk of a fall. (Mines Inspectors Report, Newton & Earlestown Guardian).
1st. February, 1899.
Robert Sanders aged 26 years, drawer was standing beside an empty tub which he had upset to let a drawer pass down with a full one when he was struck by a runaway tub. The drawer stated that he started to take one of the scotches out and the tub overcame him. (Mines Inspectors Report).
2nd. June, 1899.
SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST BURTONWOOD MINERS.
At Warrington Petty Sessions Thomas Haverty was charged with having certain explosives in his possession in the No.1 Pit of the Collins Green Colliery Company in June. The defendant pleaded guilty. Mr. Browne prosecuted and said the on the day the defendant was searched and two packets of Carbonite were found in his pockets which was a very dangerous practice and they had to take these proceedings to protect themselves and also the miners. The quantity of explosive was sufficient to explode the whole mine. The defendant had no right to take loose Carbonite in his pocket but in canisters and was fined 20/- plus costs.
Nathan Taylor was similarly charged and the evidence showed that 1lb. of loose Carbonite was inside his jacket pocket. Fined 20/- plus coasts.
In the case of Murdoch Nicholson he did not appear and was thought to have absconded and he was fined 25/- plus costs in his absence for having a Lucifer match in his pocket. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)
23rd. December, 1892.
COLLINS GREEN COLLIERY.
The Lancashire Coalfield.
The Collins Green Colliery is situated two and a half miles south-east of the town of St. Helens near to Collins Green Station on the London and North Western Railway. The colliery is situated about three-quarters of a mile south-east of the Bold colliery. Both collieries are placed on a group of properties within a ring fence the combined extent is about 1,700 statute acres.
The royalties are owned by the executors of the late Mr. P. Parr. Mr D Fairclough and others, from whom they are leased by the Collins Green Colliery Company, Limited, of Newton-le-Willows who are the proprietors of the collieries. The company also holds the freehold of the collieries. The chairman is Mr. John Mercer of Alston hall and the colliery manager is Mr. Andrew Jackson.
The whole of the minerals of the compamy6s undertaking lies under the New Red Sandstone formation, the thickness of which, including the drift lying above it, is about 96 yards at Collins Green and a greater thickness at the Bold colliery. It is a noteworthy fact that the coal seams maintain their thickness as compared with the exposed part of the coalfield but the quantity of the mineral is said to have improved as the explorations have extended southwards. The dip of the measures in the bold colliery is 9 degrees or 1 in 6.3 at the shafts whereas the extremity of the south brow 1,100 yards from the shaft the dip is 8 degrees or 1 in 7 indicating a gradual diminution of the dip toward a synclinal axis, the gradient is remarkably uniform in this distance of 1,100 yards.
Two faults occur in these royalties, one of the Collins Green or east side, which is the throw west of 13 yards, while the other ranges about 400 yards west of the Bold shafts, and the downthrow west of 60 yards. The Collins Green coalfield otherwise is remarkably free of faults. The output of coal from a full days work is about 2,000 tons. (Colliery Guardian)
4th. September, 1891.
Colliery Accident at St. Helens.
At the inquest into the death of Thomas Dowd of 45, Fleet Lane who dies in the Hospital, John James Mayer, the fireman said he examined the place five minutes before a fall and it appeared safe. He was about a yard from the deceased but managed to get out of the way. Mr. Stokes, the Assistant Government Inspector said he had inspected the place and he found the timbering satisfactory and there was plenty of timber near the place but he thought that a prop should have been sent at the weakest place. The Coroner commented that this was s a matter between the Inspector and the manager and that the fireman was in the place and was in considerable danger to himself if he thought the place unsafe. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death without giving effect to the Inspector’s comments.
21st. October, 1891.
Fatal Accident at Collins Green.
Joseph Rigby and Richard Bath both of Burtonwood and daywagemen lost their lives at the No.2 Pit. They came down early in the afternoon when the fireman James Taylor heard there had been a fall and the men removed the debris. At the inquest Mr. Jackson, the manager said that about 150 tons of roof had fallen. Rigby was s married man with an adopted child and Booth was single.
17th. May, 1901.
PRESENTATION AT COLLINS GREEN.
A pleasing ceremony was held at the colder after the days work about 30 men were assembled to do honour to Mr. Richard Hilton who for some time past had lived in Burtonwood village and had been an engineer at the colliery and has left to become a Boneface at Platt Bridge. The workers had decided to make Mr. Hilton a suitable gift of an illuminated address and Mr. Price the oldest workman made the presentation. Mr. Hilton thanked the workmen for the present and for the good feeling it promoted. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian).
6th. September, 1901.
DROWNED IN THE RESERVOIR AT COLLINS GREEN.
James Daley aged 64 years, labourer was carrying a box of explosives to the pit from the magazine and instead of going along the roadway he went through a fence and along the edge of the reservoir and he probably slipped and fell in and was drowned. The explosives were found on the path.
At the inquest, it appeared that he was carrying a box of explosive along a narrow footpath near the water and nothing further was heard of him and on looking for him they found him in the water dead. The box was on the footpath.
At the Pear Tree Inn, Collins Green, Maria Daley, his widow, gave evidence of identification of 11, Penny Lane, Burtonwood, said he was 59 last birthday. The Coroner in summing up said there was little evidence as to what had happened to him but he recommended that the path be blocked off and a small bottle was found containing some diluted spirit in it but not enough to make him intoxicated. An open verdict was returned.
1902.
WINDING ROPES BREAKING AT THE COLLIERY.
The rope broke in the downcast shaft at Collins Green No.2 that was wet. Corrosion of the wires 100 yards from the capping when starting with the loaded cage from the bottom of the shaft at a depth of 600 yards. Inspection of the piece that failed showed slight corrosion except at the point where it broke. Nor was rope of the highest quality crucible steel 1½ inches in diameter and had been used for 21 months and 12 days. There were no fatalities. The rope had been in use three months longer than usual. It had a mild steel core and no previous defects had been seen beyond 3 or 4 wires broken. There had been an inspection one month before the incident. Hemp cores will be used in future. (Mines Inspectors Report).
11th. March, 1903.
Patrick Glinn aged 27 years and Patrick Lawlor aged 21 years, haulage hands had gone to assist the foreman and others put some boxes on the rails that had got off the self-acting motion jig when the rope started again and one of the links in the chain broke and a set of 5 tubs rushed down upon him before he could get into the refuge (Mines Inspectors Report).
8th. February, 1904.
Thomas Massey aged 33 years, hooker-on was putting the catch up from getting the empties out of the cage at the pit bottom when the thimble of the cage which had ascended fell to the bottom of the shaft on him. A guide rod had been changed in the other shaft and the blocks had been secured by one nut and bolt instead of two as it should have been. (Mines Inspectors Report).
3rd. June, 1904.
COMPENSATION CLAIM.
At St. Helens Court when a collier, Samuel Pate, of Sutton, sought compensation from the Collins Green Company when on the 15th. Feb. Pate fell into a hole in which the crank of a small engine revolved and his leg was so badly broken that it had to be amputated. Mr. Riley appeared for the claimant and the claim was settled on payment and costs. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian).
1st. December, 1905.
William Knockton aged 37 years, contractors man was killed when he and a mate were changing a bar and instead of a proper jack prop they put in a tram rail under the bar which afterwards rocked out when the roof fell on him and he was fatally injured. (Mines Inspectors Report).
28th. April 1905.
PIT ACCIDENT AT COLLINS GREEN.
At the inquest at the Rainford Hotel St. Helens into the death of George Heyes, collier, of 109, Broadoak Rd. St. Helens who was killed on Wednesday morning. Mr. Brighouse said that he had been employed five or six years at the colliery and he was working with his son to replace a box that had been de-railed. While he was lifting it he complained of pain in his back. He walked out of the pit and when he got home he told his wife that he had been hurt and he took to his bed and a doctor was called he remained in bed and was seen by another doctor who attended him daily up to his death. The Coroner said he had received a letter and he asked that anyone who wrote to him would give their name he would always treat them as confidential. The letter was signed ‘A Friend’ of Parrstocks Road and was on behalf of Mrs. Heyes widow of George Heyes who was hurt on the 6th. at Collins Green. He died on the 19th. Dr Jackson gave him a certificate for one week’s sick pay and now he is dead they can not give him a certificate and he has died from the injury and heart failure, therefore, I implore you to help this poor woman in her distress as I assure you that she has not one penny laid by to lay the body at rest if the debar her Lancashire and Cheshire Permanent relief which she is entitled to. Hoping you will see this letter as she is left with two children hoping you will do your best for her. There was an adjournment until the following Wednesday when Dr. Unsworth said he had made a post mortem. The cause of death was heart failure as a result of pneumonia. Dr. Jackson gave corroborative evidence. Verdict death from pneumonia. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian).
6th. September, 1905.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT COLLINS GREEN.
Henry Martin aged 36 years, timberman was fatally crushed in the roadway owing to the lashing chain getting loose from the haulage rope in the endless rope downbrow.
The inquest took place at the Griffin Inn on the 15th. into the death of Harry Martin of 8, Elmsbridge Road Sutton, who was injured on Wednesday by a runaway box of bricks at the Collins Green colliery No 1 pit. He was on the night shift and commenced work at about 6 pm at the brow of the Florida mine about 10.45 he and William Knockton were repairing a bar on the brow with a view to replacing it when a box containing bricks became unlashed from the haulage rope. The box came down the brow and caught the deceased and knocked him down. When picked up he was unconscious and found to have sustained severe injuries to he head and was taken to St. Helens Hospital but died on the way.. The tub was seen running down the brow with the chain attached to it but it was not known how it became unlashed.
Mary Elizabeth Martin identified the body as her husband. Knocton a dataller of 19, Terrace Street, said he was working with Martin when he was killed. He thought that he tried to get out of the way but the tub got him before he could do so. Richard Whittaker of Brunswick Road, St. Helens lashed the tub on turning the chain three times as was usual and he was certain that he did it correctly. Albert Talland of Copeland Street, St. Helens a fireman at the colliery said that when the box passed him the chain was on the floor and when it got to the pulley the chain flew off and the box continued on he went down the brow and found the deceased with his head between the metal and he was breathing heavily and there was a bar of timber across his neck. Mr. Mathews, the Inspector, had inspected the scene and found that two feet two inches was the distance between the two roads and there was a manhole two yards from the spot. The jury brought in a verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ and said that there should be four lashings in and not just three when the boxes were going down the brow under full weight. (Mines Inspectors Report, Newton & Earlestown Guardian).
6th. January, 1908.
Earlestown Collier Killed At Collins Green.
James Rush aged 23 years, ripper was killed when they had taken out a bar down brow and a shot had been fired where they were ripping down the roof and whilst he was engaged in clearing away the dirt and preparing to set a prop and bar the roof fell on him.
At the inquest into the death of James Rush aged 23 years of Brook Street, Earlestown who died in the hospital on Thursday evening a native of Rush Common Ireland and he had been in England about four months employed as a contractors man. On Monday the 6th. he was knocked down by a fall of stone and suffered server spinal injuries and his right leg. The deceased and other men were taking down the roof to increase the height of the roadway and in taking a prop and inserting another. Mr Matthews the Inspector said that it was a dangerous job and the men had to use their judgement in doing this work. A verdict of “Accidental Death was returned. (Mines Inspectors Report, Newton & Earlestown Guardian).
14th May 1909.
Colliers compensation case.
At St. Helens Court before Judge Sands under the Compensation Act with respect to the death of John Dickson of Junction Lane, Sutton who was 43 years of age and was killed at Collins Green on the 16th. October last year when he fractured his left ankle and went to the hospital and later a time went home and he did not mend he had compensation from February and then went to the pit and tried to work and on the advice of a doctor he went to the hospital and an operation was commenced by Drs Casey and O’Keiff and he died under the anaesthetic. A verdict of ‘Misadventure’ was returned.
£209-9s.-9d. had been paid into court in settlement and he said that the money should be paid out at the rate of £4-4s.-9d. a month. He had six children and that the mother administers the money. Costs were awarded on grade B. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian).
13th. August, 1909.
James Makin aged 15 years, haulage hand was killed when attempting to unlash a chain from the endless rope he got fatally crushed between the rope and the haulage pulley. (Mines Inspectors Report)
11th. August, 1909.
William Cox aged 17 years, haulage hand was engaged at the bottom of the self-acting endless rope haulage jig when he got fatally crushed through a lashing chain getting loose. (Mines Inspectors Report)
1st. December, 1910.
James Daley aged 49 years, dataller was killed when engaged in getting dirt from the waste to make a pack wall behind the longwall face, a sudden weighting of the roof took place and a stone six feet by five feet by one foot six inches fell from the roof capping a bar and two props. (Mines Inspectors Report)
14th. November, 1910.
Thomas Clarkson aged 49 years, collier, was engaged in preparing to set a prop when a stone fell from a slip where props were only three feet from the face. (Mines Inspectors Report)
12th. March, 1911.
John Daley aged 37 years, ripper was walking down a brow he slipped on a rail and fell injuring his elbow which suddenly became deceased. He died on the 4th of October. (Mines Inspectors Report)
29th. June, 1911.
John Owen aged 29 years, contractors man was using a sylvester in the main haulage brow a fall seven yards in length displaced three bars. The prop to which the drawer was attached gave way. (Mines Inspectors Report).
9th. April, 1912.
Patrick Stone aged 30 years, Bernard McAdam aged 34 years, and Michael Grara aged 26 years, all contractors men were killed as they were clearing away a heavy fall and when getting to the end of the wide work a further fall occurred thirty-one feet by eleven feet by five feet six inches. It brought down sprags four feet apart which had been placed to support the roof and they were killed on the spot. (Mines Inspectors Report)
16th. August, 1912.
John Rattigan aged 39 years, haulage hand was working on the main haulage brow and had left two tubs on the rails to reach the signal wires to stop the rope. His foot slipped and he fell in front of the set and was crushed by the tubs. (Mines Inspectors Report)
16th. August, 1912.
John Rattigan aged 39 years, a haulage hand was working on the main haulage brow and noticed two full tubs off the rails. He attempted to reach the signal wire but his foot slipped and he fell in front of the set and was crushed to death by the tubs and received injuries from which he died, 19th. June 1913. (Mines Inspectors Report)
3rd. February, 1913.
Hugh Griffiths aged 16 years, haulage hand, was lowering two empty tubs down a short brow dipping in places 1 in 4 when it ran away and crushed him against a ventilation door. He had only one pair of wheels spragged and he had been in front of the tubs. (Mines Inspectors Report)
21st. April 1916.
TWO EARLESTOWN COLLIERS KILLED IN ACTION.
Mrs. J. T. Pitwell of 39, Burke Street, Earlestown received news last week that corporal Heidesforth B Company the Manchester Regiment that her husband had been killed. He worked at the Collins Green colliery and originally came from Wigan but had worked there He was a reverie he died on August 26th last year. He was a member of the Haydock Colliery band he leaves a widow and six young children. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)
2nd. March, 1917.
WARNING TO NEGLIGENT COLLIERS.
At Warrington County Sessions Ellis Marsh a discharged soldier living at Recreation Street St. Helens was charged with a breach of the Coal Mines act. The Company claimed £2-12s.- 6d which was the sum that had been lost owing to the defendant’s slackness at work.
It was stated that the defendant who was employed as a lasher-on did not attend work regularly and gave various excuses. On 2nd January he did not come to work and the others could not work and had to be sent home and coal was lost. He said he had had five operations on his legs for varicose veins and was invalided out of the Army. He was ordered to pay 40/-. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)
12th. May 1914.
Richard Parry aged 15 years, haulage hand a tub had become derailed in the endless rope haulage and cause the pulled the pulley frame along with the timbers to which it was attached and a fall of roof buried the deceased. The pulley frame was fixed by a method it would not withstand a sudden strain of the ropes and the frame was also the roof support. (Mines Inspectors Report)
26th. March, 1914.
Edward Owen aged 24 years, haulage hand slipped in some unknown way at the top of the Potato Delph and fell thirty-six yards and died a few hours later. (Mines Inspectors Report)
26th. October, 1917.
COLLIERY WORKER TO PAY DAMAGES.
At Warrington Petty Sessions the Company claimed £317-6s.-3d from George Collins of 302 Crow Lane West, Earlestown for failing to perform his contract. On 3rd September. He was engaged in a haulage line at the colliery and he did not turn up for work and as a result, fifteen colliers had to go home and 371/2 tons of coal were not raised. The Company claimed the sum as damages. It was said that he could earn sufficient wages in the early part of the week and he seemed to have a weakness for holidays thought remainder of the week. Since last May he had only made two full weeks. He had been frequently warned but without avail and was quite true that he received an injury to his leg but this did not prevent him from playing football. He said the Doctor told him he could play football.
The Chairman said there was no doubt that the defendant had caused some material loss and assessed the damages at £5 which would be deducted from the defendant’s wages at 5/- per week. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)
26th. March, 1923.
Edward Owen aged 24 years, haulage hand was killed as he stepped through some fencing in the Potato Delf workings and fell to the Yard workings thirty-seven yards. He was found a few hours later. (Mines Inspectors Report)
2nd. August 1923
James McGrail aged 34 years, drawer was getting coal at the face and was in the act of pulling down coal when a stone fell from the roof and killed him immediately. The stone fell from between two slips and the place was well timbered. (Mines Inspectors Report)
Ghosts in the Colliery. c1925
“The main haulage road there was a big dip brow with a big haulage engine at the top of the brow and this went down about 2,000 yards. he says to me (another pitman) he says, “Have you noticed anything about this motion?’
I says, “No, not that I know on.”
Why, what are you talking about?’
He says, ‘We’re at twentieth landing, now just up there you can see up yonder neaw.’
I say, ‘Yes’.
Rope was going boxes coming down.
He says. ‘When I’ve been coming down there, I’ve seen a chap riding on the tubs when I’ve got to that tub there’s nobody on it.’
The haulageman was not the only one to see the ghost at Collins Green.
“I come out with my tub one day, hangs my lamp on a prop on a nail and all at once I could see along this other gateway opposite there’s four lamps coming along helter-skelter for all they are worth, these four chaps were coming.
‘What’s up wi yo’r lot?’
‘As seen Joe?’ He’s the deputy..
I says’ ‘Aye, he’s just gone through our place t’top. Why. What’s up wi yer?’
“We’er noy goin back in you,’
‘Why?’
‘There’s a ghost, a ghost!. Yea there is, there’s a ghost there.’
He says, ‘we’ve seen Smithies ghost yon.’
(Smith was a young fellow who was killed in the place a week or so before.)
‘Arr”, I says, ‘It’s all your imagination.’
‘Nay it’s not,’ he says ’tis is the third time we’ve seen ‘im.’
‘Wat’s bound’t do if thar sees a fog come up like that out o’t gob?’
So any way they go back, it’s later in the shift. So I comes out again with another tub. All at once same occurred, these lads belting along the drawing road.
‘Aye we’ve seen ghost again.’
Anyway they’d seen a ghost, they couldn’t get the chaps to go back. they stopped that place.” (DD).
There was a beam engine at Collins Green which was used for pumping water.
“Collins Green had two shafts and a water shaft and the old beam pump and I used to love watching the engine going you know. The great beam, the great crank, and the wooden rods going down the shaft to the hose at the bottom and all the water was collected from the red sandstone. it gushed out white, foaming. Lovely water to drink.” (DD).
1930.
ABANDONMENT.
Reported that the Potato Delf Four Foot at the colliery was abandoned. (Mines Inspectors Report)
4th. April 1930.
ENGINE OFF THE RAILS.
More sensation was caused at Collins Green on Monday morning when an engine left the metals and sank into the ground. The locomotive weighed 80 tons in the coal siding of Evans and Co. It was called to move down the line and without the slightest warning the rails bent outwards and the loco went into the ground. No one was injured. Breakdown gangs from the colliery decided to jack up the loco and not use cranes and the rails replaced. After a good eight hours work, the locomotive was back on the track. The local population took a great deal of interest in the operations. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)
17th October 1930.
EARLESTOWN MINERS DEATH.
At Burtonwood this afternoon Mr. F.A.Jones returned a verdict of ‘Death by Misadventure’ on Isaac Hill aged 44 of Coal lane who met with his death at Collins Green Colliery yesterday. The wife of the deceased gave the evidence of identification Bartholomew Kidd was a fireman at the No 2 West Side and found the deceased died on the ground in a kneeling position. He had a 12 cwt. stone on his back. With assistance and the stone was removed and he was found to be quite dead.
Davies the Inspector of Mines said they had not inspected the pit that morning but it had been inspected the previous day by the fireman. The stone was safe then and it must have been dislodged when they were in the pack. Props had been used instead of bars because they could not get near to the coalface.
Frank Naylor of School Lane Burtonwood said that at 11 on Thursday he went to work about 10 yards away and did not hear any fall of roof. At 8.15 he was told of the accident and helped to remove the stone. The body was taken to the ambulance room and the Doctor Lyle of Earlestown was called. The doctors’ opinion was that death was due to suffocation but there was a small wound on the left eye and his shoulders and back were badly bruised. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)
13th. March, 1931.
COLLINS GREEN COLLIERY – Additional Claim Fails.
Judgement was given in a Colliery Compensation case given in St. Helens Court on Wednesday by Judge Morris. John Houghton was injured at the colliery on the 22nd March 1923 when the top fell on him and hurt his head severely. He was off work for several months and received compensation but he retired to the colliery on the 3rd. March 1925 when he was certified as suffering from miners nystagmus. From the time he had been employed on the surface and from March 1930 he was certified as fit for work. Proceedings had begun for the renewal of the compensation and three medical men certified that he was no longer suffering from the result of his injuries. The Judge said that he had consulted with a Medical referee and the certificate agreed with his own idea and he had to refuse the claim. The award was for the colliery company with costs. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)
18th. July, 1930.
COAL STEALING.
At Warrington Petty Session James Tinsley of 18 Waring Avenue, St. Helens was charged with stealing coal from Collins Green Colliery weighing 80lbs and valued at 9d. Whilst Aaron Billings 35, Waring Avenue, was charged with stealing 82lbs. Superintendent Watkinson said that at 4.15 a.m. on the 1st. July he was on duty at Fleet Lane, Sutton he saw the men with bags of coal taken from the colliery yard. When he was stopped he said it was not coal the bags whether weighted. The defendant said he had the right to take coal and pleaded not guilty. Each was fined 10/-. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)
2nd. December 1931.
COAL STEALING.
Robert Haunch of Moorehouse, Broad Lane, Burtonwood was at the St. Helens petty sessions last week for stealing 144lbs. belonging to the Collins Green Company. The case was dismissed on the undertaking of the defendant not to replete the offence. The defendant was ordered to pay 7/6d. costs. P.C.Weal said he saw the defendant take the coal from the tip of the colliery when he saw him he dropped his bag and ran away. Later the P.C. interviewed the defendant and he said it was the first time he had been on the tip and he would the men was single aged 24 years and an unemployed collier. He had last been employed in October and he had not previously been in trouble.
(Newton & Earlestown Guardian)
