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Full Details

Surname
CLARKE
Forename
John
Day
14
Month
05
Year
1913
Age
54
Occupation
Labourer
Mine/Quarry Name
Dolcoath
Mineral Worked
Tin
Owner
Dolcoath Mine Ltd
Location
Camborne
County
Cornwall
Details of Event
He was assisting a plumber to fix a cut-off tray between the top and bottom sections of a slime table while the machinery was in motion. The- tray was riveted to the ends of two iron hangers, 3 feet long and set 2 feet apart. These were slotted at the top for adjusting purposes, and when in position were attached by bolts to two overhead bearers which carried a counter shaft 11 inches in diameter, from which motion was transmitted through gearing and a vertical shaft to the slime table. The counter shaft was making 11 revolutions per minute and the slime table one revolution in three minutes. He was standing on the motion section of the slime table with his body between the counter shaft, which at this point was very rough and rusty, and one of the hearers. He reached over the counter shaft to one of the hangers and held it in position while the plumber was securing it by screwing up a nut. Deceased was wearing a very ragged cloth coat which was caught by and coiled round the shaft. He was fatally injured by being pulled in to the top of the shaft and wedged between it and the bearers before the water wheel actuating the machinery was stopped. If the precaution had been taken to stop the machinery for the few minutes which were necessary to effect the repairs, the accident would not have happened.