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Full Details

Surname
DABBS
Forename
John
Day
03
Month
04
Year
1913
Age
60
Occupation
Chargeman
Mine/Quarry Name
Himley, No.04a
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Earl of Dudley
Location
Gornalwood
County
Staffordshire
Details of Event
An old shaft was being stripped and widened out from 7 feet diameter to 8 foot diameter, the widening being done from one side to make the shaft vertical. The man worked on a scaffold supported on by two byatts, and there was a similar catch scaffold 9 foot below. The byatts were of oak, 4 inches square, and had a hold on the brickwork at each side of 4 to 4.4 inches. Shortly before the accident three shots wore fired simultaneously in the side forming the bait, the bottom of these holes being about 2 feet above the scaffold. After the smoke cleared away the deceased men descended, filled and sent up a bowk of dirt, and had got the second bowk nearly filled, when chargeman on the surface heard a noise in the shaft; on going down he found that the scaffolds had disappeared, precipitating the deceased a distance of about 40 yards to the shaft bottom. One byatt at each scaffold had disappear, and these were both found to be broken. Apparently the accident was caused by the breaking of the byatt under the working scaffold, and this breakage was probably due to a blow by a piece of dirt from the shots, the byatt being only partly severed and holding for a short time before finally giving way. 2 killed.