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Full Details

Surname
DONNELLY
Forename
Samuel
Day
02
Month
11
Year
1906
Age
22
Occupation
Screener
Mine/Quarry Name
Kibblesworth
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
John Bowes & Ptrs Ltd
Location
Lamesley
County
Durham
Details of Event
A steam hoist, consisting of a vertical cylinder, an old pump pipe 15 inches diameter and 9 feet long, fitted with a piston and a 3 way cock at the top of the cylinder and with a rope attached to a fixed point, and then passing round a pulley at the top of the piston rod and round a pulley above the cage, to which its other end was attached, was used to raise loaded tubs from the surface level to the pit head level. Steam was admitted to the top of the piston by pulling a chain at the bottom of the hoist attached to the 3-way cock, but steam could only he cut off at the top of the hoist on the pit head level where there was also an indicator to show if steam was on. At the end of a stormy day deceased first lowered five empty tubs and then brought forward to the bottom of the hoist five tubs laden with stones from the screens to raise them to the pit head level so that they could be emptied over the refuse heap. He appears to have pushed one tub through the cage to the far side and then put another on the cage and turned steam on, but the cage did not move, either because there was not sufficient steam pressure to raise the tub, which would contain from 17 cwt to a ten of stones or owing to water in the pipes. He spoke to the keeker on the pit head, who shut steam off and then went to his cabin. Deceased is supposed to have made another unsuccessful attempt to raise the tub, and shortly after the keeker came from his cabin and told him to push the tub through the cage and leave it, as owing to the stormy day all the hands had gone home and he had no means of dealing with any tubs. The keeker did not then notice that the indicator showed that steam was half on. Deceased took hold of the top bar of the cage and pushed the tub out with his feet, and when it was half out the cage moved upwards, upended the tub, and crushed him against a fixed cross beam. He was released at once but died in about half an hour. The manager arranged to make certain alterations in the structure and mode of working the apparatus to prevent a similar accident in future. The Local Inspectors reported ‘We have come the conclusion it was a pure accident.'