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Full Details

Surname
DUNN
Forename
John
Day
27
Month
07
Year
1909
Age
26
Occupation
Loader
Mine/Quarry Name
Holly Bank, No.15
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Holly Bank Colliery Co. Ltd
Location
Essington
County
Staffordshire
Details of Event
A place 13ft. Wide by 10ft. In height, formed about five months prior to the accident was being stripped to a width of 21.5ft and a height of 11ft. To form the bank or inset at the top of a staple. Two heavy shots of Albonite were fired electrically and simultaneously two hours prior to the accident. The place was examined half an hour afterwards by the chargeman who pulled down a loose stone, and reset four props which had been blown out He examined it again shortly before the accident took place, and considered it to be quite safe. Deceased was loading the debris from the shots, when a block of sandstone measuring 13ft. By 9ft. At extremes, and about 3ft thick at centre suddenly fell from the roof without giving any warning and braking one prop and reeling out another. A sharp edge caught deceased and killed him instantly. The rock appeared to be sound and free from slips, and showed very little bedding or jointing. It had probably fractured by the shot but knocked hard owing to the size of the stone.