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Full Details

Surname
DURNE
Forename
William Henry
Day
25
Month
07
Year
1914
Age
27
Occupation
Collier
Mine/Quarry Name
Florence
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Florence Coal & Iron Co. Ltd
Location
Longton
County
Staffordshire
Details of Event
Deceased was engaged with two other men in the operation of "shifting the jig-up." The roof of the jig road had been ripped on the preceding night shift by means of explosives. The line of ripping extended across the road from the end of the left side pack and about 8 feet in advance of the right side pack, and a slip in the roof was visible. The final timbering was being done, and the last bar was being fixed when the roof suddenly collapsed and knocked down the bar which they were setting. Two of the men succeeded in getting clear uninjured, but deceased was struck on the head and crushed by a stone 7 feet by 3 feet by 1.5 feet, death being instantaneous. A second slip, approximately parallel to the first one, was exposed in the roof cavity after the occurrence, the two slips converging upwards. The roof had probably been affected by the blasting operations carried out on the previous shift and particularly owing to the ripping having been done in advance of the side packing. Special attention will be given in this direction in future so as to insure the packing being kept in advance of the ripping.