Single Record

Full Details

Surname

ATKINSON

Forename

George William

Day

23

Month

12

Year

1904

Age

14

Occupation

Landing boy

Mine/Quarry Name

Hylton

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Wearmouth Coal Co. Ltd

Location

Castletown

County

Durham

Details of Event

Died December 25th. The empty set of 30 tubs was being drawn inbye by the tail rope at a speed of between four and five miles per hour and on arriving at the outbye end of a landing which had only been in use a week collided with the first tubs of the full set, was standing on the full way and forced it back. Deceased, who was standing behind the last tub of the full set and appears to have had one foot in the large link of the coupling chain was run over by the last two tub The switches at the outbye end and the landing were in position and no defect observed in the road or tubs. The first of the full tubs may have been standing too far forward or the wooden drags in their wheels may have projected too far or the empty set may have jumped the rails at the crossing. The signal wires did not extend into the landing and it was the custom to shout to a point some distance outbye where they terminated when signalling was necessary. This absence of means of signalling from the landing did not however contribute to the accident as the engineman stopped his engine at once on feeling the obstruction.