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Full Details

Surname
AULD
Forename
James Blythe Willis
Day
29
Month
03
Year
1904
Age
17
Occupation
Labourer
Mine/Quarry Name
Seaton Delaval
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Seaton Delaval Coal Co. Ltd
Location
Seaton Delaval
County
Northumberland
Details of Event
Deceased and a horse driver took a tipping stone wagon, locally known as cowpey and which had buffers at one end only laden with refuse from the coal washer to the end of the dirt heap the road being first level and then rising about 0.75 inch per yard. They put switches near the bottom of the inclined part of the road which here made a slight turn into position after they had passed. The wagon was tipped and drawn back a few yards by the horse and then deceased got on to one of the buffers which were at the front end and it began to gravitate back to the washer. There was a brake on the wagon with the lever convenient to the buffers but it was not necessary to use it as the speed gained during the first part of the return journey did not carry the wagon to its destination on the level portion of the road where the horse had to be used. About 4 yards past the switch the was on left the rails and deceased either jumped off or was thrown off and run over. The rails in use were old and worn and the road not in very good condition.