Single Record

Full Details

Surname

FRANCIS

Forename

Charles

Day

20

Month

12

Year

1909

Age

25

Occupation

Hewer

Mine/Quarry Name

Wheatley Hill

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Weardale Steel, Coal & Coke Co. Ltd

Location

Wheatley Hill

County

Durham

Details of Event

The workings of a district in the Harvey Seam had been cut off by a fault a drift was therefore set away in the leader to prove the throw. On reaching the seam beyond the fault, a place was driven forward in the coal. Francis was one of the two hewers appointed to drive this place. On 14th December, during the backshift, the place fouled, and Francis’ marrow, who was in the face, had to come out hurriedly, leaving his own and Francis’ tools behind. As the place could not then be sufficiently ventilated to enable anyone to work in it, Francis and his marrow were sent daily, subsequent to the 14th December to hew in any place that happened to be no vacant and they used the tools they found there. On Monday, 20th December, Francis was told to go to a place, but he complained that he had not a shovel and suggested to the deputy that be might be allowed to go up the drift to get his own. The deputy reprimanded him for suggesting such a thing and promised to send a shovel to him. In spite of this, however, after he had been to his place, he appears to have made up his mind that he would go up the drift for his own shovel. Accordingly he came out to the flat and persuaded a driver boy to go with him. On arriving at a fence, some 77 yards from the drift bottom, the boy tried to prevent him going further but he said he would go. He then proceeded until the came to a ‘danger’ board. He, seeing the danger board, returned to the boy, and saying that, as there was a danger board on the road, he would leave his lamp with the boy. He then went back again to the drift and shortly afterwards the boy heard him groan and then shout his name. The boy went at once for help and found two stonemen. They sent him for the deputy and the overman. The latter, after several efforts had been made, pulled the man down the drift, op which he had gone about eight yards. He had been in the drift about an hour before he was got out. Artificial respiration was tried but with no success. A more foolhardy action than that of this man it is difficult to conceive and the possibilities are unpleasant to think of.