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Full Details

Surname
LATIMER
Forename
William
Day
27
Month
12
Year
1906
Age
18
Occupation
Timber Lad
Mine/Quarry Name
Bebside
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Bebside Coal Co. Ltd
Location
Bebside
County
Northumberland
Details of Event
On the drum shaft of the single vertical winding engine is a smaller drum projecting outside the engine-house and used to raise and lower a subsidiary cage between the surface level and pithead level. Deceased and another lad brought timber in trams to this cage at the surface level for elevation to the pithead level. At the surface level was a signal wire working a hammer in the engine-house. It was usual to place a balk 11 feet long inside the cage when it was not required; when this balk was laid on the bottom of the cage it projected and rested on the flat sheets at each end, so that when the cage moved downwards it could only do so until its upper part rested on the balk. After work was over for the day it was usual both to put the balk in position and also detach the chain from the cage. The cages in the shaft are double-decked, and it appeared to be common for the lads to put the balk through the subsidiary cage while tubs were being changed at the shaft without giving any notice to the engineman, the mere shifting of the shaft cages to change the decks not materially affecting the position of the subsidiary cage. After work was over deceased was putting the balk in position, but had either slipped it was a cold snowy day or misjudged the time available, and the subsidiary cage came down on him while he would probably be striding the balk. He called to a lad below, who at once rapped to the engineman, and the engine was stopped. When it was found what had occurred, the engine was reversed and deceased then fell back with his head and part of his body out of the cage, and was fastened between the bottom of the cage and the underside of the pithead platform. While in this position the engine got on to the low centre and he was not released for half-an-hour, when he was quite dead. The Jury recommended that notice should be given to the engineman before the balk was put through the cage.