Single Record

Full Details

Surname

LEWIS

Forename

David

Day

01

Month

01

Year

1908

Age

39

Occupation

Haulier

Mine/Quarry Name

Senghenydd

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Lewis' Merthyr Consolidated Collieries Ltd

Location

Senghenydd

County

Glamorganshire

Details of Event

Deceased was taking a tram of rubbish down a road dipping three inches per yard when it went oft the rails at a turn. He pulled out four sprags, and, having unhitched the gun, attached a short lashing chain to the ear of the tram, and to the shafts. With the aid of the horse and two workmen he got the tram so that all four wheels were nearly on the rails. He then replaced the gun. Prior the drawbar, and was about to unhitch the chain when the horse plucked forward, causing the tram to fall on the rails. The tram being without sprags, ran forward and deceased fell between it and the horse, and was run over. His arm was broken and he was injured internally. It would have been far safer to have laced the sprags in the wheels and, with the assistance of the two men, lifted the tram on the rails without any help from the horse. Lifting a tram on a falling gradient with the aid of a pull from the horse always appears tome to be an unnecessarily dangerous operation, and to attempt it without sprags in the tram is courting an accident. He died in two days.