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Full Details

Surname
MARSH
Forename
Alfred James
Day
11
Month
11
Year
1913
Age
35
Occupation
Stoneman
Mine/Quarry Name
Tilmanstone
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
East Kent Colliery Co. Ltd
Location
Eythorne
County
Kent
Details of Event
The accident happened at a new inset which was under construction. A scaffold, suspended by wire ropes and bridle chains from the surface, was fixed 38 feet above the bottom of the shaft in which was 16 feet of water. About two minutes prior to the accident the doors or covers had been removed from an opening 7.5 feet by 7 feet in the centre of the scaffold to allow some of the water to be tanked from the sump, and while one of the men was engaged in fastening a fencing rope to the bridle chain at one side of the opening, the deceased crossed the scaffold from the east towards the west side of the pit, and either walked into, or stumbled and fell through the opening. He fell into the water and immediately sank to the bottom, where he remained until his dead body was recovered by means of grappling irons 45 minutes later. There was a good light at the scaffold which was illuminated by a cluster of three 32-candle power electric incandescent lamps.