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Full Details

Surname
BIDDLE
Forename
Thomas Henry
Day
21
Month
03
Year
1913
Age
48
Occupation
Carpenter
Mine/Quarry Name
Swadlincote
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Halls Collieries Ltd
Location
Swadlincote
County
Derbyshire
Details of Event
Advantage was taken of the Easter holidays to make some alterations to the winding engine drum and to fix a controller to the engine. This prevented the pump attendant from using the usual shaft to get the pump stationed at the Woodfield Seam and it was arranged that he should descend in No.3 shaft, which is used for the Little Coal Seam at a depth of 75 yards. The scaffold at this level was removed to allow the cage to descend to the Woodfield at a depth of 193 yards. Some trouble was anticipated in getting the cage through owing to incrustations on the wooden guides and the deceased who was an experienced shaft hand accompanied the pump attendant. The cage stuck and deceased signalled for it to be raised and lowered three times no doubt thinking the cage slippers would remove the scalings sufficiently to permit the cage to pass through. While the cage was stuck the pump attendant drew deceased’s attention to slack winding rope at the cage side. Deceased shouted to him to jump into the inset, which he did. The cage immediately dropped about 19 feet. The sudden stop and jerk of the cage threw the deceased on to the cage floor, rendering him unconscious. The pump attendant pluckily deceased to the cage by means of the guides and stays, and signalled the cage to the surface. Deceased was found to have sustained fracture of both legs above the ankles one of the fractures being a compound one. He died in Hospital seven days later, death being due to heart failure and bronchitis following on the accident.