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Full Details

Surname
OLDING
Forename
Theodore
Day
09
Month
05
Year
1907
Age
26
Occupation
Hitcher
Mine/Quarry Name
National, No.1
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
United National Collieries Ltd
Location
Wattstown
County
Glamorganshire
Details of Event
As the carriage reached the bottom deceased moved forward to push out the empty trams, when a piece of coal of unknown size fell down the pit and catching him, on the head, killed him instantly. The piece of coal apparently fell on the ascending cage before it reached the surface, as the fall of coal and the arrival of the carriage are said to have been almost simultaneous. The banksman did not notice that any coal was missing off the end of the tram is it reached the surface. The protection for the hitchers consisted of two beams with deflecting boards about 13ft from the rail level. From these beams iron flaps are hung to within one foot of the upper band of the carriages. The clearance between carriage floor and beam, is 8 ins. but between the upper band and beam is 15 ins. This appears to be more than is necessary.