New Search

Full Details

Surname
PASCOE
Forename
John
Day
28
Month
11
Year
1913
Age
17
Occupation
Assistant Blacksmith
Mine/Quarry Name
Boswin
Mineral Worked
Tin
Owner
Wheal Kitty & Penhalls United Ltd
Location
Porkellis
County
Cornwall
Details of Event
He was standing in a selfdumping skip which was attached to the winding rope, and suspended about 4 feet above the collar of the shaft. Its four wheels were resting on runners inclined about 5 degrees from the vertical. He had been told to get into the skip by the blacksmith, whom he was assisting to change the two guide-wings or skids. After taking off both skids the blacksmith commenced drifting a rivet, and instead of deceased holding a hammer against the inside of the skip, as was expected of him, he stood upright, and leaning against the bottom or long side of the skip, looked over the top of it. His action by raising the centre of gravity caused the lower part of the skip to move back from the runners and then sideways on its swinging back the wheel dropped between the runners. The skip then tipped and shot him into the shaft. He fell a distance of 175 feet and died two days later without recovering consciousness. The opening at the collar of the shaft was 3 feet 7 inches long by 2 feet 2 inches wide between the runners. The exercise of ordinary common sense would have pointed to covering the top of the shaft prior to taking off the skids from the skip. If this had been done the accident would not have happened. At the inquest the jury censured the mine officials for lack of supervision.