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Full Details

Surname
PHILLIPS
Forename
John
Day
01
Month
07
Year
1905
Age
63
Occupation
Miner
Mine/Quarry Name
Hodbarrow Mine
Mineral Worked
Iron Ore
Owner
Hodbarrow Mining Co. Ltd
Location
Millom
County
Cumberland
Details of Event
Deceased men, who were father and son and another miner (whose leg was broken by the accident), were taking the second slice off a pillar of ore at the top of the deposit. The working was 9 feet wide and 8 feet high; on the left side was the old working of the first slice and there was solid ore on the right side. The roof is limestone intermixed with sand and was close timbered by headtrees placed about 4 feet apart and ordinarily supported by a leg at each end; slabs of larch 1.5 inches thick and 6 feet long were driven forward over the headtrees as, close to the face. A headtree 4 feet from the face was supported by a leg on the left or open side end rested on a hitch with a 6-inch base in the solid ore on the right side and while they were fixing another headtree close to the face a fall of roof took place without warning, amounting to 15 or 16 tons and the hitch gave way and the headtree fell and deceased men were buried. An official had suggested to the elder Phillips, who was leading man, that a leg should replace the hitch, but Phillips replied that the hitch was good and sounded it with a hammer and nothing was done. There was plenty of loose timber at hand. 2 killed.