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Details of Event: Deceased, another wasteman, and a stone putter, were clearing away a pack wall in an old headways in the Old South way of the Bensham seam of No.1 pit to make a new return airway. The stones were stowed in a stow head about 60 yards away. The two wastemen took alternate days at loading the kibble and stewing, and deceased was stowing on the day of the accident and had dealt with six kibble loads. As he filled up the stow bord he drew timber, and he had sent to his mate for an axe, and afterwards, as he had been unable to get the timber out with it, for a saw to saw it out. He appears to have been removing a pair of gears when a fall of stone took place from the roof over an area about 9 feet by 5 feet and up to 6 inches thick. The fall extended to the turn and displaced a pair of gears here deceased had set. He seems to have had some warning as he had his lamp with him and was caught by the fall at the turn. His mate heard the fall and at once got assistance and he was released, but died soon after he was taken to the surface. No official had examined the place before work started or during the course of the shift but the assistant master wasteman had visited them the' previous shift. The Local Inspectors in their report after describing the fall, remarked: Found plenty of timber lying where the accident occurred, and at the inquest they gave evidence and stated they thought the occurrence a pure accident.