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Full Details

Surname
REDMAYNE
Forename
James
Day
30
Month
04
Year
1909
Age
13
Occupation
Drawer
Mine/Quarry Name
Aspen
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Oswaldtwistle Collieries Ltd
Location
Oswaldtwistle
County
Lancashire
Details of Event
Water from old workings broke through coal into place iscontinued two days previously 80 men and boys' lives endangered, fortunately all but this poor boy escaped. James Kenyon, a collier at the pit gave evidence at the inquest. He told that he was at his work place when the water burst in, and the water overtook him and flooded the roadway. Struggling forwards with only five or six inches of air space between the water and roof, he came across the young lad James Redmayne, who was crying out in fear for his mother. Kenyon told the lad, whose light had been extinguished to stick close by him. Together they struggled forward yard by yard, till they were both thrown down by the force of the water. Kenyon told the inquest "The poor little fellow cried out to me for help, and quaking with fear gasped out "Shall we die?". He replied "We shall get drowned if we don't get out of this" and said to the lad "Thou must stick by me". Further along the force of the water threw Kenyon down again, and his lamp too went out. He was dazed, but feeling something against his legs was sure the lad was still with him. To his horror, when he reached down there was only a lump of shale being washed along with the water. Cold, dazed and nearing exhaustion he cried out "Hast thou left me". There was no reply. The poor lad was found many hours later washed against the underground ginney drowned.