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Full Details

Surname
RICHARDSON
Forename
William
Day
16
Month
02
Year
1906
Age
38
Occupation
Deputy Overman
Mine/Quarry Name
Benwell
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
W. Cochrane Carr Ltd
Location
Benwell
County
Northumberland
Details of Event
Deceased assisted by a youth was drawing timber during the night out of two opposite lifts in broken workings in the Brockwell seam of the North east flat. before starting he set seven or eight props to protect his way out and near here was a chock. When he had drawn all the props except about a dozen as well as the chock cautiously to draw the remainder; he knocked out one prop and sprang back safely, but when he knocked out a second he was caught by a mass of the sandstone roof, about three yards square and 2 feet thick which fell upon him relieved by a slippery parting at the back. His assistant went for help, but it was more than two hours before his body was recovered. He had a pout with him, but appears to have used his axe exclusively. The Local Inspector reported, We are satisfied that deceased took every precaution and that he had all the necessary appliances at hand and we are satisfied it was a pure accident. The coroner and jury, however, were not satisfied, and the verdict was as follows, ‘Accidentally killed by a fall of stone from the roof, and we find that the deceased did not exercise sufficient precaution in taking out the last props.’