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Full Details

Surname
RUSHFORTH
Forename
John
Day
19
Month
12
Year
1907
Age
37
Occupation
Collier
Mine/Quarry Name
Middleton
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Middleton Estate & Colliery Co. Ltd
Location
Middleton
County
Yorkshire WR
Details of Event
The seam in which this accident occurred is about 3 feet 1 inch in thickness and is made up of top to make it safe to work coal, a thick middle dirt and bottom coal. It is worked by first taking the top coal off for a distance of about 18 inches, then taking up the dirt, which is put to the goaf and finally getting up the bottom coal. At the time of the accident the two deceased men were taking up and rolling the dirt into the goaf and it is probable in doing so they displaced a prop set under the middle of a steel rail bar and thus allowed the roof to fall it two slips, one of which was visible before the fall occurred. The dirt when being taken up comes off in long pieces and in order to get them rolled into the goaf the prop at the end of the bar next to the goaf had been taken out without one being set at the face end of bar in addition to middle prop. This was an error of judgement. The deputy was in the place a quarter of an hour before the accident occurred and the bar with only the prop in the middle of it and also the slip which was visible but said nothing about setting props at the ends of it. It is unfortunate he did not give instructions for additional props to be set for, if he had done so, the probability is that tile accident would not have occurred. He has since been removed from deputy’s work.