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Full Details

Surname
SPENCE
Forename
Charles
Day
05
Month
06
Year
1907
Age
30
Occupation
Stoneman
Mine/Quarry Name
West Wylam
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Mickley Coal Co. Ltd
Location
West Wylam
County
Northumberland
Details of Event
Deceased, his marrow and another stoneman were at the bottom of a self-acting incline, provided with the statutory manholes, about 300 yards long and with an inclination of about 7 inches per yard. They had loaded a flat topped bogey with two cast iron water spouts 11 inches square and 11 inches deep and coupled it to the end of the empty set of tubs and then started to walk up the incline. When they were about 60 yards up the sets began to run and they got into a refuge hole but the sets stopped before the empty set reached them owing probably to the extra weight on the empty set. They came out of the refuge hole and showed the empty set forward and started it again. Deceased’s marrow and the other stoneman went back to the refuge hole but deceased walked up close behind the empty set and was not seen alive again. After the sets had run the two men left behind walked up and found deceased lying on the full way between the rails just above meetings with his head in-bye. His neck was broken. Near where be was found the height of the road diminished rapidly from 4.5 feet to 3 feet 3 inches. It is probable he had got on to the bogey and ridden to this point where his head was caught. The Local Inspectors reported ‘Could not find anything whereby we could attribute the accident to. We cannot attach any blame to anyone but that it was a pure accident.’