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Full Details

Surname
BREWIS
Forename
John
Day
14
Month
06
Year
1907
Age
32
Occupation
Stoneman
Mine/Quarry Name
Seaton Delaval
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Seaton Delaval Coal Co. Ltd
Location
Seaton Delaval
County
Northumberland
Details of Event
Deceased who was an experienced stoneman and another stoneman were working together taking down a top canch at the face of a cross gateway in longwall workings in the 7th West way of the Main Coal seam in the C.D Pit. The seam is 6 feet thick and about 3 feet of top stone is taken down. They had fired a shot it the left side which left most of the stone hanging at the right side. Deceased first thought of putting in another shot but eventually decided to pinch the stone down. He stood with his back towards the face and applied a pinch 5 feet long to a piece of stone which when it fell liberated a large stone which in turn liberated a stone 6 feet long, 3 feet 3 inches deep and from 9 inches to 2 feet thick, which fell upon him from the upper part of the brow causing instant death. There was a visible coal piping above the stone and irregular fractures at the sides. The chargeman was present at the time and had examined the stone immediately before it fell and he and deceased’s mate liberated him 10 minutes. The Local Inspectors reported, ‘we consider his death was the result of a pure accident.’