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Full Details

Surname
STEVENS
Forename
Thomas
Day
16
Month
02
Year
1906
Age
17
Occupation
Landing Keeper
Mine/Quarry Name
Whitburn
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Harton Coal Co. Ltd
Location
Whitburn
County
Durham
Details of Event
Died February 17. Deceased was employed in a landing into which the empty act of 20 tubs ran by gravity drawing with it a main rope which, hauled by engine power, the sets of loaded tubs outbye. The empty set had run to within about 150 yards of the landing, and was stopped there until signalled in, which was done as soon as the loaded set was made up. When the signal was given it ran so far, when the ten leading tubs became uncoupled and left the last ten tubs standing, as they were unable to drag in the rope. Deceased heard the runaway tubs coming into the landing and thought it was the entire set coming in the ordinary way. He was caught and seriously injured. The two leading tubs of the ten tubs left attached to the rope were found to be off the rails with all their wheels. The couplings consist of a link fastened to one tub into a shackle in the other, and secured by an iron bolt or pin about 8 inches long, and is considered a safe method and why it failed to act was not ascertained. The road was in good order. The Local Inspectors reported, ‘are of the opinion it is a pure accident’.