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Full Details

Surname
STOCKDALE
Forename
Alexander
Day
09
Month
09
Year
1909
Age
52
Occupation
Hewer
Mine/Quarry Name
South Moor
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
South Moor Colliery Co. Ltd
Location
South Moor
County
Durham
Details of Event
The conditions existing in the place where this man was killed were more than ordinarily dangerous and careful and close timbering is necessary. The five quarter seam and the main coal seam are divided by a 10 inch thick splint band, which is very tough. The five quarter seam is worked out first and the main coal is then worked with the 10 inch splint band as a roof. The timbering distance is 4 feet. Lifts are about 7 yards wide and are carried 5 to 7 yards. Two men are always put in the lifts to get them worked off quickly. It is obvious that the time of greatest danger is when the lift is nearly worked off and there is only breaker coal between the hewers and the goaf. This man’s place was just in this position when the fall took place. The coal had been holed in the middle of the fact into the goaf but notwithstanding this the men had during the shift fired two shots. The man who survived said they were examining the roof about a yard from the coal when the face burst in and the whole of the timbering collapsed.