Single Record

Full Details

Surname

WALTON

Forename

Robert Armstrong

Day

07

Month

05

Year

1906

Age

28

Occupation

Engineman

Mine/Quarry Name

Tynedale

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Tynedale Coal Co. Ltd

Location

Acomb

County

Northumberland

Details of Event

Close to the side of a dip 250 yards from the downcast and drawing shaft, a Tangye oil engine worked, by a belt a three throw pump, which delivered to the surface. Deceased went to the pump at 5pm., and water was seen flowing from the delivery pipe up to 10.30pm when it ceased and did not flow again. The winding engineman informed the deputy as to this when he came to the pit at 2am. The deputy went down the pit. At first he was not able to get nearer than 50 yards to the pump on account of smoke, but obtaining the assistance of another pump engineman they, with great difficulty, got to within 4 yards of the pump, and found deceased lying in the end of an old road hear the pump, terribly burnt, and with his clothes still burning and timber and canvas door near him in flames, as was also the engine-house chamber. They dragged the body clear of the fire. The manager arrived, and the fires were got under. It was then found that the valve on the delivery pipe was closed, the taps of the ignition and vaporising lamps were closed and the lever of the engine was at stop and everything pointed to the engine and pump having been stopped by deceased. The fencing round the flywheel had been removed, and from the position of the leather belt it was probable that deceased had, after tightening the lacing, moved round the flywheel to replace it on the driving pulley, and had then been about to ascend a ladder to reach a small tank for feeding the lamps of the engine. There were three lamps found, a hurricane lamp lay overturned on the floor of the chamber, a hanging lamp at the side had its soldering melted by the heat and had dropped on to the floor in pieces, and a torch lamp, also in pieces, and an oil funnel were found near deceased. It was surmised that deceased had accidentally upset the hurricane lamp which he had placed on the floor near the ladder, and that it caused the fire in the engine chamber, that in his efforts to extinguish the flames his clothing was set on fire, and that he had then picked up the torch lamp and rushed out to the place where he was found, causing a second and distinct fire there. The timber in the chamber in which the oil engine was placed had been on fire and the cover of the oil tank of the engine, which held 4.5 gallons, had been blown off with considerable force. The engineman on the previous shift he’d taken in a drum holding 8 gallons of oil, and some oil remained in it. Two smaller cans were empty. The owners agreed to make a brick chamber for the oil engine and do away with any timber, and to use safety lamps in working near it.