Single Record

Full Details

Surname

YOUNG

Forename

George

Day

25

Month

05

Year

1906

Age

34

Occupation

Hewer

Mine/Quarry Name

Choppington

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Bebside Coal Co. Ltd

Location

Choppington

County

Northumberland

Details of Event

Died June 15. Deceased and another hewer, the president of the local union, were hewing together during the fore shift in broken workings in the Bensham seam, 2 feet 6 inches thick: of the crossbent flat of the A pit. The lift had not advanced far and only a little top stone had been taken down at its entrance. The stone, a blue metal, had been complained of by the hewers in the back shift the day before and had been attended to in the night. When deceased and his marrow reached the place, after seeing the deputy, who had examined it an hour or two before, they set a prop and plank under the brow. The deputy visited them at 6.40am and ended this plank. After he left them deceased went into the old and drilled a hole about the middle of the seam in the solid to blow out about 18 inches of coal, and as candles were use fired the shot himself; it blew out, simply cracking the coal, and made a loud report, which the deputy heard when 280 yards away. After the shot, while deceased was filling coal near the brow, a stone fell from it, about 7 feet long, 1.5 feet wide and 14 inches thick, inflicting serious injury. The shot was fired in contravention of the regulations of the colliery, and may have contributed to the accident in two ways 1st, by the extra concussion shaking the roof stone, and, 2nd, their anxiety to remove traces of it may have led to the neglect of precautions as regards the roof. Deceased was treated home until June 5th, when he was removal to Newcastle Infirmary, where he died. The Local Inspectors reported, ‘Found a hole in solid coal, having been fired and stone falling from brow, and in our opinion no fault to find with the lose by officials.’