Fatal Accident No 12

Nottingham Guardian Friday12-01-1912

Fatal Accident at Gedling Colliery

Nottingham Miner Killed By a Fall of Roof

Yesterday at the Chesterfield Arms, Gedling, Mr D Whittingham County Coroner conducted an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of John Edward Davis, 33, of 11, Flewitt, Street, Nottingham, who was killed by a fall of roof at the Gedling Colliery on Tuesday morning. Mr R H Hewitt H.M. Inspector of Mines and Mr C Bunfield Nottinghamshire Miners Association were in attendance, Mr E Smith represented the Digby Colliery Company. William Rowe, of Awsworth, stated that deceased and himself were daymen at No 49 stall. They started work at five - fifty on Tuesday morning, Chamberlain the stallman, went in first and himself next. After about ten minutes after they had commenced to work a fall of roof took place were Davis was, and buried him. The weight break was two yards from him and he was not caught by it. He shouted to Chamberlain, who came at once, but Davis was dead when they got the stuff off him. They had had no special trouble with the roof at that place. He considered the roof a fair one. The timbers and roof were apparently safe, there was no warning. If any danger had been noticed it would have been easy to set a prop, but he did not see any necessity for that. No timber had been drawn that morning. Stallman James Chamberlain stated he had personally set the timber last Friday. He went into the stall on Tuesday morning and everything was quite and seemed right, in his opinion the cause of the accident was a weight break from old workings, they could not have done anything to prevent it as it came suddenly and without warning. Albert Lomas, deputy gave evidence, questioned by Mr Bunfield, he said he had been a deputy thirteen months; he was twenty five years of age in June and had been working at the coal face a short time. Mr Bunfield remarked that where coal was being worked alongside old workings, he thought they ought to have experienced deputies, and asked if the weight break was caused by an old working, how long had the deputy thought the weight break had been coming on?. Lomas did not reply. A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned no blame being attached to anyone.

Fatal Accident No 13

Ilkeston Pioneer Friday 07-02-1913

Dislodged Prop Causes Death of Ilkeston Miner

An inquest was held at the Independent Chapel, Nottingham Road, on Monday afternoon touching the death of Frank Creswell, 49 of 296, Nottingham Road, Ilkeston, who was killed by a fall of roof at Gedling Pit on Friday. Mr WR H Whiston Deputy Coroner, conducted the inquiry, and there were also present Mr E H Frazer HM Inspector of Mines G D Bayley and R Nadin (representing the Digby Colliery Company) S J Binns (Midlands Indemnity Company) C Bunfield (Nottinghamshire Miners Association) H Kenyon (Derbyshire Miners Association) C F Elliott Smith (Mansfield) and Superintendant Walker. Mrs Annie Creswell wife of the deceased gave evidence of identification. Deceased had been working at Gedling a little less than a fortnight, just after six o clock on Friday night he was brought home dead. Witness had ten children but four of them were not dependent on her. James Haywood a stallman of Grover Avenue, Mapperley, employed at the Gedling Pit said last Friday deceased was working with him in his stall. They commenced work at about 6-15 am in the morning and the accident happened at about 1-30pm. Witness was loading a tub while deceased was “Ringering” coal off the face with an iron ringer. After they had fired a shot, a large lump of coal fell down and dislodged a prop causing a fall of roof of about fifteen hundredweight. Deceased had set the prop in the correct fashion some time previously. A piece of stone fell from the roof and onto the deceased’s head and smashed his face into the ground Deceased he added was kneeling at the time. By Mr Frazer “the stone was about three feet six inches long eleven inches thick and eighteen inches wide. Deceased had tried his roof only three minutes before the accident, and the last words he uttered were “it’s as sound as a bell”. There was a smooth slip in the roof, but this was not discovered until after the accident. There was plenty of timber at the spot and in his opinion there was no negligence either on the part of the company or the deceased. Charles Frederick Flatts, deputy at the pit said he was sent for to the stall where Haywood and the deceased were working, deceased was dead on his arrival. Witness examined him, deceased’s head was smashed but there were no marks on his body. Previous to the fall he had examined the stall and found everything satisfactory. In reply to Mr Frazer witness said the slip could not be detected before the accident and there was no negligence whatever. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death”. Mr Bayley expressed the sympathy of the Colliery Company to the wife and family of the deceased.

Fatal Accident No 14

Nottingham Guardian Thursday 24-07-1913

Toll of the Mine - How the Gedling Fatality Occurred

The accident at the Gedling Colliery on Monday by which a miner named Thomas Saxton, lost his life, was investigated yesterday when Mr C L Rothera held an inquest at the Nottingham General Hospital. Mr H Danby H.M. Inspector of Mines watched the case; there was also present Mr Elliott Smith on behalf of the Digby Colliery Company, Mr C Bunfield for the Nottinghamshire Miners Association, and Mr R Nadin, manager of the mine. Thomas Saxton, father of the deceased, said the latter was 32 years of age and married. He had worked as a miner since boyhood. Thomas Henry Jackson, of Whittingham Road Mapperley, a stallman in the Gedling Pit said deceased who was a dayman was working in his stall on Monday last, at about twenty minutes to one, witness saw Saxton filling a tub. When witness again passed the place, at about one o clock he noticed that there had been a fall of roof. Saxton was pinned under several hundredweights of roof. Witness examined the place later and came to the conclusion that the deceased was trying to get coal when the accident happened. The stall had been timbered in accordance with the Colliery regulations. Replying to Mr Smith, witness said some more timber would have been put up as soon as the coal had been got. Deceased was engaged in getting coal when the fall occurred. The deputy in the pit stated that everything was in order when he examined the stall at twelve fifteen. He was of the opinion that a “slip” had occurred in the roof, both sides of the fallen piece being smooth. Deceased was apparently driving a wedge into the coal face. Dr Crookes said Saxton died from shock, consequent upon a fractured pelvis and severe injuries to the head. The jury decided that the fall was quite an unforeseen occurrence and returned a verdict of “Accidental death”. On behalf of the Colliery Company Mr Nadin expressed sympathy to the widow, and regret at the unfortunate fatality. Mr Bunfield associated himself with it and said he was sure that the work was being properly done, and that the affair was purely accidental. The Coroner and the jury also voiced their sympathy to the relatives.

Fatal Accident No 15

Nottingham Evening Post Saturday 09-08-1913

Pneumonia Follows Accident

Bulwell Man's Fatal Injury in the Pit

Injured at Gedling Colliery on 29th April, Percy Cooper, 30, miner of Freehold Street, Bulwell was taken to the Nottingham General Hospital where he remained for about a month. He was afterwards an outpatient until a fortnight ago, when he took to his bed and died on Wednesday. At the inquest conducted by Mr F W Rothera (Deputy City Coroner), at the Christian Meeting House Bulwell today. Thomas Cyril Hopkins, who was working with Cooper at the time of the accident, said deceased removed some timber by knocking it out with a hammer, causing a fall of roof. He was covered in debris and it took two hours to get him out. In reply to Mr F W Frazer, H.M. Inspector of Mines, witness said it was the duty of a man named Radford, to take out props, and if any required moving deceased should have sent for him. George Hirst, of Priory Road, Gedling a deputy at the pit, said props should be removed with a ringer and chain which was provided. Deceased broke the rules in getting the timber out in the manner he did. Dr. Lyn Diamond. Said he first attended Cooper about a fortnight ago, when he was suffering an injury to the left ankle and inflammation of the small bones of the foot. The man also complained of abdominal pain, the cause of which he could not make out. Ten days ago he developed Pneumonia at the base of the right lung and this rapidly extended. This condition he attributed to infection from the bones of the foot, and death was due to Syncope. Answering a juror the Deputy Coroner said that Radford would have been present, but he had left the pit and attempts to find him had failed. The jury returned a verdict that death was caused by Pneumonia, the result of the accident. Mr F Elliott Smith represented the Company, and Mr R Nadin (manager) was also present.

Fatal Accident No 16

Nottingham Guardian Monday 08-06-1914

Pneumonia after Accident - Inquest on Gedling Miner

Mr C L Rothera held an inquest at the Hyson Green mortuary on Saturday afternoon on William Tattersall, 37, dayman of Pleasant Row, Radford Road. The inquiry was attended by Mr A H Abbott H.M. Inspector of Mines, Mr R Nadin (manager Gedling Colliery) Mr C F E Smith (for the Digby Colliery Company) and Mr C Bunfield (Nottinghamshire Miners Association). Mrs Ada Tattersall, widow, said that on the 18th May her husband came home with his head bandaged and said some stuff had fallen in the Gedling Colliery. He had some stitches put in his head and forehead, later he had to take to his bed. Robert Whittaker, stallman of Main Street, Gedling, deposed that on 18th May deceased had just filled a tub with coal, and was clearing a way, when a fall of roof-about one hundredweight took place and knocked him down. The roof was a good one, but there appeared to be a sudden burst after the coal had been rung down. Tattersall had sustained superficial cuts and grazes, in the gate he was given something to drink and bathed, and said he would be able to leave the pit unassisted. The deputy bandaged the man’s head. Dr Hill said Tattersall came to surgery with three wounds on his head and superficial scratches on his back, the wounds recovered rapidly but Pneumonia superinvened, and this and cardiac failure proved fatal. If the man had not had the accident the probability was that he would not have developed Pneumonia. “Pneumonia excited by an accidental injury” was the jury’s verdict.

Fatal Accident No 17

Nottingham Daily Express Tuesday 21 July 1914

Sequel to Outbreak - Details of Pit Epidemic Given at the Inquest.

Full details respecting Henry Harviston Flood's death and the epidemic at the pit, were given at the inquest which was conducted by Mr. H Bradwell, the Deputy District Coroner, at the Arnold Public Offices yesterday. Representing the police were the Deputy Police Constable (Mr. W Harrop) and Inspector Bishop of Arnold; Mr. J. Bird (from the offices of Mr. C.F.E.Smith Mansfield) watched the interests of the Digby Colliery Company, who own the pit; and Mr. F. Berryman appeared on behalf of Mr. H. Dennis Bayley, the managing director of the company. Lucy Flood, the widow said that her husband who was 33 years of age had been working as Ostler amongst the ponies at the High Hazel seam for some four months. On June 27th he complained of pains in the head, and on the following morning Dr. Stenhouse was called to see him.

The Doctor’s Evidence

Dr. Stenhouse said that when he saw him for the first time he found Flood in a feverish condition, accompanied by severe headache and whitening of the tongue. He learnt that that he had been exposed to the sun on the previous day, and believed that he was suffering from a slight attack of sunstroke; and after treating him until the 4th July had the satisfaction of seeing the fever leave him, although he still appeared to be very weak. On the following day, however the fever returned, and Flood also complained of pains in the left shoulder, and the nape of his neck. These continued unabated for a week, and on July 12th witness detected what he described as “moist sounds or crepitation “with a certain dullness at the bottom of the lung”. These symptoms however appeared to trouble Flood but little. On July 13th he observed a red, inflamed patch on the man’s right ankle, and on the following day was exceedingly surprised to find that one of the man’s nasal cavities was completely blocked, and that the right side of his face was very swollen. On further examining him he found that red raised inflamed patches had appeared on his arm, and isolated blisters had broken out on various parts of his body.

Never Saw a Similar Case

In the next two days these symptoms became more pronounced, and on the afternoon of July 17th he became very much worse. The fever ran up to 105, and his pulse became of a running character. Dr Michie, who came in as a consultant with witness found Flood in a dying condition. He said he had never seen a similar case. The disease simulated smallpox. Witness issued a certificate, in which he stated that the cause of death was sunstroke, and that the man was also affected with neuritis, pneumonia, septicaemia and acute pemhigus, but was not really satisfied in his own mind. He felt that he was up against something which he had never met before. On Sunday he heard for the first time that there was a serious outbreak of Glanders amongst the ponies at Gedling, and on looking up the text book on the subject he found that Flood’s symptoms corresponded to those of Glanders in a human being. He now believed that the man died of that disease. Witness had never seen a case of Glanders in a human being before. The coroner; That is thing which is very rare? Dr, Stenhouse; Very rare indeed. In answer to a question from a juryman as to how long Glanders would take to develop, witness said that the authorities did not seem very decided on the subject. It was thought however that the period of incubation was from 3 days to a fortnight. Dr. H. Michie, of Regent Street Nottingham who was called in as a consultant, said that when he saw the patient the man was unable to speak, and was indeed practically moribund. He had no hesitation in saying that the cause of death was Glanders, though he had never seen a case of the disease before.

Outbreak Confined

A preliminary attack of sunstroke, said Dr, Michie. In response to an inquiry would he considered, render a man more susceptible to the onset of the disease. Mr Dennis Bayley, giving evidence, said that the first case amongst the ponies was reported a week ago yesterday. They did not know what the illness then was, but their veterinary surgeon sent the horse out of the pit and had it inspected by the County Council vetinarary surgeon. On Thursday the disease was certified as Glanders, and the animal destroyed. Mr. Bayley added that he was afraid deceased came in contact with ponies who had now got Glanders. Two days before the first pony became ill the Government Inspector of Horses in Mines paid a visit to the pit and saw every horse there. All steps possible had been taken to disinfect the pit and prevent any further development of the disease. A verdict of “Death from Glanders, with the result of coming into contact with affected ponies in the Gedling pit.” was returned. After expressing the sympathy of the company with the widow Mr, Bayley mentioned that the outbreak was entirely confined to the High Hazel seam, and there was no connection with the Top Hard pit, which was unaffected.