Fatal Accident No 58 and 59

Nottingham Journal Thursday 29-07-1932

Mystery Of The Explosion At Gedling Colliery Unsolved At The Inquest
Injured Mates Grim Story Of The Tragedy: Dazed By Flame: No Indication Of Gas
Lamps In Order: Officials And Workmen Puzzled

No solution to the mystery of how the explosion occurred at Gedling Colliery on 18 July involving the death of two miners was forthcoming at the inquest at Gedling yesterday. The victims who were coal cutters and had been working with an electric coal cutter immediately before the explosion were, John Thomas Bowley 35, of Westdale Lane, Carlton. (who was stated to have been killed instantly by the explosion) and Joseph Bacon 29, of 7, Campbell Grove, Robin Hood Street, Nottingham, (who died from his injuries in Nottingham General Hospital) on the following day. “What caused the explosion I do not know” said the Coroner in his summing up to the jury after a lengthy investigation, “and I don’t suppose you do, or ever will, perhaps”. The verdict was that the deaths were caused by shock and burns due to an explosion, the cause of which was unknown. Admiration was expressed for the deceased men’s workmates who made rescue efforts. The inquiry was conducted at the Chesterfield Arms Hotel, Gedling, by Colonel H Bradwell the Nottingham District Coroner sitting with a jury. Among those present were Mr J H Felton (Divisional Inspector of Mines) Mr B Moseley (Chief Electrical Inspector of Mines) Mr A H Steele (Senior Inspector of Mines) Mr R Yates (Junior Inspector of Mines) Sir Bernard Wright (Director of the Digby Colliery Co.) Mr F H Jessop (representing the colliery company) Mr F Hancock (manager of the colliery) Mr Val Coleman and Alderman W Bayliss (representing the Nott’s Miners Association) Mr Rowland Price (compensation agent for National association of Colliery Deputies) Mr G warren (Colliery Owners Indemnity Association) and Mr H W Cooper (representing the Nott’s Miners Industrial Union). George Gould, Westdale Lane, Gedling, (brother in law] giving evidence in the case of Bowley, said he had worked at the colliery about 13 years he was a coal cutter. Mary Jane Bacon, the widow gave evidence of identification in the other case. Nathan Oakland, 85, Fox Hill Road, Carlton, a coal cutter gave a graphic description of the explosion in which he received injuries, he was still wearing bandages. He said that on Monday 18 July he was working on the day shift at the colliery, beginning at 6-30 am, and should have finished at 2-pm. When the accident happened they were all together. He was at “30s” junction and with him were Bowley and Bacon. They were all working on the same job. The Coroner: Were you all searched that morning when you went down? Yes sir. Was Bowley searched? Yes Was Bacon searched? Yes Bacon, Bowley, himself and a man named Nixon, went down together, and all were searched by John Horrocks a deputy. Coroner: that was a common practice in the pit?-Yes. Everything went on alright until the explosion. They were engaged on the same machine (an electric cutter) as the day before it had been all right, and nothing went wrong with it on that day either. The cutter had been in continuous work all the time up to the explosion, Bacon was in charge and working the machine, Bowley and a man named Arthur Hill, were at the back of it timbering and clearing it. Bacon told him to go and knock the switch out and take the pommel (plug) out of the switch box in “22s gate”. That was about two or three minute’s walk away. Bacon told him to do this about ten or twelve minutes before the explosion. He went down, and took the switch off and unscrewed the pommel. All the current from that point was cut off then. He proceeded back and shouted when he got to “30s” junction, which was ten or twelve yards from “33s”. “I shouted Joe I have knocked the switch off and disconnected the cable”. He (Bacon) shouted back All Right Jack: take my coat, snap tin and bottle to “22s”, I put Joe’s coat on and the snap tin and bottle in my pocket and stooped to pick a bag of picks up. There was a small gust of wind, and then this wind came as strong as it could, and I got the full force of it, which hit me on the chest and stomach and spun me round. I saw a flash. It was a flame; I was dazed at the time. When I got out I met Horrocks and Nixon”. Horrocks asked him what was the matter and he explained what he could. The Coroner: How far was the flash from you?

Witness: It seemed to be near the gate end, “It was a yellow flame. I was dazed but under the circumstances I realised it was an explosion. Witness added that he saw nothing of Bowley, Bacon, or Nixon. The safety lamp was on the haulage props where it could be seen by the man working on the cutter. He had noticed no indication of gas. At this point the Coroner explained to the jury that the lamps including the safety lamp and those used for indicating gas, had been sent to a research centre at Sheffield, and had been returned, having been found in perfect working order. Replying to Mr Felton, Oakland said the machine was cutting for about half an hour while he was there. The machine was stopped when on Bacon’s instructions he went to gate “22s” to switch off and take the pommel out. Mr Felton: was the explosion very shortly after Bacon said he was taking the pommel off? - I should say it was four minutes after. Mr Felton: it was not a matter of seconds then? No Sir do you think the explosion occurred while he was putting the pommel out? No I don’t Why? - Because he would have time to get the pommel off. Is it likely the explosion occurred about the time the pommel was drawn out? As regards that I cannot say. In a further reply witness said he had never taken the pommel off at the machine, but it required several turns to screw it out. Mr Felton: You have never seen the pommel removed from the machine before the current was switched off at the gate end?-No: Are you sure you took the pommel out at the gate end?-Yes: You are very definite about that? Yes, sir. Witness further questioned, said he did not know what the men were doing while he was away. Presumably they were waiting for him to come back. Witness did not notice any sign of roof weighting when he returned. When he was searched every pocket was examined except the snap tin and bottle. Mr Felton: Did you see anyone smoking when you left?-No sir. Was anything said about having a smoke?-No sir it never enters our heads. Have you ever seen anyone smoking at coal cutting machines? No sir Have you ever seen anyone with matches?-No sir. In reply to the Coroner witness said he smoked a certain kind of cigarette. Mr Felton (holding up part of a cigarette packet) do you smoke this kind? Did you have any in your pocket when you went down?-No sir. Mr Felton said the piece of packet produced was found in the road somewhere near where the men were. He asked witness if he knew where it came from. Witness No sir. Mr Felton asked if he had ever seen such a packet there before. No sir was the reply. Asked if he could suggest a purpose for which the piece of packet could be used, witness said “a lamp shade”. Mr Felton: Have you ever seen these things used for that purpose? - I have seen all sorts of things used. Witness added it might have been used for that purpose. It was the only reason he could think of that it could be used for. Oakland in reply to Mr Coleman said the explosion took place about two o’ clock. They had finished and were going to take the cable to be coiled away. The next witness, Arthur Hill, 45, Westville Street, Nottingham, coal cutter, said he was working with the two dead men and Nixon. He was setting timber at the back of the machine. He would be about thirty yards away when the explosion occurred, and escaped without injury. Hill described his rescue work. I went and got Bacon. He was crawling on his hands and knees I brought him to “22s” gate and asked him where Bowley was. He said he had gone down the face, I went back and was faced at the top side of the face with hot air and had to return. “I couldn’t get at Bowley. I couldn’t face the hot air, I took Bacon down and left him against a door and went for further assistance”. Replying to Mr Felton witness said he was searched by Horrocks. He was at the machine the whole of the shift. They were visited by the deputy twice. The machine was then working and all was in order. The ventilation was normal and nothing was said about gas. When he went over the machine the pommel was connected to the machine. This was about five minutes before the accident. He saw Oakland after that near the 30s gate. He could not say if the current was then on the machine. He had never seen anyone attempt to unscrew the pommel of the machine before switching off the current at the gate. By Mr Jessop:

The accident occurred about ten minutes after he climbed over the machine. Albert Edward Nixon, 24, Cambridge Street, Carlton, a coal cutter driver, said he had worked at the colliery seven or eight years and never had any suspicion of gas. Arthur Lomas, Breck Hill, Mapperley, the deputy in charge of the shift, said he had examined the area before the accident, and as far as he could see everything was in proper order. He tested for gas all the way along the working face. Answering questions he said he last had suspicions about gas three or four months ago. If the pommel was taken out at the machine end without first switching off at the main switch at the gate end, the gate end switch automatically “dropped” out owing to a safety device, but he had never heard of that being done. Mr Felton: Have you had reason to complain of men taking matches, or other smoking materials into the district?-No sir. The witness further said he did not find any evidence of gas on the coal face after the accident, Asked if he could suggest how the accident occurred, he replied “No sir, I have no idea about it at all. Frederick Bettison, of Arnold Lane, Mapperley Plains, chief electrician at the colliery. Said this particular machine had been in use at the colliery for eight months. It was last inspected the day before the accident and was found in perfect working order. He did not find on the machine any indication whatever which would give the impression that the explosion was caused by the machine. Mr Horsley (Chief Electrical Inspector of Mines) observed that it was very seldom that one would find traces of an explosion on the machine. Mr F Hancock, manager of the colliery, in reply to the Coroner, said at the gate he found that the switch was out and the pommel was off. Which meant that what should have been done was done. Asked by Mr Felton whether he could suggest where the gas came from, Mr Hancock said a weight break had since been observed running from just below the machine for a distance of about twelve yards close to the coal face. Gas was coming out break for about three days afterwards. Asked by Mr Felton if he suggested that the break was formed after the cutting, Mr Hancock replied “Yes. We always get considerable movement in this seam”. He added that because the roof was bad a piece of the seam was left up to form a roof. That roof was more likely to give off gas than one where there was no coal left. Mr Felton: Have you formed any opinion approximately as to where this explosion occurred? Mr Hancock: I have not formed any definite opinion. There is very little evidence of flame on the coal face. There is only evidence of flame in the passbye in the stall and that is very slight. Does the evidence there point to the explosion having originated somewhere about the coal cutter, either about the coal cutter or in the gate itself. The flame apparently extended for a distance of about twenty yards down the gate. Mr Hancock said it was the practice at the colliery to search regularly about 50% of the men going on any particular shift, and at least every three months a complete search was made of every one going down. In reply to Mr Cooper, Mr Hancock said nothing had ever been found on the men concerned in that case. In his summing up the Coroner said it must be in the jury’s mind that there was certainly an explosion and something must have caused it. If they believed the evidence, he thought that they would say it was nothing to do with the electrical appliances that were used. They had heard all the lamps were in perfect order, so there could be no leakage from the lamps to cause the explosion. On the return of the jury after a retirement, the foreman raised the point as to whether the cable was found to be in proper working order after the explosion? Mr Horsley said he had not been able to make a thorough examination of the cable, but the colliery electrician has stated he had examined it and given particulars of his test, which showed it to be in perfect working order. Mr Felton said he examined the cable the following day and so far as he could tell it was all in order. Hr Hancock said the cables, which otherwise had not been used since the accident were used last night, Sir Bernard Wright (on behalf of the colliery company) expressed regret at the loss of two valuable lives, and sympathy with the relatives. Mr Coleman and Mr Price voiced similar sentiments, as did Mr Cooper (Nott’s Miners Industrial Union) who expressed admiration for the men who remained and endeavoured to rescue their workmates.

Fatal Accident No 60

Nottingham Guardian Saturday 03-12-1932

Second Fall Of Roof - Fatal End To Gedling Colliery Deputy

An Inquest was held at the Nottingham General Hospital yesterday on Charles Albert Burgin, 48, a colliery deputy of 77, Plains Road, Mapperley, who died in the hospital on Thursday, after being admitted last Saturday suffering from injuries sustained at Gedling Colliery. The Deputy Coroner (Mr W S Rothera) said the jury would be told that there was a fall of roof in the pit, deceased with others was cleaning up and re-timbering this roof, when there was a second fall, which buried him. Dr J Fearn said that when admitted deceased was suffering from fractures of the ribs, considerable shock, and a severe laceration of the right arm. Death was due to Pneumonia following the injuries. Alfred Thomas Wood, overman said that deceased and other men were making preparations to put in supports in the area the first fall occurred, when the second fall of roof took place. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death”. Sympathy to the relatives was tendered by Mr F Hancock, manager of the colliery, who said deceased had been employed as a deputy for twenty years and was a miner of great experience.

Fatal Accident No 61

Nottingham Evening Post Tuesday 13-12-1932

Mapperley Man’s Fate, Death after 16 years

Miner Who Had Been Discharged Cured After War Time Accident in Pit
Strange Inquest Story on Nottingham Man

Remarkable evidence was given at the resumed inquest today on a former Mapperley miner, who was crushed in an accident at Gedling Colliery in July, 1916. Although he was discharged “cured” from the hospital after four days he had been an invalid ever since. The inquest concerned Christopher Sturtivant, 43, a coal hewer of 48, Eaton Street, Mapperley, who died on Tuesday last. Sixteen years ago he met with an accident in Gedling Colliery and had been an invalid ever since, and these facts were told by the widow to the Coroner Mr C L Rothera yesterday, he intimated that the circumstances warranted a jury and adjourned the inquest until today for that purpose. The widow told the Coroner that after the accident her husband was unable to do ordinary work and did light work on the bank, but had to give that up and had done nothing for twelve years. His jaw became diseased and for the last nine years was unable to open his mouth properly and had to be fed with liquid foods. Upon the resumption of the inquest the Coroner told the jury the case contained some strange facts. After the accident on 25th July 1916, Sturtivant was in hospital only four days, and according to the records then “discharged cured”. After that he was attending as an outpatient. He was suffering from concussion but not unconscious. For some time after that he was under the treatment of a Doctor who is either deceased or left the district preceded the Coroner. Only from his successor can we get some information from the previous Doctors old notes. The question before the jury was whether death was anything to do with the injury he sustained in 1916. He had been receiving compensation throughout the whole period, intimating that the coal authorities were satisfied he was suffering from an injury sustained so long ago. Dr R K Carson of Mansfield Road, Nottingham, said he took over Dr Marsh’s practice and found from his predecessors notes that Dr Marsh attended him from 1926. The notes stated “old fracture base of skull, deaf in one ear” On two occasions Dr Marsh had persuaded him to go into hospital, once to Bagthorpe and once to Nottingham General Hospital for an operation to his jaw, that was in 1931. Witness proceeded the deceased’s brain was affected and he was extremely erratic. He did not think that the jaw trouble was the result of a brain injury, but it was likely that the jaw was injured at the same time. A piece of bone might have been injured which later died and caused damage to the jawbone which was later removed. The Coroner: Would it cause that so long after? Witness: It might be quiescent for a while. Witness gave a certificate that death was due primarily to Pulmonary Congestion second to cerebral degeneration and Oedema and to a Fractured Base of the Skull. The coroner explained that it was in consequence of the last mentioned cause that that the certificate had been sent to him. Dr S L Taylor gave a report of his post mortem examination and stated that he came to the conclusion that death was due to natural causes, failure of a diseased heart, and acute Lobar Pneumonia of the left Lung. Witness found no trace of a fracture of the base of the skull. DR. P. M. McColl House Governor of the General Hospital said deceased was admitted on 25th July 1916 with concussion and discharged on the 29th July, the record stated cured. The Coroner: At that period were you working under considerable strain? : Yes we were considerably understaffed and in addition to our ordinary patients, we had between 300 and 400 military. The jury returned a verdict that “Death was due to the accident 16 years ago”.