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A Comprehensive History Of Mining In The Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire And Leicestershire Coalfields - Page 5

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Terry Shepherd - A Missing Accident At Clifton Between 1953 and 1959
Noel Newbury - Photo Of My Dad Escorting Monty Descending In The Cage At Mansfield Colliery
Catherine Burton - Researching Coal Mine Canaries

Michael Rochester - I'm thinking of buying a property at the south end of Bilsthorpe village


From:
Sent:
Subject:
Terry Shepherd
17 Jan 2014
A Missing Accident At Clifton Between 1953 and 1959

I am Terence Shepherd, and worked at Clifton Colliery Nottingham from around September 1953 for 6 years as a mechanic electrician underground.

Bob Grainger was our seam chargehand.

During that time one of the belt switch men fell into the delivery point and was killed. Unfortunately I cannot remember his name.

I found the information on the site very interesting

Thank you.
Regards Terry Shepherd.


The only names we have at present are:-

  • William Charles Stanley (31) crushed by tubs 31-Jan-1955, this might have been at the delivery point
  • Frank Wallace (33) caught in a coal cutter 10-Dec-1955

From:
Sent:
Subject:
Noel Newbury
27 December 2013
Photo Of My Dad Escorting Monty Descending In The Cage At Mansfield Colliery
Hi, I have a nice photo of my dad, Frank Newbury, he is the borer pictured with drill and Davy lamp.
He is escorting Monty descending in the cage at Mansfield colliery during the course of his visit there.

Click here to view in situ

Your site is interesting to me because I used to work as a scientific tech. officer in the Edwinstowe lab. No. 3 Area, analysing air for co2, methane etc. and coal samples for calorific value, moisture and ash levels. Any methane reading above 0.8% had to be relayed immediately to the relevant colliery.

I started there aged 16 armed only with GCE chemistry,  quite a responsibility for one so young, probably a minimum of a good honours degree would be required these days  for that type of work .

The village I lived in ( Forest Town) was built specifically to serve the needs of Mansfield colliery employees, all my male relatives were employed either underground hewing coal or on the surface in the office or in the winding room.

When first sunk the colliery was part of the Bolsover Colliery Company whose company motif (I hesitate to use the word logo) are still emblazoned on the local drill hall in Forest Town.

They were (within the lights of the times) fairly paternalistic providing leisure facilities many of which survive to this day.

A lady named Pauline Marples has carried out considerable research on the village which you may find interesting.

Regards

Noel Newbury


From:
Sent:
Subject:
Catherine Burton
5 December 2013
Researching Coal Mine Canaries

Hello!

My name is Katie Burton, and I'm a doctoral student from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, USA. I'm currently writing a dissertation on canaries in literature and culture in the nineteenth century. Part of my research focuses on canaries' usage in British coal mines, and I'm trying to track down any information and/or records (both written and visual) that show that practice pre-1915. Although I'm able to find lots of casual references to canaries being used throughout the nineteenth century, I have found very little concrete proof of this. I can find records of J.S. Haldane's experiments with canaries in the 1890s, which then lead to more official use of the birds, but not really anything before that. I'm assuming the birds were used in a more unofficial capacity, which obviously makes it harder to locate documentation. Your website has been so helpful, as there are several photos of rescue teams with bird cages in the early 20th century. I'm contacting you to see if you have any suggestions for where I might look for even earlier evidence: photos, written records from local mines, mining and governmental organizations, individual miners, etc. Any leads would be greatly appreciated!

Also, I'm not able to access the video about coal mine canaries on your website, even when I try using Chrome browser. Are you able to send me the file?

Thanks in advance for your time!

~Katie
--
Catherine Burton
Doctoral Candidate
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA


See also Canaries and Breathing Apparatus

Bob's Page 1910 - Canaries



Philip Healey and Tommy Rainbird testing for gas with a canary, 1950s

Canaries were used by a few Colliery Companies in the late 1800s, after several explosions, where they were used and approved by the Mines Inspector.

The first Rescue Station was opened at Tankersley, Yorkshire in 1902.

The second one at Mansfield Woodhouse in 1909, officially opened in 1910. 74 collieries were covered. All manner of new rescue equipment was tried and tested here. Because of explosions and fires and such emphasis was on protecting life of the rescue personnel when attending these incidents.

Under the new regulations canaries were part of the system and were kept at the station.

Eventually they would be kept at each colliery in the event of an incident. At least 2 were to be kept; however in practice about half a dozen usually bred by a local dealer were kept in an aviary and looked after, fed and watered by a member of the safety staff at the pit.

Because the canaries were bred in captivity they were quite used to living in a cage unlike a wild bird. Unfortunately these small birds did not live more than 3 or 4 years.

Canaries sing and chirp most of their daylight hours however when taken underground in a small open cage about 1 foot or 0.30m cubed they tend to hop along the perch until rested when they relax again and begin chirping, however when in a gaseous atmosphere of say about 6 parts per million of carbon monoxide, or whitedamp following an explosion or heating, the canary stops chirping and becomes agitated and of course the longer it is in the situation the more agitated it becomes until finally dropping off its perch. It falls off quicker the higher the percentage of the gas. This action gives men a chance to retreat to fresh air before succumbing. A canary's heartbeat is up to 100 times faster than a human being so the carbon monoxide is attracted quicker into the haemoglobin in the bloodstream.

A mouse has similar attributes but in a gaseous atmosphere they tend to curl up in a corner so it would not be evident to a man that there was a poisonous gas present. Men who have been found dead after being poisoned had rosy cheeks and appeared to look well, albeit they were dead.

Canaries having fallen off their perch were placed in a sealed chamber and oxygen administered

Canaries having fallen off their perch were placed in a sealed chamber and oxygen administered from a small tank until they revived. Generally most did so but it depended on the length of time and in what percentage of gas.

A man can only live in 1 percent for probably up to 20 minutes before feeling faint and it is imperative to get to fresh air as soon as possible. The gas build up in the blood is continual and does not reduce for many hours afterwards.

In 1992 canaries were made redundant when an electronic hand held machine was accepted by the Mines Inspectorate as being accurate.

 


Trusting this information is of use.
Bob Bradley

 

Canaries to be Pensioned off – Ilkeston Mines Rescue

Click Here to View on You Tube



Michael
Michael Rochester
14 November 2013
I'm thinking of buying property at the south end of Bilsthorpe village and need to know where mining subsidence might occur

Hello,
 
I'm thinking of buying property at the south end of Bilsthorpe village  at this location  http://tinyurl.com/p5333n6
 
I have searched without success for a mine workings map to see if there might be anything underneath that might cause subsidence.  I wonder if you could help or advise in any way?
 
Regards,
 
Michael Rochester
 
Lochinver
Sutherland

Scotland

Bilsthorpe

(Move Mouse Over Map)
Bilsthorpe Mining Museum


Robert Bradley

All around Bilsthorpe there are mine workings, however the colliery closed in 1997. That is 16 years ago. The Coal Board used to allow 3 years for settlement. There will be no more settlement on any property in the area. Any subsidence should have been repaired if there was any damage if a claim was sent in. The solicitor or person dealing with the property sale for the mortgage etc will do a search for same. However there should be no need to worry because there never be any mining again in future.

Cheers
Bob