|
Cossall Colliery
Inquest Reports From Newspapers -
Re Cossall Colliery Fatal Accidents
Ilkeston Advertiser Saturday 14 March 1891
On Tuesday evening Mr. C.H. Whiston held an inquest at the Durham Ox Inn, Ilkeston, respecting the death of John Shipley, 15 years of age, who died in the Cottage Hospital on Monday from injuries received on February 27th whilst at work in the Cossall Colliery. The Government Inspector of Mines and Mr Strick, manager of the Cossall Colliery, were present at the inquest. Isaac Shipley, miner, Awsworth Road, Ilkeston, father of the deceased stated that the deceased had worked as a pony driver at the Cossall Colliery, having been employed there for six months. He went to work as usual on February 27th was injured and taken to the Cottage Hospital. Witness went to the hospital and saw the deceased whose right arm was badly crushed, the arm afterwards had to be cut off. Deceased informed witness that the arm was crushed by the horse “roofing” and then suddenly drawing back, by which action deceased was thrown down, and a quantity of bind from the roof fell upon him. John Quinn, pony driver at the pit, gave a similar description of the accident. Joseph Barks, corporal at the colliery stated he had not visited the place where the accident occurred the same morning, but the day before the accident the horse’s collar “roofed” very slightly against a bar in the roof, and witness made a complaint to the deputy respecting it. No alteration had been made however before the accident took place. The bind fell from the roof between two bars, the bar against which the horse caught was removed after the accident. Dr. Potter, deposed to attending the deceased at the hospital, and found him suffering from severe shock, and a broken arm and leg, the main artery of the arm being severed. The arm was amputated a week after the accident, but mortification set in and resulted in death. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death” but they were of the opinion that there had been culpable neglect on the part of the colliery officials in allowing the bar to remain in position after its defective state had been reported to the deputy.
Derby Mercury Wednesday 14 October 1891
On Friday, Mr. Whiston, held an inquest at the Middleton Hotel, Ilkeston, touching the death of Henry Saxton, age 19 years, blacksmiths striker, who fell down the shaft at Cossall Colliery, on Wednesday. Cornelius Boam, assistant engineman said that the furnace coal seam was 46 yards down the shaft, the Kilbourne seam being 176 yards deeper. On Wednesday evening about 5 o clock, he and two other men were in the furnace coal seam and rang to be drawn out. The deceased was the blacksmith’s striker and was going down on an errand on the other cage. The ascending cage stopped for them to get on, and the descending cage would stop a corresponding distance from the bottom. As he was getting on he heard something fall to the bottom, and on getting to the top he made enquiries and immediately and found deceased, who lay dead at the bottom, with his arms, legs, and spine broken. The deceased must have walked off the cage in mistake when it stopped 46 yards from the bottom. There was no light in the pit bottom, as all the men were out except the blacksmith and the Ostler. There was no banksman at the top. The jury attached no blame to anyone and returned a verdict of “Accidental death”.
Derby Mercury Wednesday 14 May 1892
On Monday afternoon, Mr. Coroner, W.H. Whiston, held an inquest at the White Lion, Ilkeston, touching the death of James Fahy, which took place under the circumstances described below. Mr Strick, manager of the colliery was present. John Fahy, son of the deceased said he worked at the Manners Colliery, and lived in Gladstone Street. The deceased was 58 years of age, and was a collier, having lived at Nottingham Road. The deceased had worked at the Cossall colliery for about eleven years. Deceased was at work there up to 20th January last, when he met with an accident. Witness was not allowed to see him that day, but saw him the next night at the Cottage Hospital, when he saw that his left arm was all smashed. He said he was ringing down come stuff with a ringer, when a piece of the roof fell and knocked him forwards. Some of the roof fell on him crushing his arm, and injuring his chest and back as well. Deceased said there was no blame to anyone at all. Some of the roof was bad and deceased was pulling that down. As a practical miner witness thought that deceased had used all necessary precautions. Witness saw him several times at the hospital. The arm was amputated the day after witness first saw him. Deceased was in hospital about five weeks, and when he came out seemed very poorly, and could hardly walk up and down without assistance. He complained vey very much of his back hurting him, where he was hurt at the pit. He had been under medical care ever since. He died on Friday last, having taken to his bed completely for a week previously. He had been very little better since the accident. He had not complained of paralysis, but had complained of weakness of the left side. Deceased was taking a bar out in the gateway when the accident happened. Dr Carroll was next examined, and stated he first saw deceased shortly after the accident on January 20th at the Cottage Hospital; he examined him along with Dr. Badcock, and found the left arm badly smashed, there being a compound fracture of both bones in the forearm. There was also a slight injury to the back of the head, and deceased was suffering very much from shock. As far as witness could remember he complained very little at first about his back, but he made such a complaint afterwards. They attempted to save the arm but found it was impossible, so they amputated it on Friday. The arm healed up very nicely, but the deceased was rather an awkward patient to deal with and insisted on going home. Deceased was not discharged from the hospital, but went of his own free will against the wishes of the Matron of the hospital. He saw deceased at his own home on the 10th of March in consequence of a slight apoplectic seizure, he was complaining of loss of power of the left side, affecting his left arm and leg. Witness found deceased was suffering from inflammation of the kidneys. The paralysis improved considerably, but the condition of the kidneys got worse and after a time he died. The immediate cause of death was inflammation of the kidneys, which was probably due to the injury to the back. John Lally, a deputy at the pit said he was at work there on 20th January. He saw deceased there about a quarter to two in the morning, when he was getting some bind down, partly with a pick and partly with a ringer. Witness left him, but heard directly after that some bind had fallen on him. He went back and found deceased sitting down, two men being with him. Witness saw that about 30 cwt of stuff had slipped from both sides. Witness had examined the roof before he left and it then appeared sound and good. He had been working at it with deceased until he left. Deceased was acting properly in getting it down. It was through deceased slipping forwards as the stuff fell that caused him to get hurt. Deceased told him so. Deceased was out of danger where he was using the ringer, as the roof that was over him there did not fall. They bound up his arm and sent him up as soon as possible. Deceased was competent man. Albert Henson said he was at work with the deceased on 20th January. Deceased got his foot fast as the bind fell, and fell forwards some of the stuff falling on him. Witness had his back to the deceased at the moment it occurred. Directly the fall occurred witness called assistance and they got the stuff off him. There was no bind on him except the left arm. The jury returned a verdict of “Death from inflammation of the kidneys, caused by an accident at the mine”
Ilkeston Pioneer Friday 29 July 1892
On Monday, an inquest was opened at the Old Wine Vaults Inn, Ilkeston, before Mr. W.H. Whiston, coroner, touching the death of Michael Moran, 49 years of age. From the evidence it seems that deceased and others were at work on the surface of Cossall Colliery, on 8th July, and were taking a fan to pieces, part of it fell on deceased’s foot. He was taken to the Cottage Hospital, where it was found necessary to amputate his foot, from the effects of which he died on Sunday morning last. The inquest was adjourned until Wednesday, when it was resumed when Mr. Stokes. Government Inspector of Mines and Mr. Strick manager of Cossall colliery being present. A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.
Derby Mercury Wednesday 22 July 1896
Early on Monday morning a young man, named Samuel Henson, 22 years of age, living in Byron Street. Ilkeston, was at work at the Cossall Colliery near Ilkeston, when he was run into by a tram descending a steep incline, and was so severely injured that he never regained consciousness, and died shortly afterwards at the Ilkeston Hospital, whither he was taken.
Ilkeston Pioneer Friday 12 February 1897
On Monday morning, Mr. W.R. Whiston, deputy coroner held an inquest at the Mundy Arms, Ilkeston, touching the death of Jacob Wheatley. Mr Stokes, Government Inspector of Mines, and Mr. W. H. Hedley. Manager of the colliery were present. Sarah Wheatley, of 12, William Street, Ilkeston, said deceased was her husband and was 59 years of age. He was a collier and worked at Cossall Colliery. He met with an accident in March 1896, and had not worked since. Deceased came home early on , the morning of the accident, being brought by another workman. Deceased told her he had had a fall of coals across his stomach. He was in great pain and was attended to by Dr. Willis. When the doctor examined deceased he said it was a bad shock and had affected his heart. There was an abrasion of the skin on the stomach and there were cuts on his legs. Dr. Tobin subsequently attended deceased and said he would never work again. Deceased was medically attended up to his death, which occurred on Friday morning last. Dr Tobin said deceased’s heart had worn away until it was not as big as a sparrow’s. Before the accident deceased was a big, strong, healthy man and had never needed a doctor. By a juryman, deceased walked home after the accident. William Hardy, 58, Burr Lane, miner, said he was working with deceased in March last, at the Cossall Colliery, in stall No 59. Early in the morning deceased was hurt by a quantity of coals falling upon him. By Mr Stokes: deceased and witness were both stallmen. Deceased was holing at the time of the accident, and had plenty of sprags set. The coal rolled over, and the sprags gave way, allowing the coal to fall on the deceased, and he was fast underneath about a ton of coal. Deceased said the coal hit him on the chest, and his legs were also fast under the coal. Deceased could not walk very well, and they brought him part off the way to the pit bottom in a tub. Witness went home with deceased, who kept stopping every fifty yards to rest. Deceased would not go home on the ambulance as he said it would frighten his wife. There was a large lump on deceased’s chest when he got home. Deceased never complained of any neglect at the pit. It was deceased’s duty to set the sprags, plenty of which were in the stall. Deceased had holed quite a yard under the coal when the accident occurred. There had been a little weight on the same morning before the accident but nothing more than usual. Deceased was very particular, and witness believed the sprags were properly set. By the Coroner: Deceased was in great pain as he was going home, and said he believed he had got his death blow. By the foreman of the jury: Deceased reported the accident at the pit the same morning. By the manager at the colliery: Deceased went to work again about a fortnight after the accident, but could not do much work. He came to see if he could work, but was unable to do so. William Mendham, Station Road, Ilkeston, said he was working at Cossall Colliery at the time of the accident, in March 1886. He was working in the adjourning stall when he heard a fall, and a cry, “Come Hear” He was the first to reach the deceased, and found him under the coals. When witness had pushed the coal off deceased’s chest, Hardy came anf they liberated deceased’s legs. He did not hear deceased complain of anything but his ankle. Mr. Hedley, the manager produced the pit books, showing the deceased was injured March 30th, returned to work on April 13th and again left work on April 21st. Samuel Blatherwick, deputy at the colliery, said the accident to the deceased was reported to him om March 30th. Witness reported the accident to the manager, and went to look at the place where the accident occurred. From his examination he could not tell what was the cause of the accident. The sprags were properly set when he saw them two or three hours before the accident. The coal which fell was eight feet long. The deceased came to work a fortnight after the accident, and left work again eight days later. He did not know if the accident was reported to the Government Inspector, he did not think it was a serious accident. Mr. Hedley, said the accident was never reported to the Government Inspector, as it was considered to be a very slight accident at the time. The coroner in summing up, said that the doctor had certified that death was due to heart disease, the result of shock caused by an accident. The jury expressed a desire to hear medical evidence, and Dr. Willis was accordingly called. Witness said he attended the deceased after the accident. Deceased showed symptoms of shock, and was a little collapsed, the heart and pulse being irregular. Deceased went to work again for about week soon after the accident, but was not able to remain at work. Deceased legs eventually filled with dropsy, and he complained off a pain on the left side of his abdomen. Deceased died with all the symptoms of a weakened heart. In his opinion the primary cause of death was the accident and the shock resulting therefrom, which brought on heart disease. There was no trace of heart disease when witness attended him for a trapped hand. By the Government Inspector: The dropsy was caused by a weakened heart. He gave a certificate under a wrong impression, as he now found out that when a death occurs within twelve months an inquest should be held. By Mr Hedley: he did not consider the accident at all serious when it occurred. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death”. |
