A COAL MINER'S FATE.

Evening Star, Issue 14625, 22 July 1911, Page 6

A COAL MINER'S FATE.

BURIED UNDER A FALL IN FREEMAN'S MINE. Tho tragic circumstances of the death of James Reid Walker, a coal miner, who was buried under a fail of coal in Freeman's Abbotsiord colliery on Thursday zught, were the subject of a coroner's inquiry at Green Island ibis morning. Mr C. C. Graham conducted the inquiry, Mr Calvert appeared for Freeman's Company, Mr Lemon for the insurance company, Mr E. It. Green (Inspector of Mines) for the department, and Mr Ridel lor the Miners' Union. Richard Green (one of the partner's in Freeman's Cual Company, and general business manager; stated that deceased had been employed in the mine for three yeans, and was a first-class workman, steady and sober in his habits. At about 8.45 p.m. on Thursday Cassidy came to witness's house and eaid he had lost his mate. Witness thought that Cassidy (a new man) had got lost in the mine, and he accompanied him to the mine •with Mr Fred Freeman. They called a workman named Allen, who lived near, and who was roadman. Witness related the circumstances, and Allen said: " Then I am afraid he is trapped." Witness at once sent for Mr Gillanders (the mine manager) and a relief gang. They found a considerable fall • at Walker's place—about six tons—but no signa of deceased. Allen and witness inspected the roof to see if it was dangerous, and they found that the fall was evidently a " key,' and the roof gave signs of failing.

After consultation they came to the conclusion that the man was dead if under the coal, and they thought the best plan would be to get a way pme of the debris and timber as they went. By this time Gillanders (mine manager) had arrived, and he got witness to hold a light while he climbed over to the other side of the fall. Nothing, however, could be seen of the man. Mr Green (Inspector of Mines) arrived afterwards with the doctor, and later again the new relief staff came, work being continued until the body was reached. The body could have been recovered early in the evening except for the fact that one large lump rested on the leg, and every attempt to remove it brought, more down. He must have been lulled instantaneously. Witness found, on examining the spot, two "clean faults" or -Backs running into one another. One of these faults could never have been seen or its presence imagined. Witness had never seen a similar condition. The fact that this rightangle fault met tho fault known of on the ed?e of the pillar accounted for the cudden fall.

To the Inspector of Mines: There was an ample supply of timber kept in each dip, and on top there were between 800 ft and I,oooft of props. Patrick Cassidy, deceased's working mate, staled that the two went into the mine at 3.30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, and they were working about two chains from each oiheT. They usually stopped to get something to eat at 6.30, and as deceased had not turned up by 7.30 witness went to look for him. Failing to find him at his work, witness went and counted deceased's boxes, and searched again for 10 minutes. He had noticed the fall in,the first instance, but did not know whether it had occurred during the day or night. Witness went partly away along the haulage road to report, but again returned to the spot, thinking that possibly deceased was away at some end. Ho looked for deceased's tools, but could not find any, so at length he went out of the mine and reported. It was then 8, as witness found out by looking at deceased's watch, which was in the pocket of his coat. To Mr Grceu: He worked the bulk of bis time in company with deceased On this occasion he was driving an air-course, at which only one man could work. He heard no noise of the fall.

To Mr Kidd: He had been at the job of driving the air-course off and on since he started three weeks ago, but had always been with deceased when the latter was working on a pillar. Mr Kidd : How is it that you did not report your suspicions to the deputy in charge of tho shift, instead of going to the manager? Witness: I could not find him. Was there a deputy in charge?— No. Mr Ridd: Then it would be difficult to. find him. Witness added that, judging from the position in which deceased was found, he must have been riddling at the time of the accident. He believed that the riddle was found under the body. Mr Ridd: Would not the noise made in riddling (the process of screening) prevent deceased from hearing any cracks or warnings from the coal above? Witness: I could not say that. The Coroner: Even so, it has to be done, I suppose. You might say the same of any kind uf work Alexander Sinclair Gillandcrs (mine manager) stated that he arrived at ihe mine at 9.30. He examined the fall, and pioeaedi I to the back of it to see if there were a 1 \ ot Walkci. ihi\ thui c unmenred in clear away the maieiial. and in an hour the) cime ii]i m the bi'\, a.ul hud it t) the i,. ili mi'L r th ii (line ucio no signs of life. As the gnumd louud about \\u- <,t il d'ii"e'nus ( uib i _ k.il to b piO'C'del \nh alii tl.i win ine r. lk o' lcmov uj the dib-i-, oicupid thtm I ,ii\ x.ll the i nt " u. Ut 1 ii u> J li l.ni. m -to dii ill '.,\ mi n t \ j . . :id 'cuiid i S 1 ppr \ ll'p 1 ]'j'lll_ p.,IJ i > ,*j ill. \ Oil. i)'g p'ue i/i bi.il .M. .'..'i ' itu i u i'dc'lieu fault, whu! \\a -i i mi ot >u 1 i lijhl a' <'c hi his 1 )•• . 'i b. s. hi u cl'idid, nas tli- 1 i i -c o f i i ri" wan hj i mi s, Ij i\e com'' .twj, \ r<, T'k i j WCie ni sij.is ol ll'.s - I]/jj( '•%' i'p j. in to the i,JI 1- u m th ti,J ih i di-clo- d it j %\ itne >h d Inn cli .p ci K in [nc'icj th ' plaro on Widued.j, a. d tihe unJtmcuiis j iiad uiNp-.f'tci'i i> ' ui'i j

To Mr CiiiverL : lie had 11 oi deemed the place daiigoious, and deceased was a fir;;lc.ass man, whein witness had trusted with special work. 'J here was no lisk.y mining m live mines. If he considered thete was danger lie would withdraw his men. lo Mr Green : Deceased was working on an ordinary hord, and there were props on both sides of the road. At the place where the fall occurred the props were about 4ft apart. He could not easily account for the fail with this umbering, except that it must haye given a " bump.'' Deceased had just, started on the come- of the pillar that night. On the low side this pihar waabout four or live yards thick. Every bit ot coal taken from 'lie pillar would, of course, weaken the roof.

Witness produced the underviewcr's report made at 3.15 on Thmsday, stating that the night shift places were safe. "> To J.ir R.dcl : The usual size of the pillar; left was Byds by 15yds. The particular pillar at, which this unforeseen fault occurred was somewhat behind the rest. Ho could not recollect any question between him and the vuknten about the delivery of timber at the working places. The timber was delivered in the places with the boxes, the men taking it to the faces. There was no night shift, boss in the mine. Mr Ridd : In a place of this description a miner has to be very alert, lias he not? Witness: A miner has always to be aiett. But particularly vigilant bete? —That is so, on pillar work. Would not a man's vigilance bo relaxed by having to go out with the boxes, and certain phenomena might occur which he would not be aware of?— 1 don't think so. The warnings usually occur for some time. Two men work at this place on the day shift?— "Vcs. Would not two men be saler at night- on it?—ln this case I think that if ihere had been two there micrht- have been a double fatalitv. One might have saved the other, might hi not? —Ke might; it is matter for specula tion. As a general rule (witness added in answer to another question) two men aresafer than one. A juryman asked: Should there have been a deputy in charge of the shift? Witness: As far as the Act is concerned there is no nrovision for a deputy on the shift. If I 'thought the night shift were miming any more risk than the day shift extra precautions would be taken. " Andrew Falconer, underviewer for the company, said that it was his duty to inspect ah the places before the men went in. He examined the place where deceased was working at 3.15 p.m. on Thursday, and reported'it as quite safe. It looked quite safe. He attributed the accident to a slipperv Hep running into the defined fault. Thiliep" did not show in the coal at all, and could not have been foreseen. To Mr Green : He had had forty-five years of coal mining, and had been twenty-five years in Frpetnan's mine. William Knox, the miner who • worked during the day at the spot where Walker was killed, deposed that he stopped work a+ 3 15 and under ordinary circumstances the place was safe and workable. The only thhi" that he noticed not altogether safe was that' the pillar was heavily crushed from "■rinding on the top. Witness met deceased comiri<*''in and told him that the pillar was standing 3ft off the defined liep, and he should "start her away at about 18in and m-op her up with timber from behind, throwing the dross at the back. Witness timbered her up before leaving, and left,, it in safe condition. „,.,., L , , To Mr Oalvert: Ho did not speak to deceased particularly, but because it was the usual practice to tell the ni2ii coming on what was the end'tion of things. Mr Green pointed out that whether or not

deceased had taken this witness's advioo, it was not the pillar thai fell, but the iouf. Examined by Mr Ridd, this witness said that the timber was not delivered at the working places, but at the ''lay-bys." it was a heavy job for a man to push the trucks up the road to the working places with timber in them, but as a matter of face they were at present robbing the pillars, and there was plenty of used timber. Mr Ridd: Do you consider it advisable for one man to work there alone on the night shift? Witness: Certainly not. In answer to further questions, witness said ihat it was true that the riddle nnght tend to partly prevent a man from hear.ng what was happening at the place. William Hoilows (local secretary of the Miners' Union, and workers' insp.ct.-ir) put in a report from h.mself and the president of the union (Mr Love) restive to inspection of the scene after the accident. This stated that the notification of the accident came from the Inspector of Mines. When thty arrived operations had been going on since a o'clock the previous evening, and it was therefore difficult to express an opinion on the safety of the place. It was evident that the pillar had been much crushed, and the writers were of opinion that it, was not safe for one man to be working by himself. They had also seen only one road leading from the place where deceased was working, which would not facilitate a quick escape if danger threatened. Riddling they considered to be a source of danger to a man working at pillaring, and the trucking done was also a factor increasing risk. • It was explained that though the secretary saw only one outlet, there were other ends, which had been blocked by the rescue operations. The witness made a statement afterwards advocating the use of the fork and the abolition of the riddle. The Coroner having summed up, the jury retired, and returned with a verdict that death was accidentally caused by a fall of coal from the rcof of the mine in which deceased was working. They added a rider expressing the opinion that it would add to the safety of the miners if two men were coupled when pillars were being extracted.