Appendix B to the report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. Cap. 151 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines. / Presented to both houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty.
- Great Britain. Royal Commission on Mines
- Date:
- 1864
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Appendix B to the report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. Cap. 151 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines. / Presented to both houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![I did not see what happened before I was down on the stage; the ground came away and knocked down the stage, and I went down, and he went down. Wc fell about 10 feet before we came down on the trade. I did not see any ground falling away before. Did the ground apjiear at all weak, or likely to fall?— No, it did not apjiear likely to fall; it was just as it seemed when we worked along there before. It knocked out the stage?—It knocked out the stage pieces we were standing on, and wc failed away. Yon fell away with the stage; what distance?—About 10 feet, I should say ; not more. Did a great quantity of stuff come away?—A brave quantity of stuff, about 20 or 30 barrows, or it may be more. My brother was buried up over his legs—up to about his middle nearly. Were you buried at all?—No, I was not buried at all. What position was your brother in?—He was standing, with his body leaning forward, and was buried up to here {pointinrj to his nwii waist). He fell away standing, and was buried in that way?— Yes. The upper part of him was not at 11a covered?—No, nothing at all on him upwards above here [again imintinr/ to his waist, just above the hips). He was able to speak, as he stood, I suppose?—Yes. What did you do?—Why pulled away the trade and got him out as quick as I could. I called my comrades, and they come as quick as they could ; they was not far; and we got him out as quick as we could. It might be 10 minutes, perhajis. What nijury did he seem to have sustained ?—He didn't com])lain of nothing more than across his back before we got him out, but after wc had taken liim out he thought whether his legs was broke or not. Was he able to walk ?—Yes; or he couldn't walk by himself; he walked, with assistance, out as far as the plat at the end of the level. Was he taken up in the kibble?—Taken up in the skip. You accompanied him up, I suppose ?—I came uj) just before him. You were there to receive him as he came up ?—Yes. What became of him after that ?—When he came up he was taken out of the ship, and carried over to the account- house. Was a medical man called in ?—Just after he was carried into the account-house the medical man came. Who was the doctor?—Doctor Roskruge of Hclston. He spoke to tlie doctor after the doctor came. He is the mine doctor, I suppose?—Yes, sir. How soon was the doctor in attendance?—He was there in about 10 minutes after my brother was up in the account- house. Did he live to be examined?—Tlic doctor went in and looked at him. I was not inside. I was there at the door, and heard the doctor speak to him. How soon did he die after that?—In about five minutes after the doctor came. You were not present when the doctor e.tamined him ?— No, I was not in when the doctor went in first. I was at the door of the account-house just afterwards. The doctor asked him where he felt most i)ain, and he said across the back. I was at the door of the account-house, and was no sooner there than I was told to go out. You don't know whether he stripped to be examiaed, do you?—No, he was not stripped. {The other loitness in attendance made an observation confirmatory.) I suppose that's all you know?—Y''es. Thomas Cox was then sworn and examined. (Coroner.) Are you a native of this neighbourhood? (Witness.) No, sir; I am one of Christow, an adjoining parish to Ashton, near Exeter. You are a Devonshire person then ?—Yes. And came into this county to seek for work?—Yes, sir; we all came here together, four of us. I accompanied these two. The other man is called Thomas Lukey. You procured employment at Trevenen Mine, as he has stated ?—Yes, sir ; all four together. You have heard what the last witness stated as to the manner this poor fellow came to his death ?—Yes. Is it all true, as far as you know?—Yes, sir. The Coroner to the Jury :—Gentlemen, you have heard the evidence of these two witnesses as to the manner in which the deceased came to his death. It seems to be a clear case of accident, without any possible blame to be imputed to any body; and I sup])ose that is your opinion ? (Jurors.) Yes. (Coroner.) And that will be your verdict? (Jurors.) Yes. (Coroner.) And so you say all—Accidental death. (Jurors.) Yes, sir. 3: Verdict of Accidental death was then duly recorded and the coroner's return was signed by the twelve jurors ; as many as four out of the twelve, however, being unable to write their names, and making crosses in place thereof. [It was not stated at the inquest, but the reporter heard subsequently from an apparently respectable elder^ man in the Inn, that this was the fourth or fifth fatal accident which had happened in Trevenen Mine, and that the mine was supposed to he insufficiently timbered.] Camborne, Cornwall, Sir, 25th April 1863. A fatal accident having occurred at Tolvadden Mine, by which a lad named Charles Vincent was killed byfalHng away in the shaft, I visited the mine yesterday, according to Lord Kinnaird's instructions, and examined the shaft in which the accident occurred, and have now the honor of reporting upon the same. I am. Sir, Y''our obedient servant, A. H. Wylie, Esq. Chas. Twitb. Tolvadden mine is a copper mine in the Marazion dis- trict, about three miles east of Penzance, under the manage- ment of Captains A. Bennett and F. Gundry. The shaft in which the accident occurred is the engine shaft, and is used as an engine and winding shaft. The part of the shaft which is used for winding in is most closely and securely cased off, both from the engine shaft and from the level which passes behind the shaft. The engine part is G feet long by 5 feet wide, and inclines at an angle of 22° from the vertical. The ladders run in long lengths down the shaft, but the men can step out every 10 fathoms upon a floor fitting closely all through the shaft. In this respect I never saw a better landing place. But all the pit work is sent down through the engine shaft, through a series of trap doors at every landing place. These doors are all opened every Saturday afternoon, as on this day any part of the j)itwork which requires changing is attended to. On ordinary occasions the men entering the shaft from the level, which runs behind, step on this trap door and take the ladders, but when this door is raised the men step on a plank about a foot wide, on which the door rests. It appears that on Saturday the deceased lad and his father were working at the 50 fathom level, when the lad went to go to the 40 to get a ])ick which had been left there, and that on entering the shaft, not thinking of the open trap door, he stepped in in the usual manner, and fell through to the 80 fathom level, and was killed. The inquest was held on Monday the 20th instant, and resulted in a verdict of Accidental death being recorded (Signed) C. Twite. Camborne, Cornwall, Sir, 23rd April 1863. I have visited to-day, by Lord Kinnaird's direction, the St. Just United Mines, situated in the parish of St. Just, and examined the state of the shaft in which Emanuel Trembath was found killed on Saturday last, the 18th instant. I inclose my report upon the same, as well as the short-hand writer's notice of the inquest. I have the honor to be. Sir, Your obedient servant, A. H. Wylie, Esq. Chas. Twite. St. Just United Mines are large tin mines, only recently set to work, after laying idle for some years. The shaft where this man was kiUed is called Red Dippa Whim Shaft, and is used as a drawing and footway shaft. The drawing is by single skip. The ladder way is not cased off from the drawing shaft, there being only single boards placed across at a distance of 6 ft. apart. I suggested to the agents the desirability] of having a more perfect casing, which was admitted, and attention promised to be given to it. The ladders were long, from 9 to 15 fathoms long, and with staves 12 inches apart. (Signed) C. Twite. Falling from a Ladder. In the afternoon of Tuesday, the 21st of April 1863, an inquest was held by William Hichens, Esquire, county coroner, at the house of William Williams, the Commer- cial Inn, St. Just, in Penwith, concerning the death of Emmanuel Trembath, aged 23 years, who was killed on Saturday, the 18th of April, in St. Just United Mines, in the parish of St. Just, in Penwith. The deceased lived at New Downs, near St. Just, Church Town, and has left a widow and two children. The following were sworn on the jury :— Reverend George Hadow, vicar of St. Just, Mr. John Bennetts, Mr. John Wallis, 3](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b23983292_0513.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
