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THE RECENT COPLEY COLLIERY ACCIDENT.

The adjourned inquest on the bodies of George Lindsay and George Emmerson, who met with their deaths in the late frightful accident at new Copley Colliery, Cockfield, near Bishop Auckland, was opened by Mr. Thomas Dean, deputy-coroner, on Tuesday afternoon, at the house of Mr. C. Million, Cockfield. The accident, it may be remembered, was of a singular description. The colliery has only recently been worked, and the main shaft is seventy fathoms in depth. Early on Wednesday morning, the 11th inst., four men named George Lindsay, George Emmerson, Thomas Mason, and Cuthbert Dawson, were put into a cage, and immediately afterwards the signal was given, and the engine gearing being out of order, there was no hold upon the rope, and the cage, which weighed 11cwt, descended at an extraordinary rapidity. As soon as it reached the bottom of the shaft it rebounded, and Lindsay, being thrown out, got both his legs fractured, and was likewise so dreadfully shaken, that he died on the following morning. Emmerson died the next day, and Mason and Dawson, who were found in the cage, are now lying in a precarious condition. At the inquest on Tuesday, it appeared from the evidence of Mr. Bishop, that the engineman was allowed to have the engine gearing out of order when it was necessary to fill the boiler. This operation was affected by another engine. This was permitted because the cage was not always at liberty. Since the accident that practice has been stopped.

Mr. Willis, Government Inspector, who attended the enquiry, said it was an unfortunate practice. — Benjamin Cotterell, bankman, of New Copley, gave evidence to the following effect:- On the 11th of December, at half-past one o’clock in the morning, I came up the shaft of New Copley Colliery, and got out of the cage and stepped across the pit head to tell Benjamin Taylor to put the pumping engine away a little bit faster, and I turned away to put the slips in with my left hand. No one came either up or went down the shaft till six o’clock in the morning. At that time the four men came to the pit heap to go down the pit. They then got into the cage, and I called the breaksman to set them away. I expect he lifted the cage and drew the kepps out. When I came up at half-past one o’clock the engineman did not put the cage on the kepps. When I put the kepps in at half-past one, the engineman had left the winding engine to do what I had told him. When I had told the men to get on, I had forgotten the cage was not resting on the kepps. I did not see the cage start away : it never moved while I was standing against it. Having put them ready to start them away, I stepped nearer to speak to another man, and when I looked the cage was gone. — Robert Williamson, Richard May, Benjamin Taylor, and Francis Wright, colliery breaksman, were also examined. — Taylor said he put the engine gearing out of order to fill the boiler, and left it out of order when he was relieved at six o’clock by Wright. — Wright said he was not told the engine gearing was out of order : the cage should not have been lifted while the engine gearing was out of order, as there was no hold upon the rope.

After several questions had been put to the men respecting their negligence, the Coroner summed up, and said that although Cotterell was most to blame for not seeing the cage on kepps as he should have done, and although Taylor was to blame for not putting the engine gearing in order before he left, and Wright was to blame for not examining the engine when he came on duty, there was no sufficient evidence to render the case one of manslaughter. — A verdict of "Accidental Death" was accordingly returned; and Cotterell, Taylor, and Wright were severely censured for their carelessness.

Source: The Durham County Advertiser, 27th December 1872

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