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Two Miners Suffocated at Talke 1872
Researched by John Lumsdon
James Finney age 23 and Joseph Leadham, age 20 two miners employed by the North Staffordshire Coal & Iron Co. At Talke came to a sad end on Tuesday 23rd April 1872
(In a coal pit at Talke, the long to be remembered scene of the terrible explosion in 1866.)
It appears that a Crut was being driven for an air-road in the Ten Foot seam, and very steep up to the joint of a fault. However, it seems that a delay in the arrival of windpipes necessitated the suspension of the work for some days. About 12 yards of windpipes were taken from the air-road a parallel Crut being driven in the same seam and this was done in order to push that forward. These windpipes were placed in the other crut, the air-road being drive thus left for some distance without air.
The men, it appeared were warned not to go into the place, but on Tuesday the deceased missing their hammers went into the air Crut to search for them. As, however, it was found they did not return another man was dispatched to look for them.
On proceeding up the Crut he found their lamps burning and proceeding further found the gas so strong that he could go no further without risk of his life. He however, went on in the dark and came upon the dead body of one of the missing men. Being very much exhausted he could not carry his search any further and returned. The air pipes were then replaced, and the men reached, but both were quite dead, the cause of death being suffocated by the gas.
The inquest was held on Friday before Mr. Booth, coroner, at the Swan Inn, Talke o’ th’ Hill on the bodies of the two unfortunate men. Mr. Wynne, government inspector, was present. The coroner said they had to inquire into the death of the two men.
It appeared that they were at work in the No. 2 pit on Tuesday, the 23rd. One of the men went into the working and was overpowered by the gas and the other man who also went in was similarly affected, and when rescued they were both dead.
The evidence of the witnesses was then taken. William Finney, miner, Coal pit Hill, said deceased James Finney was his brother. Witness worked at the Talke o’ th’ Hill Colliery, No. 2 pit and was a butty. The deceased men worked under him and were driving a Crut. It was about 10.20 he last saw the two men, they were then all breakfasting. His brother and the other deceased started away for a hammer into the Crut where the accident happened.
He told them they must not go any further than the end of the air pipe, because he knew it would not be safe if they exceeded those bounds. His brother said “alright.” He knew it would be safe up to the end of the air-pipe, because the fireman had been in; he went in every morning. The “Crut” had been standing 8 or 9 days. He went after them as they were too long away; he saw their lamps, and by that knew they were up in that “Crut.” He tried to get up and went beyond the lamps some yards, but his senses left him in consequence of the damp. Someone pulled him out.
Thomas Sherratt said he was employed by the masters, and he examined the pit in his daily travels. He was fetched by one of the boys, and found the two men about4 yards off the far end. A post lay between them; they were both dead, it was about 12 o’ clock when he found them. In reply to Mr. Wynne he said he was in the “Crut the day before. There was gas in. He noted it in his report that there was gas there. Left off working the “Crut” on the 11th because the gas advanced so far they could not go further without more pipes. After they found it could not be worked, the men took out the pipes, without even naming it to him. On the 15th it was he found pipes had been taken away. Told a man named Finch the men had done wrong in taking the pipes. Moffat, the underlooker, was his master, and he knew best. Finch had the charge of the work. The tool ought to have been brought out. Jas Finney was present when instructions were given on Monday the 22nd that the men should not go into the place where the accident happened.
Thomas Cartlidge, fireman, said he saw William Finney, and told him it was not safe and they had no right in that direction. He told the men that the pipes should not be meddled with, because the place would fill with gas. He then told Mr. Sherratt of the matter. If the pipes had been kept in it would have been safe.
James Finch, butty, said the work was stopped because they were short of air pipes. Sherratt ordered them to stop it and they removed about 4 pipes a week last Monday. Moffatt gave him orders to have it done, and took particular care to tell the men not to go into the working.
Mr. Wynne, Inspector, here observed that of the last 11 cases of accident they had investigated 9 of the number were caused by men going to fetch their tools in places that had been abandoned. Robson Moffatt, underground manager, said the men told him there was gas in the working, and he had to brush it out before they could fire a shot. Sherratt thought the pipes had better stay in. He admitted giving the order for the removal of the pipes, but the men were strictly warned of the danger. Mr. Wynne said he had visited the colliery. The top place was not clean, it was not fit to work in, and perhaps a few pipes more would make it so.
The men’s deaths were caused by the removal of the pipes, which never should have been done. If Cartlidge’s advice, or that of Sharratt’s had been followed the accident would not have occurred. Mr. Moffatt had ordered a very strong thing to be done in the removal of the pipes. It was decidedly wrong that tools should be left in an abandoned working.
The coroner, in summing up, said it was most probable that if he pipes had been left in their original state that sad occurrence would not have happened. They would have to consider whether Moffatt was responsible because he gave the orders with respect to their removal, and before they were removed, Sharratt drew attention to the danger, so that the men had a caution of the danger, and there were one or two circumstances in favour of Moffatt for the men were warned.
Mr. Wynne had wished him to state that Moffatt admitted frankly to have given the orders for the removal of the pipes and that he only was to blame. The Forman said they did not think there were sufficient grounds for a verdict of manslaughter, and believed the deaths were accidental, but censured Mr. Moffatt. Mr. Moffatt was then called in, and the Coroner addressing him, said the jury had taken a lenient view of his case, but believed there was great blame attaching to him for permitting the pipes to be removed. The men had in some measure, after being warned of the danger, contributed to their own death by going into the “Crut,” but, nevertheless there was great blame attaching to him. He, the Coroner did not think Moffatt could have grumbled if the jury had entered a verdict of manslaughter. He only hoped he would be more careful for the future.