Waugh, Luther Robert

Western Daily Press - Thursday 17 December 1885

SINGULAR COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT BITTON. Yesterday afternoon Dr. E. M. Grace held an inquest tha Crown and Horseshoe, Oldland Common, as to the death of Luther Bobert Waugh, 14, which took place under ra ther singular circumstances in the Golden Valley Colliery. Donald Bain, assistant inspector of mines for the tiouth Wales district, was present during the inquiry. Evidence was given by Thomas Hayman , a boy employed with the deceased, and by Harry Brewer, a collier, and from thair statements appeared the accident took under the following circumstances. Brewer was cutting coal, which was loaded in to small trucks by Hayman. Il had than to be taken down incline called " the ladder," from the cross pieces of wood which enabled safe footing be obtained in ascending or descending it. The tracks wer o supported on runners and it was tho duty of the deceased, assisted in parts of the road by Hayman, to take these little vehioles down the ladder. The dochnty was sa£oient in places to make the tr uck ran down without palling, and it had then simply to be steadied and prevented going too fast by the deceased. At other parts it had to be pulled, and for this purpose a chain was attached to it, a nd the deceased held one end. The deceased always went front of the truck. The truck haying been taken to its destination and emntied had to be returned to Brewer to be re-filled. The to and fro journ ey usually occupied ten minutes, but on Saturday morning the deceased did not return in the nsaal time, and Brewer, having waited another five or ten minutes, sent Hayman to see what was ths matter. H ayman called his companion, bat coald get answer, and the poor lad was found a partially prostrate position with the truck resting upon his breast. He was dead. It was left conjecture how the acciden t happened, but witnesses and Mr Bain agreed in thinking that as the deceased was checking the speed the truck the ohain became slack and the book end became detvihed from the trolley and, falling o n tha ground, caught one of the cross-Dars before referred to. The boy having hold of the chain, and being thus sharply nulled up, was knocked down by the descending truck and killed. It was mentione d that at the point where the accident happened the road was little flatter than in some parts, and Brewer suggested that this being so the deceased might not have teen ao careful as in other parts t o keep his truck under control, thinking he could easily check it if necessary. Mr Bain remarked that even on steeper inclines than the one in question it was the praotioo for the boy to travel in fro nt of the truck. He regarded the fatality purely accidental. The ooroner and jury concurred, and a verdict accordingly was returned.
Western Daily Press - Thursday 17 December 1885

SINGULAR COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT BITTON. Yesterday afternoon Dr. E. M. Grace held an inquest tha Crown and Horseshoe, Oldland Common, as to the death of Luther Bobert Waugh, 14, which took place under rather singular circumstances in the Golden Valley Colliery. Donald Bain, assistant inspector of mines for the tiouth Wales district, was present during the inquiry. Evidence was given by Thomas Hayman, a boy employed with the deceased, and by Harry Brewer, a collier, and from thair statements appeared the accident took under the following circumstances. Brewer was cutting coal, which was loaded into small trucks by Hayman. Il had than to be taken down incline called " the ladder," from the cross pieces of wood which enabled safe footing be obtained in ascending or descending it. The tracks wero supported on runners and it was tho duty of the deceased, assisted in parts of the road by Hayman, to take these little vehioles down the ladder. The dochnty was sa£oient in places to make the truck ran down without palling, and it had then simply to be steadied and prevented going too fast by the deceased. At other parts it had to be pulled, and for this purpose a chain was attached to it, and the deceased held one end. The deceased always went front of the truck. The truck haying been taken to its destination and emntied had to be returned to Brewer to be re-filled. The to and fro journey usually occupied ten minutes, but on Saturday morning the deceased did not return in the nsaal time, and Brewer, having waited another five or ten minutes, sent Hayman to see what was ths matter. Hayman called his companion, bat coald get answer, and the poor lad was found a partially prostrate position with the truck resting upon his breast. He was dead. It was left conjecture how the accident happened, but witnesses and Mr Bain agreed in thinking that as the deceased was checking the speed the truck the ohain became slack and the book end became detvihed from the trolley and, falling on tha ground, caught one of the cross-Dars before referred to. The boy having hold of the chain, and being thus sharply nulled up, was knocked down by the descending truck and killed. It was mentioned that at the point where the accident happened the road was little flatter than in some parts, and Brewer suggested that this being so the deceased might not have teen ao careful as in other parts to keep his truck under control, thinking he could easily check it if necessary. Mr Bain remarked that even on steeper inclines than the one in question it was the praotioo for the boy to travel in front of the truck. He regarded the fatality purely accidental. The ooroner and jury concurred, and a verdict accordingly was returned.