C.—2

38

The following statement shows the tons of coal raised, persons employed, lives lost by accidents in or about collieries, &c., to 1926.

SECTION lII.—ACCIDENTS. The following is a summary of accidents in and about coal-mines during 1926, with their causes : —

The fatal accidents for the year were at the rate of 2-90 per thousand persons employed and 6-69 per million tons of coal produced. The following is a short account of the fatal accidents : — At Millerton Mine, on the 20th January, a miner named John Brown went back into his workingplace after a shot had been fired and commenced to trim down the face, when a piece of top coal fell and struck him on the head, fracturing the base of his skull and his neck. The verdict at the inquest was that no blame was attachable to any one. In the Millerton Mine, on the 20th May, John Evans, a deputy, was struck by a runaway truck, and died on the same day from the injuries he received. Deceased was standing near the foot of a jig waiting till a race was run. The jig was about 4 chains long. When the race got over the brow

Lives lost by Accidents in or Persons ordinarily employed. Tons raiae( j about Collieries. Year. Output, in | per each Per- : p Statute Tons. son employed Per Million Thousa nl i Number Above Around. Below Ground. Total. below Ground., J°j\ s Persons "'inlf 66 produced. employed . lost. Prior to 1900 13,444,437 * * * * * ! * 165 1900 .. 1,093,990 617 1 1,843 2.460 593 3'65 ! 1-62 4 1901 .. 1,239,686 688 2,066 2,754 600 2-42 1-09 3 1902 .. 1,365,040 803 2,082 2,885 655 1-46 0-69 2 1903 .. 1,420,229 717 2,135 2,852 665 2-81 1-40 4 1904 .. 1,537,838 763 2,525 3,288 609 2-60 i 1-21 4 1905 .. 1,585,756 833 2,436 3,269 651 3-78 1-83 6 1906 .. 1,729,536 1,174 2,518 3,692 687 3-46 1-62 6 1907 .. 1,831,009 1,143 2,767 3,910 662 6-55 307 12 1908 .. 1,860,975 992 2,902 3,894 641 2-68 1-28 5 1909 .. 1,911,247 1,159 3,032 4,191 630 3-66 1-67 7 1910 .. 2,197,362 1,136 3,463 4,599 634 7-28 3-48 16 1911 .. 2,066,073 1,365 2,925 4,290 706 6-77 3-26 14 1912 .. 2,177,615 1,130 3,198 4,328 681 4-13 2-08 9 1913 .. 1,888,005 1,053 3,197 4,250 590 3-18 1-41 6 1914 .. 2,275,614 1,176 3,558 4,734 639 21 53 10-35 49f 1915 .. 2,208,624 1,050 3,106 4,156 711 4-07 2-16 9 1916 .. 2,257,135 988 3,000 3,988 752 2-65 1-50 6 1917 .. 2,068,419 1,090 2,893 3,983 715 1-93 i 100 4 1918 .. 2,034,250 1,102 2,892 3,994 703 2-95 1-50 6 1919 .. 1,847,848 1,095 2,849 3,944 648 5-41 2-53 10 1920 .. 1,843,705 1,152 2,926 4,078 630 0-54 0'24 1 1921 .. 1,809,095 1,218 3,149 4,367 574 5 52 j 228 10 1922 .. 1,857,819 1,191 3,365 4,556 552 3-23 1-31 6 1923 .. 1,969,834 1,353 3,647 5,000 540 2*53 I 1-00 5 1924 .. 2,083,207 1,364 3,505 4,869 594 4-80 ' 2-05 10 1925 .. 2,114,995 1,288 3,489 4,777 606 3-78 1'07 8 1926 .. | 2,239,999 1,336 3,823 5,159 586 6-69 2-90 15 Totals .. 63,959,342 .. | .. .. .. •• 402 * For returns for previous years see page 32, Mines Statement, 1921. t Year of Ralph's (Huntly) explosion.

Fatal Accidents. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. Number of Persons Number of Nnm[lpr nf Number of Separate Fatal ?2nfh« Separate Non-fatal whinif Accidents Deaths. F Afoidpnts Accidents which Accidents. Accidents. proved Fatal to their Companions. Explosions of fire-damp or coal-dust 1 9 1 1 Falls of ground .. .. . . 3 3 13 13 Explosives Haulage ........ 1 1 1 1 Miscellaneous —Underground .... 2 2 6 6 On surface .... .. .. 1 1 Totals ........ 7 15 22 22