Gympie Mining Accidents – 1800s – Part 2

Whilst mine safety would have been at the forefront of most Gympie Mine Manager’s minds, there were many accidents in and around the mine shafts and quite a few proved to be fatal.  Each death was thoroughly investigated and the newspapers of the day published (sometimes in very graphic and detailed reports) the findings of the inquiries and these reports will be featured in a series of Blog posts with this one being Part 2. You can read Part 1 here.

The miners are remembered on a Memorial on the Zig Zag Path in Gympie and the names featured in Part 2 are:  Frederick HORSLEY; James HAMILTON; John SHANAHAN; Thomas JENKINS; Lewis Pritchard & John CAMPBELL; Hugh MURPHY; Edward BREWER;

Fatal Mine Accidents Gympie 

Fred HORSLEY (Frederick)

We regret to chronicle a frightful mining accident which happened last evening at No. I South New Zealand reef. The unfortunate sufferers were two men – one a shareholder in the claim named Fred Horsley, and the other a wages man named Thomas Sneedon, both unmarried. They were engaged putting a shot into the reef; the tamper was an iron instrument; it had been originally shod with copper, but the end had broken off, and there is no doubt that one of the men struck a spark from the reef whilst harshly tamping the charge of powder, and prematurely fired. The effects of the explosion were shocking; Horsley was dreadfully injured, the top of his head being blown off, the brain being visible. It is supposed that the tamping iron struck him on the forehead and tore away part of the skull. He lingered in a miserable condition for about an hour, when he died, apparently without pain. The man Sneedon, suffered a fracture of the little finger of the right hand, and several cuts and bruises; he has since been removal to the Hospital. Dr. Byrne was promptly on the scene of the accident, but at once pronounced Horsley’s cure quite hopeless.
GYMPIE.
The Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld. : 1858 – 1880) Saturday 5 December 1868
Name: HORSLEY, Frederick (HORSELEY)
Mine: No. I South New Zealand reef
Occupation: Shareholder, Miner
Died: 26/11/1868

James HAMILTON

A mining accident of a very serious nature happened at the EI Dorado claim yesterday morning at about 8 o’clock. The men were about to commence their days work, and the manager, Mr James Hamilton, intending to go below first, had given instructions for being lowered by means of the whip When in the act of getting off the brace he somehow lost his hold of the rope, and fell to the 110ft level, where his further descent was stopped by the well-boards covering the lower portion of the shaft. Whether he missed placing his foot in the loop at the end of the rope, or whether there happened to be a few feet of slack which running suddenly as he jumped off the brace, caused him to be jerked from the rope, does not appear to be clearly known. When assistance went down to him he was found to be alive. He was sent to the surface without delay, there attended by Dr. Eames, and then taken to the hospital. On examination it was discovered that both his ankles were dislocated, and the bones of the legs otherwise injured, besides which, some of his ribs on the right side are fractured, and his arms and elbows severely lacerated. He is also cut about the head, one wound in the middle of the forehead having a very ugly appearance. The extent of the internal injuries was not ascertained up to last night, but it is feared that they may prove even more serious than those that have been disclosed. Hamilton is well known on the field, having been mining here for a number of years.
LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.
Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette (Qld. : 1868 – 1919) Tuesday 12 August 1884
The very serious injuries sustained by James Hamilton, the late manager of the El Dorado mine, who, it will be remembered, fell down the shaft to a depth of 110 ft. about three weeks since, had a fatal termination on Saturday morning, internal injuries of a grave character, but the exact nature of which could not be ascertained, being no doubt the cause of death. Deceased, who has been resident in Gympie for a number of years, was 35 years of age and unmarried.
Gympie. September 12.
The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 – 1939) Saturday 20 September 1884

SHANAHAN, John

ANOTHER FATAL ACCIDENT AT GYMPIE.
It has been our (Gympie Times, October 15) sad task, week after week, for a period of several months, to have to record some fatal mining or other accident, and the fond hope that we had done with these frightful casualties has again and again proved illusory. The latest of these melancholy events happened in the Golden Crown Company’s mine on Wednesday, when a miner named John Shanahan was killed instantaneously by falling down the main shaft from a height of 130 feet. The following are the particulars of the sad occurrence as related to us by the manager of the mine :- At 4 o’clock in the afternoon, the deceased and another miner named Morgan descended the main shaft, which is considerably over 400 ft. in depth, to their work. Preparations were being made to resume the sinking, and the shift which had preceded them had been making ready to cut hitches for a frame, there being four holes ready to charge for that purpose. Shanahan and his mate had received instructions before going below that they must come up to the top level (242 feet) when firing, as there was no mark on the rope for the lower level; this they thoroughly understood, and Morgan first came up to that level, Shanahan remaining below to fire the shots. On the signal being given – 6 and 1 – to stop at top level Shanahan was taken up, but when the bucket was about 130 feet from the bottom, a vibration of the rope was noticed by the manager standing at the surface, who immediately motioned the engine-driver to stop winding. On the manager going below he found the poor follow lying face downwards lengthways with the shaft; he was quite dead, the back part of the skull being fractured, the back broken, and other serious injuries. The body was as quickly as possible brought to the surface, and subsequently removed to the Hibernian Hall. The only way in which the accident can be accounted for is, that the deceased must have been moving round on the edge of the bucket getting ready to step of upon arrival at the level, and that; by so doing the bucket must have caught beneath the edge of some of the timber, that it then titled and caught across the shaft, and that the unfortunate man, not having a firm hold of the chain was shaken off by the foothold slipping from under him. What appears to confirm this opinion is that on examining the shaft near to where the accident must have occurred, a mark was to be seen on the timber as if the bucket had caught or jammed at that particular point. Deceased, who has resided in this field for several years, was a native of Victoria ; and in the prime of life. He was unmarried. The funeral took place on Thursday, the cortege, a large one being headed by the, band and 70 members of the Hibernian Society.
ANOTHER FATAL ACCIDENT AT GYMPIE.
The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 – 1947) Wednesday 19 October 1881

JENKINS, Thomas

Fatal Accident at Gympie, – It is again our melancholy duty to record another fatal mining accident, which happened yesterday to one of the tribute party in the New Zealand Prospectors’ mine. The victim, Thomas Jenkins, in company with his mate, William Bishop, had returned to the place where they had been working before dinner, when they had fired a shot. This shot, which it appears was a lifting one, had dislodged a centre prop some ten feet above them, leaving it just hanging. This was unobserved by the men, who proceeded to work out the rock shaken by the blast. They had been but a few minutes at work when the prop fell, with its super incumbent weight of slabs and some four feet of mullock. Jenkins, who was immediately beneath it, was completely covered up, while his mate (Bishop) was struck by some of the slabs, and forced over towards the wall, escaping with little or no injury. As speedily as possible assistance was obtained, and the timber and mullock covering poor Jenkins removed, but when found life was extinct – the injuries sustained being of fearful nature Both legs were broken, and the chest severely crushed. Deceased who was a very steady, industrious man of middle age, has been a long time resident on the field. He leaves two sons and a daughter to lament their loss.
The Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld. : 1858 – 1880)
Tuesday 12 October 1880
Name: JENKINS, Thomas
Mine: New Zealand Prospectors’
Born: 1832 Wales
Parents: Evan Jenkins & Janet Howells/Jennet Howells
Married: Mary James 24/10/1852 Glamorgan Wales
Arrival: 1864 Brisbane, Qld ‘Warren Hastings’
Died: 08/10/1880 Gympie Qld
Children: 2 sons, 1 daughter

LEWIS, Lewis Pritchard & CAMPBELL John

Another of three deplorable accidents, which seem to be almost inseparable from the conduct of mining operations, and are, alas of far too frequent occurrence on this goldfield, happened on Saturday night The circumstances surrounding, the terrible event, are of an unusually harrowing description, and the fact of neither of the unfortunate men being left alive to give some account as to how the accident occurred, lends an air of mystery to it, and adds to its horrors. A magisterial inquiry was held by the Warden on Monday morning and from the evidence then taken it would appear that two miners named John Campbell and Lewis Pritchard – both young man – were engaged sinking the main shaft of No. 6 South Lady Mary, which is about 461 feet deep. At about 8 o’clock, having their holes bored, one of them (Campbell) was raised to the 260 feet level – the place where the explosives are kept and to which the men are raised when any shots have to be fired in the bottom. Campbell sent the charge and fuse to his mate below, and on the whim boy, John Outred going to the surface door of the shaft he heard Campbell call out to him. ‘Lift the horse round Jack ; they are lifting holes’ i.e., charges which would be liable to throw pieces of rock up the shaft. What followed is described by the evidence of Outred, a lad of about fourteen years, we should say, He was the principal witness, he being in charge on top ; his duty was to drive the whim horse, and also point the drills. He deposed : I replied ‘all right’ to Campbells order, went to the whim ring, and got a signal four knocks, which meant a man coming up, being followed by a single knock, which meant ‘go on’ I went on five turns round the whim ring which should bring me to the level. I stopped, expecting to hear a knock to stop ; the signal didn’t come. I went on another turn fast, and stopped again, there was no knock ; went on again another tum, and then stopped. About half a minute after, I heard the shots go off. I believe there were three. I distinctly remember hearing two. I then went to the shaft from the whim ring, and called out ‘Aint you past the level’ I got no answer. I next sang out ‘Are there any misses’ I waited about five minutes and called out again. I called three or four times, but got no answer. I then thought that the men had gone into the level to have a smoke and take their supper. I waited for about twenty minutes, after which I kept on singing out every now and then for about an hour. I looked at the clock and saw it was about half past 9. I thought then there was something wrong. and went down to No. 7 and called the engine driver. He told me to get a hammer and wrap at the timber in the shaft, and if I got no answer to come and tell him. I did so ; getting no answer, I went back to No. 7 and told the driver. Two men then came back with me to the shaft and I lowered one of them down. He called out to pull him up ; and on reaching the top he said the two men were lying dead in the bottom, smashed to pieces. When I stopped at the fifth turn after receiving the signal to raise Pritchard, the whim creaked as it usually does when a man gets on or off the bucket. I heard no unusual noise at any time. The signals were given as usual and worked well ; the only thing unusual was that I did not receive the one to stop after raising Pritchard. Two men were in reality lowered to see what happened, namely Messrs R Saunders and J Short, and when within twenty feet from the bottom they could tell that a dreadful causality had occurred, the slabbing and rock being covered with splotches of blood. The sight that met their gaze on reaching the bottom was horrifying ; the two poor fellows, Campbell and Pritchard, lay there in a frightfully mutilated form, so mangled and torn, that they were almost past recognition when their bodies were brought to the surface subsequently, and they were partly covered by pieces of rock thrown up by the. explosions. A considerable number of persons, including the manager of the mine, had by this time assembled on the claim, and on Saunders and Short returning to the surface and giving their report, Messrs T, Henderson and A. Roberts volunteered to go below to collect the remains ; this was done as speedily as possible, but it was past 12. o’clock ere the ghastly task was completed. The sad event cast quite a gloom over the field when it became generally known on Sunday morning, and the cortege, which followed to the tomb the remains of these two young men, who not 24 hours before were rejoicing in vigorous life, was probably the largest that has been seen on Gympie. The younger of the two, Mr. John Campbell, was only 24 years old, and leaves a wife and two children to mourn their heavy bereavement. He is an old resident of Gympie, having come to the field when a lad. The other victim, Sir Lewis Pritchard, was a single man, 32 years of age. He was a late arrival on the field. It is believed that his father and mother are still living in his native land – Wales.
FATAL MINING ACCIDENT AT GYMPIE.
The Sydney Daily Telegraph (NSW : 1879 -1883) Saturday 10 June 1882

MURPHY, Hugh

Another frightful mining accident, accompanied with fatal results, happened in the shaft of the South Glanmire and Monkland Company on Tuesday evening. A miner named Hugh Murphy was ascending the shaft, contrary to the manager’s orders, on the top of a wooden tank which had been used for bailing; the tank, which holds a ton weight of water, being full at the time. When he had been raised about 60ft the wooden cross-bar round which the chain was fastened broke away from the iron mounting, and the tank fell, Murphy following, and falling upon it. His left leg was terribly shattered, the bones protruding through the flesh, but there were other and more serious internal injuries.
The poor fellow, who was only 24 years of age, lingered until 2 o’clock on the following morning, when death put an end to his suffering. Deceased, who was generally esteemed for his amiable disposition and good qualities, was unmarried.
Gympie
The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 – 1939) Saturday 15 October 1881

BREWER, Edward

Another fearful and fatal mining accident occurred at No. 7 and 8 South Monkland, at half-past two o’clock yesterday morning. A miner named Edward Brewer, and his mates, were sitting near the cross-cut from the shaft at the 250 feet level where they had been working. It was knock off time, and the men were waiting for the cage to be lowered to take them to the surface; it was lowered past the 250 feet level, and stopped opposite the 420 feet chamber, when five men who had been working there got in ; the cage was in the north compartment of the shaft. Immediately afterwards the men in the cage heard something falling down the south compartment ; striking occasionally against the sides of the shaft ; it went past them with a ‘rush’ to the bottom of the shaft, which is 520 feet in depth. One of the men in the cage shouted to those on the upper level, and inquired if they had thrown anything down. It was then discovered that Brewer was missing. The cage was lowered and the poor fellow’s body discovered. It appears that when the engine was started Brewer left his mates and hurried towards the shaft, thinking (it is presumed) that the cage would stop at that level. He forgot to take his candle with him, and either stumbled when near the shaft and fell headlong down, or mistook the distance and walked in. Not the slightest blame is attached to anyone. The poor follow leaves a wife and large family totally unprovided for.
LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.
Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette (Qld. : 1868 – 1919) Saturday 4 May 1878
Name: BREWER, Edward
Mine: Nos. 7 and 8 Monkland
Occupation: Miner
Born:07/1839 Kidderminster Worcestershire England
Parents: John Brewer & Sarah Cook
Arrival: 1 Aug 1859 Sydney, New South Wales Ship: Chowringhee
Married: Sophia Cross (1845-1931) 18/06/1860 Warwick Queensland Australia
Died: 02/05/1878 Gympie Queensland Australia
Children:
Edward Brewer (1862–1907)
John Brewer (1864–1866)
Thomas William Brewer (1867–1921)
John Arthur Brewer (1869–1933)
Charles Joseph Brewer (1870–1872)
Sarah Brewer (1872–1906)
Benjamin Brewer (1872–1915)
Phoebe Brewer (1874–1943)
Sophia Brewer (1876–1931)
Eliza Julia Brewer (1878–1933)

 These stories were compiled by Conny Visini and they appeared previously on our Facebook page.

Sources:  Trove; GFHS Record Collection;