Wheal Kitty shaft accident, 1895

Two miners hanging on the rope of a hand winch in Wheal Kitty's Vottle shaft fell to their deaths on 3 February 1895 when the winchmen changed gear without fastening the drum.

Cause

The winch drum was not fastened while its gearing was changed, and the rope ran free with two men hanging on it.

Contributing factors

Men were raised and lowered on a hand winch, which the inspector judged unsatisfactory for such work.

What happened

In February 1895 men were working in the Vottle shaft at Wheal Kitty, St Agnes, being lowered and raised on the rope of a hand winch with a first and second motion. On 3 February the men at the winch found two miners, Thomas Hooper, 30, and William Kellon, 57, too heavy to wind up on the first motion and changed to the second, but did not fasten the drum. The rope ran free and both men fell down the shaft and were killed. The inspector thought a winch of this kind unfit for the work.

Investigation & inquiry

The Inspector of Mines judged a hand winch of this description unsatisfactory for raising and lowering men.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• On 3 February 1895 two miners, Thomas Hooper, 30, and William Kellon, 57, fell to their deaths in the Vottle shaft at Wheal Kitty, St Agnes. ^1,2,3
• The men were being lowered and raised in the Vottle shaft by a hand winch of first and second motion, hanging on its rope. ^1,2,3
• Finding them too heavy to raise on the first motion, the men at the winch changed to the second and failed to fasten the drum, so the rope ran free and the miners fell. ^1,2,3
• The inspector judged a winch of this kind unsatisfactory for such work. ^1,3
• The mine belonged to the Wheal Kitty Mining Company. ^1,2

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “The Inspector of Mines judged a hand winch of this description unsatisfactory for raising…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…miners hanging on the rope of a hand winch in Wheal Kitty's Vottle shaft fell to their deaths on 3 February 1895 when the winchmen changed…”
• Wheal (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two miners hanging on the rope of a hand winch in Wheal Kitty's Vottle shaft fell to their deaths on 3 February 1895 when…”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1890s K: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames H part 6 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (primary) Wheal Kitty (Metalliferous) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026