Wingate Grange Colliery shaft accident, 1903

Three sinkers deepening Wingate Grange's shaft to the Harvey seam fell about 38 yards to their deaths on 11 February 1903 when their kibble dropped suddenly.

Cause

The kibble hung up while its rope coiled on the scaffold above, then dropped about nine feet and threw the men out.

What happened

In February 1903 a shaft at Wingate Grange Colliery was being sunk from the Low Main to the Harvey seam, with a scaffold below the Low Main through which the winding rope passed. On 11 February three sinkers, Caleb Bell, Joseph Hardy and Joseph Park, were in the kibble ready to descend. The master sinker signalled for it to be lowered, but it did not move; looking up he saw the rope coiling on the scaffold, and before he could act the kibble dropped about nine feet, throwing the men out. They fell about 38 yards to the bottom of the shaft.

Recorded claims

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

• On 11 February 1903 three sinkers, Caleb Bell, Joseph Hardy and Joseph Park, were killed at Wingate Grange Colliery when they were thrown from a kibble and fell about 38 yards down the shaft. ^1,2
• The shaft was being sunk from the Low Main to the Harvey seam, with a scaffold below the Low Main through which the rope passed. ^1,2
• When the master sinker signalled for the kibble to be lowered it did not move; the rope was coiling on the scaffold, and the kibble then dropped about nine feet and threw the men out. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “In February 1903 a shaft at Wingate Grange Colliery was being sunk from the Low Main to the Harvey seam, with a scaffold…”
• Kibble (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…fell about 38 yards to their deaths on 11 February 1903 when their kibble dropped suddenly.”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Three sinkers deepening Wingate Grange's shaft to the Harvey seam fell about 38 yards to their deaths on 11…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Three sinkers deepening Wingate Grange's shaft to the Harvey seam fell about 38…”

Sources

1. (primary) Wingate Grange Colliery (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1900-1909, surnames H, part 2 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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