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'COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT ST. HELENS - TWO MEN KILLED'

        A shocking accident, resulting in the death of two men, occurred at the Bold Colliery, St. Helens Junction, owned by the Collins Green Colliery Company, last night. The unfortunate men were Thomas Murphy and William Hughes, both unmarried, and lodging together at 21, Rolling Mill-lane, Sutton. It appears that the men were employed as colliers, and yesterday afternoon were working in what is known as the Florida Mine, in company with a drawer named Benjamin Williams. Williams temporarily left the men in order to get some food for one of his meals, and when he returned to the working place he found that in his absence a tremendous quantity of stones and dirt had fallen from the roof. Williams shouted for his two fellow-workers, but failed to get any answer, and on removing a portion of the debris he saw one of Murphy's feet badly crushed. He there-upon ran for assistance, and men came to the spot. Murphy's body was early extricated, but the unfortunate man had been terribly crushed, and life was extinct. A search was then made for the body of Hughes, but so great had been the fall of rubbish that two hours elapsed before it was reached. Death appeared to have been instantaneous in his case also. The bodies were removed to their late home. It is understood that neither of the men has any relatives or intimate friends in the district, but it is stated that Murphy's parents belonged to Rainford, and that Hughes has a brother at Ashton-in-Makerfield, and other relatives at Bagillt, North Wales.       Liverpool Mercury September 3rd, 1895

There was an error in this report as one of the colliers who died was called Thomas Burke not Thomas Murphy. 36-years-old Burke and 43-years-old Hughes had only begun working at Bold Colliery some three or four days earlier and at their inquest, held at Sutton's Alexandra Hotel, the jury and coroner called for a legal requirement for safety officials to visit mine workings more often. The law at that time only demanded one inspection per shift. The coroner Sam Brighouse also pointed out the large number of mine fatalities through roof falls and how the law only required employers to make timber available to colliers so they could prop up the roof. The obligation was firmly on the miner to keep himself safe and not the employers.

Sutton in The News This Week describing events in Sutton's heritage is updated on Sundays