There were not the same dangers of explosive gases as there were in coal mining, but there were roof falls, accidents involving gunpowder, men falling down shafts and the difficulties of processing a very heavy mineral.
Here are two accounts of accidents that happened at Killhope.
A - 1864 Accident in Park Level
Thomas Rowell and Graham Peart were working high up in a rise when a sudden heavy fall carried Peart to his death. Rowell, though stuck was able to maintain his position.The moans of his mate soon ceased then, in stygian darkness, the crashing of stones flying past him was the only sound he heard for three days and nights.
He kept himself alive by eating his tallow candles and catching falling drops of water.
This account was taken from ‘Weardale Memories and Traditions’ by John Lee 1950.
B - 1887 Auckland Chronicle May 13
A Narrow Escape
While a wagon of ‘bouse’ was being teamed at Killhope Mine last Friday, a young master washer, Mr Wm. Rutherford, was in the team* and a lump which would not pass through the wagon bottom was tossed over by a man who was unaware of the presence of the above named washer who was hit on the head as it fell.Fortunately his position caused him to miss the full force of he would have been killed outright. His head was cut and he was rendered unconscious.
*Team i.e. Bouseteam - A storage bay for a bouse, a newly mined rock which contains ore. A row of ‘teams’ had rails running over the top so that the wagons could drop their heavy loads into them.
The following is taken from ‘Lead and Life at Killhope’ and is based on a contemporary account of the accident.
C - The Death of Thomas Harrison
For Thomas Harrison of Wearhead the 15 March 1878 began just like any other day. He walked the four miles from home to the Killhope mine where he worked. On the way he met up with his partners and together they went into the mine to start work. The lead vein was rich and wide. They soon set to, drilling holes for the gunpowder that would blast the rock.The holes made, Thomas carefully placed the gunpowder in the end of each one, and put in the needle or ‘pricker’ that would form the hole for the fuse. Round this he rammed shale and clay until each hole was full and started to withdraw the pricker.
Iron struck rock the gunpowder exploded and Thomas was blown back, fatally wounded.
Thomas Harrison was 19 when he died.