2. Before we start, spare a thought for those who died or became injured in mine related accidents here at Solitary.
Solitary Mine, like many other mines had its hazards to life
Known deaths & injuries that occurred here at Solitary
are associated with:
rock falls
explosives
machines
& flooding
1861: In 1861 42 year old miner David Bright who has recently married & started a family in Wattle Flat is killed by a rock fall in a quartz reef mine, quite likely to have been the Solitary Mine.
1863: A couple of years later in 1863 John Moone is recorded by GC Johnson as being killed by a rock fall in the Old Solitary Mine. He was opening out the upper shaft at a depth of 10m when a lump of quartz fell from above.
In the same year a couple of Italian miners were employed blasting a quartz reef underground at Wattle Flat. After a blast charge had failed to detonate, these men were preparing for the next blast when an explosion occurred. Both were severely injured & lost the use of their eyes.
Johnson recalls an incident underground at Solitary in 1863 when it was his job to light the fuses on 4 blast charges before quickly climbing up a ladder to safe refuge. In this occasion the ladder collapsed & he had to take refuge by burying his head in a corner. Fortunately he survived uninjured.
1873: Ten years later in 1873 a 18 year old man, R J Ellis was greasing part Campbell’s machine at Solitary when he became caught by rotating wheels and was severely injured. He died while being conveyed to Bathurst on a buggy for medical treatment.
1897: The 11 year old daughter of Mr Fred Dein picked up a dynamite cap while walking on the mullock heap of the Old Solitary Mine. It exploded causing severe injury to her hand. She recovered with the assistance of doctors in Bathurst.
1900: In 1900, 3 miners were working at a depth of 40 metres in the Blue Duck mine, to the immediate north of the Solitary Mine. The Solitary mine would have been full of water to about 20m below the surface. It seems that these miners were extending a tunnel towards the Solitary Mine, when a large amount of water suddenly entered the Blue Duck mine. Two of the three miners managed to escape but 38 year old Fred Dein was drowned. He left a widow with six young children.