Name Of Mine On Which Last Employed
Lady Loch Gold Mine, Coolgardie, Western Australia

Place Of Burial
Coolgardie Cemetery, Western Australia

Submitted by
Ian Hodkinson - Volunteer

District
Coolgardie

Cause of Death
Mine Accidents

Other Information
Montague was married to Caroline Brandt in Victoria in 1873. They had eight children; Alice Louisa Taylor - born in 1874. Montague Taylor - born in 1876. William Alfred Taylor - born in 1878. John Valentine Taylor - born in 1880. Caroline Taylor - born in 1883. Mary Ellen Taylor - born in 1887. Oscar Taylor - born in 1889. Olive Taylor - born in 1893.

On 20 November 1899, Montague was injured in a fall of rock at the Lady Loch Gold Mine. As a result of the injuries, doctors thought it necessary to amputate his leg. He died in hospital three weeks after the accident.
'LOCAL AND GENERAL', Coolgardie Miner, 12 December, 1899.

Our obituary column contains the bad intelligence of the death at the Government Hospital of Montague Taylor, which occurred early yesterday morning. The deceased was one of the men for whom this benefit concert was being arranged, and it has been decided to carry out the program on behalf of Skinner and of Taylor's family. The full program appears in our advertising columns.

Inquest:- MONTAGUE TAYLOR'S DEATH
The adjourned inquiry into the circumstances attendant upon the death of Montague Taylor, who succumbed to injuries received at the Lady Loch mine on November 20, was concluded yesterday before the acting coroner (Mr J. Macnamara, JP) and a jury of three. The examination of witnesses was conducted by Corporal Sullivan. Mr Andress appeared to watch the case on behalf of the company, and Mr Fergie Reid on behalf of the A.W.A.

John O'Donnel, a miner employed at the Lady Loch mine, said that on November 20 he was working at a point about 30ft distant from the deceased, in the underground workings at the Lady Loch. About 7.15 p.m. the deceased called out to him. and on going to the stope where deceased was he found that a large piece of country rock had fallen from the side of the stope upon Taylor. There was plenty of timber in the drive, which if some part was dangerous. Witness did not consider the ground safe without timber. Deceased did not put in any timber on the day of the accident. The ground was heavy and of a treacherous nature By Air Andrews : Witness was working about 50ft distant from deceased. The shift boss had given instructions to timber when necessary. Plenty of timber was available. There was sufficient timber to make the stope safe, erected in the drive. The accident to the deceased occurred after he had been underground for three hours.

By the Acting-Coroner: There was about 5ft of ground untimbered. The ground which fell came from between timber. By the Inspector of Mines: The ground which fell was 4ft by 2ft. The timber was within a foot of the breakaway. By Mr Andrews: Witness did not consider blame attachable to any person with regard to the accident. Dr Lesohen, resident medical officer at the Government Hospital, deposed that on the evening of November 20 deceased was admitted to the hospital, suffering from a compound fracture of the right leg and from severe shock. He was more or less in a state of collapse. Examination revealed a cut on the leg, and also a large hole. The bone was splintered in every direction. Further examination was made after an anesthetic had been administered, with the consent of the deceased, who told witness and Dr White to act as they deemed best. The bone from the knee to the ankle joint was splintered into minute fragments, and the toes were too and lacerated. Amputation was considered necessary, and was performed by witness. The deceased was in a state of collapse. Deceased revived and gave promise of doing fairly well, but never got over the shook. The deceased's blood supply appeared to be exhausted, and he expired at 12.30 on Tuesday last. Had the limb not been removed Taylor would have died from The effects of mortification.

William Tindall, foreman at the Lady Loch mine, said the deceased was a practical miner. The stope was not dangerous, and there was an abundance of timber available. the weight of the stone which fell on deceased was about 4-3WL The ground was sufficiently timbered. No one was to blame except, perhaps, the deceased himself. By M. Reid (through the Coroner) : Would it have been possible to have prevented the ground from falling from between the two props? Witness: Yes, but if witness had been working in the stopes be would have palled the ground down. By the Inspector of Mines: The deceased, as a practical miner, mast have known that the ground was unsafe.

George Lightly, Inspector of Mines, stated that on November 21 he visited the stope where the accident occurred. He made a careful examination of the ground on both sides of the stope, and saw that it was heavy and intersected by soapy heads. That being, he considered that props 6ft apart were not sufficiently close to secure the workmen from possible accident. If there had been an intermediate prop the ground would never have fallen away. The deceased may have contributed to the accident. By Mr Andrews: The prop that had been knocked out was one of the props which had been mentioned as being 6ft from the other. By the Jury : Had the ground been timbered the accident would not have occurred. It was the duty of the under- ground boss to see that the ground was securely timbered. By Mr Andrews : After the underground boss had given instructions it was his duty to see they were carried out;

The jury returned a verdict that the deceased, Montague Taylor, contributed to his own death by not keeping the stope sufficiently timbered, and that no blame is attached to the management.