owing to their being caught whilst cleaning the machinery, the machinery being in motion at the time."
"In the Report of the Stockport Infirmary for 1839, (says Mr. Trimmer,) there is the following passage: 'The Committee cannot conclude their Report without stating a fact which was painfully impressed on their minds during the last year. They refer to the manner in which accidents generally occur in our cotton mills. Almost all the accidents that have come under the notice of the Committee, have happened in consequence of the cleaning of the machinery while it is in motion. It is earnestly hoped that the owners and managers of our manufactories will adopt effectual means for the discontinuance of so dangerous a practice.' The practice, (adds Mr. Trimmer) has not been discontinued; because, in the following year, when the cotton trade was very bad, there were thirty-six accidents in Stockport, owing to cleaning machinery while it was in motion." He adds, "that of 340 cases, he only knows of two in which the manufacturers have made any reparation or compensation to the injured party!"
I have selected these three institutions, to show the ratio of mill accidents treated in them, but it must be borne in mind that there are a great number of other institutions in the factory districts, and that, therefore, the cases here mentioned give but a very imperfect idea of the whole amount of suffering from accidents by machinery.
The following distressing factory accidents came under my personal notice, in a single journey, made a few years since. Two young men were killed on the spot; two other young men, and one young woman, died in a few days, from injuries received; one woman lost her left arm, another her right arm; one man lost his leg, another his hand; and many lost two and three fingers each.
