Denaby Roperunner’s Death at Yorkshire Main – The Duties of a Deputy.

January 1925

Mexborough & Swinton Times, January 24th, 1925.

A Fatal Fall
Denaby Roperunner’s Death at Yorkshire Main.
The Duties of a Deputy.

Another fatal accident to a Denaby mine-worker was investigated at Edlington on Friday by Mr. Frank Allen and a jury. The victim was Harold Gerrard Park (23), roperunner, of 1, Scawsby Street, Denaby Main. Mr. H. J. Humphries, H. M. Inspector of Mines; Mr. J. Walker, manager of the colliery; Mr. J. Gawthorpe, under-manager; and Mr. E. Woodward, of the Yorkshire Main branch of the Y.M.A., attended.

James Park, miner, and father of deceased, gave evidence of identification.

Gilbert Drury, colliery contractor, of Edlington, said that on Wednesday night they were ripping in west plane, where the road was being widened and heightened. Deceased was getting his ‘snap’ on the road close by. The accident happened about 2.30 a. m. Two empty tubs were on the empty road, and one full one, on which he was standing to work, on the full road. Deceased must have come out of the old gate-end, where he was, to carry out his duties. A full run about 100 yards away was coming up. Deceased would have to pick up the two empties, and hook them on, in order to get the run through. Witness was working on the full road when he heard a full. He looked round and saw that the boy was down. He did not shout or scream. Witness found that a stone had fallen from the side and hit deceased on the head. He picked him up straight away, but if he was not dead there was very little life in him.

The piece of stone was about three feet long, and in his opinion weighed less than two hundreds weights. In regard to timber, there was a space of about 8ft. From the last bar to where witness was working. Witness did not think it would have been possible to put in any more supports. The whole of it was timbered with covering wood. The piece of stone fell from the opposite side to that where witness was working. Witness had tested the place and thought it was safe. He tested it with his pick.

Thought It Was Safe.

In reply to the Inspector, witness said he was in charge of the ripping, and it was his duty to prevent anyone going under the ‘lip’. He had tested the side from which the piece tell about an hour before.

Mr. Humphries: It must have been on the point of falling then? – I didn’t find it so.

Did you know the boy was coming? – No. I don’t suppose I should have stopped him if I had known, because I thought it was all safe. I dare have sat under it for a year myself. I did not hear any movement of the stone.

Ian Aspinall, of Edlington, who was working with Drury at the time corroborated the latter’s evidence.

Samuel Taylor, deputy, of Edlington, said he was in charge of the district in which the accident happened, on Wednesday night. He last saw the place about one o’clock on Thursday morning. The men were waiting then for the coal to get through, in order to get the side off and put in the girders. Witness did not notice the piece of stone that fell, because they had not then got the side off. The place appeared to him to be safe. He thought the place was in a condition to be used by men, who had been on that work under him for some time.

The Coroner: In your opinion could anything more have been done to support the sides? – Not in my opinion. The stone would not have had to come down in any case. It might have been held in by the timbering.

Mr. Humphries: What exactly did your examination of the place consist of at one o’clock? – I looked round at the sides and top.

You relied on a visual examination? – Yes.

You did not get up to test this particular side? – No.

Did you think a visual examination was enough? – I can’t say that it is enough.
This stone must have been on the point of falling when you were there? – It must have been.
Would not a very careful examination have shown that to you? – It might have, or I might have thought it safe, like the witness.
In reply to Mr. Woodward witness said he had confidence in the men.
The Coroner: That is a bit away from the point. It is not a question of whatever they were they were competent or not.

‘Perfect Good Faith.’
Summing up, the Coroner said that whatever the rules, there would be times when the distance which was allowed to be unsupported would be exceeded. But it was only a very temporary condition, and it was the duty of everybody engaged in that kind of work to make such temporary provision as they could. It was also their duty from time to time to test the sides. The most usual method of doing this was with the pick. He had no doubt that Drury had made a proper inspection, and thought it was all right.

The question, which usually arose in such cases, was – did the deputy do his duty? He believed they all acted in a good faith. Whatever inspections it was the duty of the men to make, it was the duty of the deputy to make also. That was the only check they had if the men omitted to do anything. His criticism in such cases, he remarked in conclusion, must always be regarded as friendly. One of the purposes of such inquiries was to find our the lessons of the accident, with a view to prevention in the future.

The jury found a verdict of ‘Accidental death, and attached blame to nobody. They added an expression of sympathy with the relatives of the deceased.

Mr. Walker, said they were making great strides in the direction of making the mines safe. Though they employed many more men at Yorkshire Main, the number of accidents had not increased, and they were still making strenuous efforts, to prevent accidents.

The Coroner added his sympathy, and added that his criticisms and questions in those inquests had the object of furthering the end mentioned by Mr. Walker.