Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 02 November 1883
Alarming Accident at Denaby Main
Late on Monday night an alarming accident occurred at Denaby Main Colliery.
The second shift men were being taken out of the pit and the datalers lowered, when the engine man, somehow or other, lost the control of his engine. At the time of the accident there were 14 men in the descending cage. These were dashed with some violence to the bottom of the shaft, together with the cage. The cage was only a few yards from the bottom when the accident occurred, or the consequences might have been very serious.
As it was the engine was stopped when the ascending cage had reached a distance of about three yards from the top of the shaft. Six of the men on the descending cage were injured, George Freeman having his leg broken, while five others named Jas. Crying, Patrick Fleming, Edward Perry, Michael McMahon, and Wm. Oakley sustained severe shocks to the system.
Those on the ascending cage, numbering 16, had a marvellous escape, and had it not been for the patent “butterfly belt” catch, which was affixed to the apparatus to prevent over-winding, the men would have been precipitated down the bottom of the shaft. As it was, they were suspended some yards above the surface.
Great excitement occurred in Mexboro’ and Denaby on the first news of the accident, the rumours being very exaggerated. The cage was comparatively uninjured.
One of the slides was bent, but the injury was remedied in about a quarter of an hour from the time of the occurrence. The majority of the datalers had been lowered before the accident happened, and the remainder journeyed homewards on hearing of the occurrence.
No cause is assigned by the man who had charge of the engine for the occurrence. It is assumed, however, that the lever which regulates the descent of the cage was pushed over too far, thus causing the men to descend at an increased rate of speed.
This is the first accident of the kind which has occurred at the colliery.
The injured men were promptly conveyed home, and their hurts attended to, and at the time of going to press they are in a fair way towards recovery.