Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 14 April 1933
Back Broken
Fatal Fall In Denaby Pit
Loose Prop
An accident in Denaby Main Colliery on Feb. 21st resulted in the death on Monday, at the Fullerton Hospital, Denaby, of Wm. Breedon (56) dataller, 16, Adwick Street, Denaby.
An inquiry into the accident was held by the Doncaster District Coroner (Mr. W. H. Carlile), with a jury, at the hospital yesterday. There were present Mr. P. L. Collinson (H.M. Inspector of Mines), Mr. N. Hulley (manager, Denaby Colliery), Mr. J. Whimpenny (under-manager), and Mr. W. H. Johnson (secretary, Denaby branch of the Y.M.A.).
Lizzie Mason (daughter) said her father lived with her. On Feb. 20th he left home for work at Denaby Colliery about 9-30 p.m. in good health. Later she was informed that he had met with an accident and had been taken to the Fullerton Hospital. He died on Monday. While in hospital her father had said. “I was bending down to get a hammer when the roof fell on me.”
Story of The Accident.
John Wm. Earp, 4. Morris Road, Selby, a contractor, said he was ripping 240 gate prior to the accident. “I fired the front lip and then the back lip. The back lip did not come down right, and some stone was left which I could not get down. I sent a boy for a prop, which I fixed under the stone. The prop had a foot-block and wedges. The foot-block was set on loose dirt. A deputy was present for a good while and agreed with my method. Then I went to the front lip to pluck that.
I was working on that when the accident happened. I saw Breedon come down, and he asked me for a hammer. His work was to alter legs of girders. He went for the hammer, which was only six or seven yards away from me. Almost immediately I heard the sound of a fall of roof. I dropped the bar with which I was working and rushed to the place. Breedon was doubled up on his knees under the back lip, and there was a large piece of stone on his back. The stone was about a yard in length, eighteen inches in width, and four or five inches thick. I got it off Breedon, who was groaning.
Questioned about the prop he set, witness said that after the fall the prop was two inches out of truth. It had been set in a yard of dirt which came down after he bad fired the back lip.
Insecure Prop.
Mr. Collinson: A prop set on loose dirt is not secure. You cannot get it tight, can you ?—No.
You could have fixed a prop across this place and fenced it off?—Yes.
Answering further questions by Mr. Collinson, witness said that after the accident a break was visible in the roof. It could not be seen before the accident.
The Coroner: I questioned you about examining the roof and you told me you had not time.
Witness: Well, I did not know how you meant.
The Coroner: From the way you have given your evidence, every question has been a source of annoyance to you.
Wm. James Hardiman, 16, Addison Road, Mexboro’, deputy in charge of the district when the accident happened, said it was not safe to leave the back lip of the gate after part had been fetched down. He was present when this occurred, and gave instructions for the setting of a prop to last witness.
The Coroner: It was set in loose dirt? — Yes, on a foot-block.
Why could not the dirt be removed?— There was too much and he had fired the forward lip. It was more dangerous than the back lip. The prop was made very solid.
But you could not make it very firm on loose dirt?—lt was firm.
Question of Fencing.
The Coroner: It has been suggested that it would have been better to have fenced this place off.
Witness: It was not necessary.
The Coroner: I think it was, after what has occurred there.
Witness said he was not present when the accident happened. He was recalled to the place about 1-30 a.m., and found the prop was still holding up a lot of the loose roof, but was leaning towards the coal face. “I think that was done by the man’s weight being thrown against it.”
The Coroner: It might have been done by the roof falling. Actually you cannot say? —Yes.
The fallen atone had come from the edge of the top lip of the prop and that could have made the prop move. Witness added that he thought the cause of the accident was the break in the roof, which was not visible prior to the fall.
A Possibility.
Answering Mr. Collinson, witness said it was possible that Breedon disturbed the loose dirt and therefore the prop when going for the hammer.
To Mr. Hulley, witness said it was customary to blow down at one time sufficient dirt for a contractor to remove in a shift. The dirt which had been fetched down prior to the accident would have taken the best part of the shift to remove. The front lip was far more dangerous.
Broken Back.
Dr. J. McArthur said Breedon was admitted to the hospital suffering from a fractured spine, fracture of the left tibia, and a wound in the scalp. The cause of death was septicaemia, due to sores resulting from pressure of a plaster paris jacket which had to be placed round Breedon’s body.
Coroner’s Comment.
Addressing the jury, the Coroner said it appeared that after the back lip of the gate had been broken down, the prop set to keep that portion of the roof safe had not been sufficiently secure in view of the invisible break.
“There seems to have been no reason why this place should not have been fenced off but that apparently did not enter the heads of the men working there.”
A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.