Visitors to Cadeby
Bishops ladies down the mine
An interesting afternoon
Mrs Burrows, wife of Dr Burrows, the new Bishop of Sheffield and Miss Burrows, on Tuesday afternoon paid an interesting visit to Denaby, and made a tour of the underground workings of Cadeby main, in response to an invitation extended to them by the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries Ltd.
The ladies arrived at the colliery offices at 1-30, where they were received by Mr C.W.Philips (agent), and had luncheon. Shortly after, 2:30 they were escorted to the Cadeby colliery by Mr Phillips, who took them over the most interesting features of the surface plant. They examined the two winding engines, and the power houses, and had the method of screening the coal explained to them. They also watched with great interest the process of docking the cages, and landing the coal.
Armed with their lamps, they then made the descent of the shaft, in company with Mr Phillips, Mr J. Cocks, the mine manager, and Mr G Cook, the under manager. They paid a good deal of attention to the magnificent pit bottom, said to be the most splendidly equipped of its kind in England, and were then conducted out to the workshops via a main haulage road branching off from the South return.
They proceeded down a fault until they got to the coal face, where they were much interested and a good deal astonished to observe the rapidity with which the coal was got by the process of holing. They were also shown the pony driver’s work in the coal away from the face, and manifested interest in the condition of the ponies, and also in the workmen generally
On the return journey they proceeded some little way along a disused gate road, and were shown by the aid of Mr Phillips, lamp, a small quantity of gas in the roof. Arriving at the pit bottom again, they went through the stables, and were agreeably surprised at the excellence of the arrangements and the manifestly good conditions of the animals.
Throughout their tour of the underground workings they were very much interested in all they saw, and asked a good many questions relative to the operation of the mine generally, and the working conditions of the men and ponies. They said they had paid this visit with the object of obtaining a first-hand knowledge of the conditions under which the staple industry of the diocese was carried on. This was their first experience of a coal mine.
They were drawn to the surface by the number two shaft, after having spent a busy and thoroughly enjoyable three hours in the mine. Upon leaving the colliery they expressed their personal thanks to Mr Phillips and his colleagues for the pains they had taken to make the visit interesting and also their thanks to the colliery company manager in placing at their disposal facilities for inspecting the mine.