Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Monday 08 November 1909
Cadeby Calamity.
Graphic Story of Survivors
Discrepancies in Evidence.
The story of how two representatives of the miners who met their deaths in the Cadeby Colliery on October 15th, whilst inspecting the mine on behalf of the workmen, and of the narrow escape of the third who was conducting them around, was continued this morning at the Fullerton Hospital, Denaby, where Mr J Kenyon Parker took further evidence.
It will be remembered that the inquiry was adjourned on the 18fh ult. because of the then serious condition of Willie Berry, the deputy and solo survivor of the unfortunate three men, whose evidence was essential to clear up the detail in doubt.
The men killed were Robinson Cummings (31), 5, Adwick Street, and David Bamford, of Braithwell Street. Denaby Main, both married men. At the opening of the inquest evidence was given by Thomas C. Shaw, of Elmgreen Lane, Conisbro’ the engine-wright of the colliery, and John Thomas Prye of Albert Road, Mexbro’, a hanger-on.
The three victims of the accident were knocked, down by full and empty tubs owing to the endless rope running away and their not having taken refuge in one of the manholes.
At the resumed hearing to-day there were present Mr. Fred Hall, M.P., representing the Yorkshire Miners’ Association; Mr. H. Pickering. H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines; and Mr. A. H. Barnard (agent) and Mr 11. S. Whitty (manager, Cadeby Colliery), representing the Denaby and Cadeby Main Colliery Company.
The deputy, Willie Bury, who was wheeled in a bath-chair into the room, said his memory was quite , clear as what took place. He was in charge of the men. He remembered that the rope had come of a pulley in one place, and heped to get it on. He afterwards went down the incline with the two men, and spoke to Ambrose Barber, the man who was in charge of the Sylvester. He told him to wait to knock it off while got down to the bottom end. Witness then started to go down. The two deceased men went in front, close to him. They went the bottom of the skating rail. There was a manhole close to it. Witness was carrying his lamp and stick; he thought, the two men were only carrying their lamps. When they got to the bottom of the skating rail the manhole opposite was partially obstructed by the chain attached a train of full tubs. On that account witness said to the men. “We will stay here on the empty road, and when he knocks off the Sylvester it will not run.
The men thought they would be all right, and they all three stood between the empty rails. The length of empty tubs and chain was just below the skating rail. There was signalling except that the man in charge of the Sylvester shouted “Are you right ?” Witness replied, “Yes, knock it off.” He seemed to be rather a long while, and witness said the two men. I’ll just step up here to see if he has hbeard me.” Witness had not got very far before Sylvester was knocked and the “endless” began to run.
The Coroner: Can you remember anything further?
Witness: When I saw that the endless was running away I said. “Oh. God! Look out chaps, the endless is running away.” It was going fast without, any control. I told them to try and get out of the way, but I could not say what they did.”
Witness, continuing, said he reared himself up between the two rails by the side the road, and was caught by both the full and empty tubs. He was carried along to where he was found at the bottom end of the skating rail. He lost his senses at one time. He knew the incline well. It was not a travelling road for men, but he and the two men had the right to travel by it that day. He had often travelled the incline when the rope was running but it was not running when they started on this occasion.
They lent a hand to get the rope on the pulleys. He knew the empties were there, but he did not expect them to come up because when the “Sylvester” was knocked off they should have stood still. The empty tubs ought not to have come up. It was not customary, and they never had done so before. Witness had seen the Sylvester used scores of time. The next manhole to the one that was partially obstructed was nine yards away, but it was inconvenient to get there because of the empty and full tubs.
By Mr. Pickering: To have got in that refuge hole they would have had sit between the chain and rope?— Yes.
Was there space to get in if you wanted to?—Yes, we could have got in, but I thought should have been all right in the empty road. The refuge hole itself was clear.
Is it part of your duty to examine the road, relative to the refuge holes?— Yes, sir. They were in accordance with the rules, about nine yards apart. Some were both sides of the road. The train tubs would be about 30 yards apart, so that there would be plenty of space for the refuge holes. He never expected the chain going wrong.
The Inspector: is rather a brittle trust?— Well, it is possible for anything to go wrong.
Could the men have gone if they liked ?—Yes, but the men wanted to see the endless chain run.
Mr. F. E. Hall. M.P. : What was the width between the corves where they stood opposite each other?— Towards a foot.
What was the difference whore you stood between the rails?— Two feet.
You are sure about you walking last when you started to walk down?— Yes.
In reply to further questions, witness said that Ambrose Barber, traffic man, said. “It would be best if not too many of you got in one manhole, for when I knock the Sylvester off you know how it flies.”
The Coroner: Ambrose Barber has told that, you were walking first down the full road ?-No, I don’t think so; we were all close together,
And Thomas C. Shaw, one of the engine- wrights, was in one of the refuge holes, and he has also sworn you were going first ? I am quite sure I went last.
Then they are swearing falsely or making a mistake?— They might easily make a mistake
A juror elicited from witness that if the brakes had been put the endless rope could not have run away.
Ambrose Barber, re-called, said that before the men left him go down the incline there was no conversation between him and Berry about the brakes. It was the duty of witness to signal, and signalled one-and-four—signal to tighten brakes up—before the men left. There was a little slack in the rope on the top side of the Sylvester. Witness gave no further signal to the brakesman until the rope began to run away, when he signalled him to stop. He swore that he gave no other signals. The signal to stop the rope was “One.” Witness was quite sure that his memory was clear, and that had made mistake no about the signalling.
The Inspector: Would it be possible for the brake man to be confused as to the signals?—l cannot say; they were given clear enough.
In reply to the Coroner, witness could give no cause for the rope running so unusually fast after the Sylvester was knocked off.
A Juror: If you gave the signal properly and the brakeman bad done his duty, you think the rope would have run as fast it did that morning?— No, I don’t, think so.
Albert Ellis, living at Station Villas. Conisborough said he was brakeman at No.3 drift. Cadeby Colliery. He was braking 15th of October when the two men were killed and Mr. Berry injured. Witness had only been at the work about week, and had previously been tramming at Manvers Main. The work was not difficult, and did not take long to learn. Witness knew by signal that the endless rope was off the pulley that morning. The signals got after that was a four and a two, which meant to go steady. Then he got one and a four, which meant stop and screw the brakes up tight. Then was rapped another four and a two. Witness acted according to the signals. When got the last “four-and-a-two” he screwed the brake off, but the rope wouldn’t go. He shouted down to Harry Robins, a hanger-on at the drift top, that the rope wouldn’t go. He did not leave his brakes, but suddenly the rope started going, as if it had been loosened. It went faster than usual. Witness screwed the brakes up but couldn’t hold the rope, which ran from 30 to yards before it stopped. Witness could not say whether the brakes stopped it or what. After the rope had gone he received a signal “one” across the wires. The rope had been off before three or four times that week, but it had not acted the way it did that morning.
The Inspector: Do you suppose it was the fault of the brakes that it went away like that, or that you got the wrong signals?— There was nothing wrong with the signals.
In reply to Mr. F. E. Hall witness said the rope was not stopped until it had run from 15 to 20 yards after got the signal to stop it.
Answering the Coroner, witness said that when found the rope would not run with the two brakes off, he used his discretion and screwed up the right-hand brake when the rope started going faster than usual, as safeguard, because of the men working below.
The Coroner, in his summing up, said on the evidence no reasonable man could come a conclusion that there had been culpable negligence on the part of any person in authority.
The jury having considered their verdict, the Foreman said that all but one of them were of one mind.
The Coroner: Are there 12 of you in one mind? There »re 13 you. The “Foreman: There are 12 of us in one mind.
The Coroner; Then I shall take no notice of the odd one. A verdict “Accidental death” was returned