South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 03 April 1943
Cage Crash at Denaby
Pumpman’s Death Fall
The crashing of a cage in a shaft at Denaby Main Colliery on Monday morning resulted in the death of Charles Vickers (54), pumpman, of 59, Chaucer Road, Mexborough, who was descending in the cage.
Recording a verdict of “Accidental death” at the inquest at Conisbrough, on Wednesday, the District Coroner (Mr. W. H. Carlile) said he thought the theory put forward as to the cause of the accident was correct, and that a landing plate in the shaft was left out and was caught by the descending cage. Steps to prevent similar accidents from happening had already been considered.
Henry Gibson engine winder, of 74, Victoria Road, Mexborough, said the shaft connecting the Barnsley and Parkgate seams was about 260 yards deep. If anyone wanted to go into the Parkgate seam at the bottom they had 4 to go in the top deck of the chair as far as Haigh Moor level, because only the bottom deck could land at Parkgate. The whole chair could not go into the bottom. Vickers went into the top deck as far as Haigh Moor, and would then follow the usual practice of getting into the bottom deck at Haigh Moor.
Witness pulled the chair up at Haigh Moor landing, and, on receiving the signal, moved the upper deck, so that Vickers could get on the bottom deck. Vickers must have made the change, and witness then got the signal for the chair to descend. The cage had gone a matter of 70 yards when witness heard a slight rattle, and the bottom rope became a bit slack. This meant that the chair had caught something, and witness immediately applied the brake. The rope jerked tight, and he knew something had let it go free again. He was under the impression that the descending cage had caught something and was then liberated after about four seconds.
In reply to Mr. J. T. E. Collins (Y.M.A. secretary), Gibson said about 18 months ago there had been an occasion when the chairs caught each other. This had not happened again since only one tub of coal was allowed on instead of two.
Albert Williams, deputy, 7, Bolton Street, Denaby, said he was in the engine house when he saw the rope jerk and Gibson stopped the rope. Witness telephoned to the enginewright in the pit bottom, who told him the Haigh Moor chair was in the bottom. In reply to the Mines Inspector (Mr. H. S. Stephenson) Williams said Vickers would have to operate the landing plate at Haigh Moor inset. He would have to lower the plate to the chair, get into the, bottom deck, and lift up the plate again before descending.
Cage a Complete Wreck.
George Edward Taylor, enginewright, of 50, Garden Lane, Conisbrough, said he heard something falling down the shaft and heard a thud. He found the chair had gone straight through the bottom into the sump. Witness and the undermanager went into the sump and found Vickers dead and the chair a complete wreck. The landing plate at Haigh Moor inlet, although undamaged, was bent downwards. The plate could only have got in that position by having been left down, and this would put the cage out of its normal position and cause it to spin round. The cause of the accident was the dropped plate in the shaft.
In reply to the Mines Inspector, Taylor said if the rope controlling the dropped plate were attached to a “make and break” circuit in the shaft signalling, signals could not be transmitted until the plate had been put back clear of the shaft.
Dr. D. T. Clark said death was due to multiple injuries and would be instantaneous. Vickers, who was born in Mexborough, was eldest son of Mr. F. Vickers, Beaconsfield Street. He was a member of the Catholic and Hope Clubs and was a well-known billiards player. He had worked at Denaby about 20 years. He leaves a widow and one son, who is in the Army in India.