Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 05 October 1912
Crushed Between Falls.
Contractor
Another inquiry was relative to the death of Thomas Hilton Hurst (30), contractor, of Cliff View, Denaby, who was killed by a fall of roof in the pit on Saturday morning.
The circumstances, as explained by the Coroner, were that the deceased and others had been engaged in clearing a heavy fall. In the ordinary way they would go to work by the Montagu Plane, and down the cross gate, but on Saturday he found that there had been a fall in the cross gate itself, which was blocked. The other men thereupon went to their workmen another way, but deceased, who was seen to pass a store, was subsequently missed, and on a search be made for him further down the face, they saw there had been a further fall on top of the old one. In clearing the top portion away they found the deceased between the two falls. The men had no need whatever to try to scramble through a hole where there had been a fall, and there was a proper way round.
Evidence of identification was given by the widow, who was very much distressed.
Corroborative evidence was given by deceased workmates, James Dobson, contractor and Joseph Shaw, collier.
“Accidental death” was the verdict.
Mr Phillips (agent to the Colliery Company), whilst regretting that the two men had been killed on that the accident would impress upon the work when the necessity of obeying instructions given by officials.
Mr Smith, as manager of the Denaby Colliery, endorsed Mr Phillips had said.