Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 10 June 1892
Death of a Powder Worker at Denaby.
On Wednesday morning Mr. D. Wightman, district coroner, held an inquest at the Reresby Arms, Denaby Main, concerning the circumstances surrounding the death of Richard Dagnell, an employee at the powder works at Denaby, who lived at 18, Hanley street, Denaby Main. The following composed the jury : Messrs. A. C. Meggitt, R. Sheppard, J. Gibson, S. Shaw, C. Smith, D. White, A Wingfield, A. Wilkinson, W. Hinchcliffe, W. Biggs, W. Rosser and M. Dughan.
Charles Dagnell, of Chesterfield, a collier, said deceased was his brother, and was about 49 years of age. He was a collier by trade. Witness last saw him alive about a month ago at Chesterfield. Witness believed he was a healthy man, and not subject to fits. He was unmarried, and had worked in this neighbourhood for a number of years. Witness did not know that he had worked at the explosives manufactory.
Mr. Fredk. Howe, surgeon, practicing at Denaby Main, said he was called in to see the deceased at his lodgings last Friday evening. Witness found him in a state of collapse. He rallied a little, and was removed upstairs. Witness believed he was suffering from an apopletic fit. Witness saw him again on Saturday morning, when he was lying insensible. He did not recover, and died about 10 o’clock on Saturday night.
Witness considered the fit due to the inhalation of poisonous gases at his work. He judged this by the blueness about the man’s lips. Witness knew nothing about the condition of the powder company’s premises, as he had not been in them.
Mr. Clegg (who appeared for the Fortis Powder Company) put in a certificate from Mr. Howe, assistant to Dr. Twigg, to show that when the deceased was taken ob at the powder works he was passed as a healthy man.
Christopher Spence said he had worked at the powder works for 15 or 16 months. He believed deceased went to work on Thursday, second of June, and worked in the same shop as witness. He was at work again on Friday, grinding powder. Deceased seemed poorly when he went to work. but said he was very well when witness inquired of him how he was. He appeared stupified. He was taken ill about five o’clock on Friday evening, falling down as though in a fit. Witness fetched a man to help him to get the deceased up, when he complained of being dry. They gave him a drink of water, and then took him home.
He worked with a respirator on all Friday, and with gloves on his hands. Witness had been there as long as anybody. He had not heard that the deceased was found twice on Thursday working without a respirator on, and that he was found again and Friday, and was cautioned by the foreman (Jackson). Witness thought that the chemicals were having some effect upon him. Witness had seen the men affected by the chemicals before, and had taken them to lie down in the fresh air.
William Jackson, foreman at the Fortis powder works said he engaged the deceased on Wednesday, June 1st, and he started on the Thursday. Witness sent him to Dr. Twigg’s first, and he brought a certificate on Thursday morning which stated he was a perfectly healthy man. He worked all day on Thursday, and that day the chemical gases did not appear to have any effect upon him. Witness once saw him without his respirator on, and told him that if he found him again like that he should report him to the manager. Witness found him without the respirator again on Friday morning and threatened to send him off the premises if he did it again.
Ten minutes before he fell he seemed all right. When he fell they sent for the doctor at once. Witness supposed that the chemicals had affected him. In all probability the thing would not have happened if he had kept his respirator on continually.
The Coroner asked what the objection was to the respirators?
Mr. Jackson replied that he supposed the men were not accustomed to them for a start but they afterwards got used to them. It might make them hot. They acted like a filter, there being a sponge in them. When the respirator was on, a man looked something similar to a dog muzzled. Before the last accident they did not compel the workmen to wear respirators, and it was on the recommendation of the coroner and jury that they made the men wear them. Before that the way the chemicals affected the people was to make them vomit. It would affect some, but not others.
Mr. Clegg mentioned that the place had been inspected by the Government Inspector, and passed as a place under the Explosives Act.
Mr. Jackson stated that there was nothing unusual in the work on Thursday and Friday to ordinary.
The Coroner said there could not be any doubt that this was a dangerous manufacture, and every precaution should be taken. So far as he could see every precaution had been taken, and the deceased had been duly warned by the foreman against working without a respirator.
Mr. Clegg said the Home Office made periodical inspections—every three months — and saw that things were carried out properly.
The Jury returned a verdict that the deceased died from inhaling the fumes of nitro-benzine at the works of the Fortis Powder Company.