Mexborough and Swinton Times October 14, 1905

Fatal Accident at Cadeby Colliery.
Doncaster Labourers Death.

On Tuesday afternoon Mr. D. Wightman, the district coroner held an inquest at the Fullerton hospital, touching the death of George Shaw (39), a labourer, of 9, Mount Pleasant Cottages, Balby, who was fatally injured at the Cadeby colliery on the six inst.

Mr. H. M. Walker, Chief Inspector of mines, was present, along with Mr A. H. Barnett, and Mr. Williamson represented the colliery company, whilst Mr F. Allen, solicitor, of Doncaster, represented the widow.

William Shaw, a shunter of the great Northern Railway, brother of the deceased, residing in Doncaster, gave evidence of identification.

Frank Booth, a joiner, living at Burcroft Conisborough, said he was working with the deceased on the six inst. The accident happened about 10:30 AM, deceased, witness, and a man named Benjamin Scott, were fixing timber for the bricklayers who were erecting “Jack arches” Mr Wm Dun Wallace was the foreman over the job, but he was not present when the accident happened. At 10.30 he was on the ground floor, which was 20 ft below where the deceased was working. Witness heard a noise, and looking round he saw that a fall of bricks had been taken place, and that diseased was on the ground. He picked him up but he never spoke. He was taken to the hospital in the ambulance. Witness had not had any previous experience of similar weight and he could not account for the accident. He had nothing at all to do with the setting of the bricks, only being connected with the woodwork. None of the woodwork gave way. All of it was fixed with the exception of the laths. Perhaps 100 bricks came down with it. The arch was finished the previous afternoon about 4 o’clock, and the centres were drawn out from underneath the next morning.

In answer to the Inspector, witness said the centres were drawn perhaps an hour before the accident. There were some sprags in between the girders. Witness had been working on the top with the disease only 10 minutes before. There were some battens placed over the arch, extending from girder to girder, and they were in position when he went below. They did not come down with the fall. There was plenty of spare timber about stand on if necessary, it was the deceased’s duty to see that the bottoms were right, and he knew the arch would not be safe as it had only been finished the night before.

Asked as to how he for the accident had happened, the witness said the deceased must have slipped off the plank, as the tough unintentionally.

Benj. Scott, the other workman, said he had just sent proof below to fetch some laths when the accident occurred. He saw the deceased on the planks, and when he turned round he saw the deceased had fallen through the arch. There were two 7 incn battens on the top. Neither had broken.

In answer to Mr. Allen , the witness said the deceased was a careful man. He thought he had stepped on the arch unintentionally.

In answer to the Inspector, witness said there was no need for him to step off the planks. He had warned the deceased and both to be careful about going on the arch while it was “green,” because it was not safe.

In answer to the coroner Mr Wallace, the foreman over the men, said his opinion was that the deceased had stepped off the planks onto the arch, and it had given way.

The coroner, addressing the jury, said the man’s death would remain a mystery. The evidence painted to the fact that it was then accident

The jury concurred, and the verdict to this effect was returned.