Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 3 August 1894
Fatal Accident at Denaby Main Colliery
On Tuesday Mr. Dossy Wightman held an inquest upon the body of Ernest Foster, aged 23, filler at Denaby Main Colliery, who while following his employment in the pit on Tuesday, the 24th ult., was so seriously injured by a falling pit prop that his removal to the hospital was necessary, and his death ensued on Saturday night at 6.30.
The inquiry into the circumstances causing his death was attended by Mr. Witty on behalf of the Denaby Main Colliery Company, and Mr. Mellor, the deputy-inspector of mines. Mr. W. S. Pettit was foreman of the jury, the other jurymen being Messrs. Wm. Vaux, George Ainsworth, Geo. H. Smith, Geo. T. Preston, James Dawson, Hy. Raynor, Geo. H. Bayes, Jno. Bullock, Albert Hamilton, Fredk. J. Clayton, and Wm. Biggs.
Martha Foster, the first witness called, stated that she was the wife of the deceased. Her husband, to the best of her knowledge, had been working in the pit three or four years. He was a healthy man and sound of hearing. On Tuesday he went to work at his usual time and in his usual health, and about 8.30 on Wednesday morning she heard of the accident. That same day she went to the Montagu Cottage Hospital, and there saw him in an unconscious state. He never recovered consciousness that she was aware of, he consequently never told her anything as to how his injuries occurred.
John Till, a filler at Denaby Main, stated that he worked with the deceased. They went down the pit together at about 1.45 p.m., and they worked together up to about 8.30 p.m., when the accident occurred. Witness was watching the deceased, who was “barring” the soft coal from the hard, which had previously been taken down. Witness happened to turn away for a moment or two, and when he turned back the deceased was lying down unconscious. He did not see the accident happen, but it was his opinion that while “barring” the coal the top coal rolled over and knocked some timber on to the deceased. It took about an hour and a quarter to get the deceased up to the top and convey him to the Cottage Hospital.
Witness could not say whether he was hit by a prop, but he thought that was what happened. The deceased was doing nothing but what ought to be done and what it was usual to do, and when he saw him at work just before the accident witness did not think he was running any risk.
William Webster, pony driver, said he was standing up against a tub waiting for it to be filled by the deceased. The deceased told witness to stand back as he expected the coal would fall over, and he wanted to get it down to fill the tub with. The top coal fell over and caught a prop which was supporting the roof, and witness thought the prop struck the deceased on the back of the head and knocked him down.
The Coroner said he was afraid the jury could not gather anything further. This was evidently one of those sudden accidents occurring in mines which gave little warning, and which in this case appeared to have occurred so suddenly that no one was able to say exactly how it happened.
The jury found that the death of the deceased was due to an accidental fall of coal in the pit.