Fatal Accident at Denaby – Pit Set Down For Two Days

April 1926

Mexborough and Swinton Times April 16, 1926

Fatal Accident at Denaby
Set Down For Two Days

William Sims (19), of 6, Cliff View, Denaby Main, was killed in the deep seam of the Denaby Colliery at midnight on Tuesday, as a result of being stuck by a fall of stone. William Sanderson, of 37, Bolton Street, Denaby, was also caught by the fall and was conveyed to the Fullerton hospital where he was detained. The inquest on Sims will be held this morning (Friday), at the Fullerton hospital.

A sequel to this accident was that the colliery was set down for two days. There is an agreement between the company and the men that in the event of a fatal accident work shall seize during that shift, and in the event of a certain percentage of men working the following two shifts, a collection is taken for the benefit of the bereaved family and is supplemented by the company, who also pays wages of a certain number of men appointed to attend the funeral. This was in substitution for the custom of setting down the pit are to chase following a fatal accident.

The agreement was not carried out in this case. This shift in which the accident occurred was worked through because of the necessary clearing up in the preparation for the following day’s work.

The men attended next morning, but on hearing of the accidents went home, and there were no work either on the afternoon shift. The consequence of this the management set down the pit the following day, and work was not resumed until last night.