Mexborough and Swinton times, March 4
Mexborough and Swinton times, March 4.
Fatal Accident at the Colliery.
On Monday morning. An inquest was held at the Reresby Arms Denaby, before Mr Dossey Wightman, touching the death of Thomas Dagnall, aged 17 years, employed as a pony driver at the Denaby Main Colliery, was fatally injured on the Friday afternoon previous.
Mr Henry Stenton was Foreman of the jury.
The manager of the colliery (Mr Warburton) and the Underground Viewer (Mr Slack), were present on behalf of the company.
James Dagnall, living in new buildings, Denaby, said he was a father of deceased. His son had been a driver at the colliery for four years. Altogether it had been working for five years as a driver. Witness was a filler. He worked in the next “gate” to his son.
The accident happened about our past five. A miner told in the tubs were not been lifted on, and he replied, “Something must be the matter, then.” He thought it was his son, who must have got hurt, and he put on his clothes to go and see. He found him lying in a tub, dead.
By the coroner: I have made no enquiries as to how my son got killed.
The Coroner: You don’t take such an interest in your son as we do, then?
Witness: I have not enquired.
The coroner: “Ignorance is bliss.” (Laughter.)
Matthew Brooks, deposed that he was a Cpl. The deceased was under his charge. He saw him last alive about a quarter of an hour before the accident happened. He was then on “the road” and going to “the face.” With empties. He was walking in front of the pony then. He had three empties. Witness remain standing where he was at the time he last saw the deceased. In about 10 min he heard a shout and going forward he found the pony standing in front of three full corves, and deceased was under the middle part of one of the corves. The two front wheels were arrested on his shoulder, and the others were on his back. Witness and to fillers got diseased out. He would then be dead.
Cross examined: I do not think the deceased was riding and got knocked off. I cannot form any opinion as to how it has occurred. There are no points that he should could stumble over. I don’t think he was riding on the “rimmers” or shafts. I think the decline will be one in 11. It would be about level where the accident happened. The boys are not allowed to ride on the court – neither full nor empty ones. I have only been at the colliery for about a month.
Supposing the deceased had been riding on a cold and fell off. He would not have been found lying in the same position that he was. I cannot form any opinion as to how the accident occurred.
John Slack, deposed to having examine the place where the accident happened. His opinion was either that the deceased had been knocked down by the pony that he had fallen and the pony and walked over him and pulled the tub on the top of him.
The Coroner here announced that he had received a telegram from the Government Inspector (Mr Wardell) as follows:
“As I cannot get down to the inquest, please close are journey as you think fit.”
He (the coroner). However, never took it upon himself to do this; he always left it with the jury men.
The jury member unanimously of opinion that no further evidence as to how the accident happened, excepting conjecture could be got, and a verdict of “Accidental death was returned.
On Monday morning. An inquest was held at the Reresby Arms Denaby, before Mr Dossey Wightman, touching the death of Thomas Dagnall, aged 17 years, employed as a pony driver at the Denaby Main Colliery, was fatally injured on the Friday afternoon previous.
Mr Henry Stenton was Foreman of the jury.
The manager of the colliery (Mr Warburton) and the Underground Viewer (Mr Slack), were present on behalf of the company.
James Dagnall, living in new buildings, Denaby, said he was a father of deceased. His son had been a driver at the colliery for four years. Altogether it had been working for five years as a driver. Witness was a filler. He worked in the next “gate” to his son.
The accident happened about our past five. A miner told in the tubs were not been lifted on, and he replied, “Something must be the matter, then.” He thought it was his son, who must have got hurt, and he put on his clothes to go and see. He found him lying in a tub, dead.
By the coroner: I have made no enquiries as to how my son got killed.
The Coroner: You don’t take such an interest in your son as we do, then?
Witness: I have not enquired.
The coroner: “Ignorance is bliss.” (Laughter.)
Matthew Brooks, deposed that he was a Cpl. The deceased was under his charge. He saw him last alive about a quarter of an hour before the accident happened. He was then on “the road” and going to “the face.” With empties. He was walking in front of the pony then. He had three empties. Witness remain standing where he was at the time he last saw the deceased. In about 10 min he heard a shout and going forward he found the pony standing in front of three full corves, and deceased was under the middle part of one of the corves. The two front wheels were arrested on his shoulder, and the others were on his back. Witness and to fillers got diseased out. He would then be dead.
Cross examined: I do not think the deceased was riding and got knocked off. I cannot form any opinion as to how it has occurred. There are no points that he should could stumble over. I don’t think he was riding on the “rimmers” or shafts. I think the decline will be one in 11. It would be about level where the accident happened. The boys are not allowed to ride on the court – neither full nor empty ones. I have only been at the colliery for about a month.
Supposing the deceased had been riding on a cold and fell off. He would not have been found lying in the same position that he was. I cannot form any opinion as to how the accident occurred.
John Slack, deposed to having examine the place where the accident happened. His opinion was either that the deceased had been knocked down by the pony that he had fallen and the pony and walked over him and pulled the tub on the top of him.
The Coroner here announced that he had received a telegram from the Government Inspector (Mr Wardell) as follows:
“As I cannot get down to the inquest, please close are journey as you think fit.”
He (the coroner). However, never took it upon himself to do this; he always left it with the jury men.
The jury member unanimously of opinion that no further evidence as to how the accident happened, excepting conjecture could be got, and a verdict of “Accidental death was returned.
Sheffield Telegraph, March 1, 1881
Killed at Denaby Colliery
Mr D Wightman, of Sheffield, held an inquest at the Reresby arms, Denaby, yesterday, touching the death of a pony driver, named Thomas Dagnall (17), who was killed while following his customary occupation on the Friday previous.
The manager (Mr Waddington) and the underground viewer (Mr Slack) were present at the inquest.
From the evidence it appears that the deceased was in charge of a pony and three full trucks of coal, and that whilst proceeding to “the face” he was either knocked down by the pony or stumbled, he being found underground the corves, dead.
A verdict of “accidental death” was returned.