Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 20 January 1922
“Gob” fires at Denaby.
An extraordinary report circulated in one or newspapers early this week, concerning the “gob” fires in the Denaby Main mine and on application to the Denaby Colliery Company we find they are not confirmed in any particular.
Indeed, we are authorised by Mr. W. H. Chambers, the managing director of the Company, to contradict some el the assertions that have been made. It appears that there have been “gob” fires in the Denaby mine at any time during the lest forty years, and though these have developed varying degrees of seriousness from time to time, they have never reached the magnificent position of “raging,” nor is it correct that they are destroying £200 worth of coal per week.
Those touching little incidentals which depict the miner fighting the flames desperately for 10 ½ shifts per week, on a supply of brandy and soda costing the Colliery Company £50 per week, make very acceptable reading, but, lest there should be an unwelcome rush for employment on fire-duty at Denaby Main, let us hasten to add that they are beside the fact.
We are officially informed that the fire has been practically subdued, and that the miners have at the present time to encounter nothing more formidable that the hot ground. Somehow, the pits in the Doncaster coal district appear to be peculiarly liable to these “gob” fires, the seriousness of which no one attempts to minimise, and we understand that there is to be an inquiry into the causation at no distant date.