Inquest on Denaby Pitman adjourned.

August 1964

South Yorkshire Times, August 8.

Inquest on Denaby Pitman adjourned.

A 64 years old colliery salvage worker was knocked down, when a pulley, being pushed along by him and three other men, ran back a few inches in a gate at Denaby Main Colliery, it was stated at a Mexborough inquest yesterday, when the district Doncaster district coroner, Mr K.D.Potter, opened and adjourned an enquiry into the death of Mr William Durose, of Annerley Street, Denaby, who died in Mexborough Montague Hospital.

Mr Potter said that it was a most unusual case in that the death might or might not have been a result of the accident.

Pathologist, Dr Hugh Richman said death was due to pulmonary embolism and thrombosis. This had been brought about by an old blood clot, caused by a severe heart attack some time ago, moving and immobilising part of the brain.

This was not necessarily caused by the accident, but could have been caused by any sort of strenuous exercise.

Question by union official Mr Tom Ryan, the pathologist agreed that the violent physical exercise involved in moving the pulley could well have motivated the blood clot.

Harold Middleton, of Copley Avenue, Conisbrough, said he was one of the four men moving the pulley and its weight was about three or 4 hundredweights.

Knocked Down.

Two were pulling at the frontĀ and the diseased and another were pushing at the rear.

“The pulley suddenly slipped back about a foot and a half as we were on a steep incline and the floor tended to be slippy,” he said. “It knocked Mr Durose down and he said that it had trapped his knee.

He was not pinned down but was knocked to the floor. He said that we should give him a few minutes and he would be all right. After a while it was not much better, so we fetch the under manager and a stretcher was sent for, and Mr Durose was taken to the hospital.”

Mr Middleton, also a salvage worker, said that he was positive that Mr Durose was knocked down and had not fallen down.

Question by Mr Ryan, who asked if usually this job would not have been done by means of a truck on rails, Mr Middleton said it was work which was very hard for men of their ages.

Inquest will be resumed on September 16th.