South Yorkshire Times, April 3rd, 1953
“Sprags” Might Have Saved Miner’s Life – Coroner
If “Sprags” had been set in compliance with pit regulations where there was overhanging or undercut coal, it might have prevented a fatal accident at Cadeby Colliery, Conisbrough, the Doncaster Coroner (Mr. IV. H. Carlile) explained at a Doncaster inquest on Saturday.
He was promised by a Conanby colliery deputy, Arthur Sidney Lawrence, Leslie Avenue, that in future he would see that sprags were put in where there was undercut or overhanging coal. The inquest was on Samuel Hughes (57), collier, also of Leslie Avenue, who died in Doncaster Infirmary on March 26th, following an accident at the colliery on March 12th, when he was struck by a steel prop forced out by a heavy fall of coal.
A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.
William Colin Quinn, collier, Church Road, said he, Hughes and a man named Arthur Mangham (Ferry Terrace, Conisbrough) had been trying to get down a heavy piece of coal. The roof had seemed all right.
Then about four yards nearby one yard of coal fell and he heard Mangham call: “Come over here, Sam is under some coal.”
Quinn said although there was an undercut he did not set sprags as he thought it was not necessary.
Deputy Lawrence said that in his examination he had thought the coal looked safe and did not need sprags. At the time of his examination the coal was not overhanging. He did not see a break in the roof until after the accident.
The Coroner said that he would always insist on the regulations for safety being observed. It was not a question of “thinking what it was necessary to do,” but observing the law for pit safety.