Terrible Death of a Youth At Cadeby Main Colliery

March 1897

Mexborough and Swinton Times March 6, 1897

Terrible Death of a Youth At Cadeby Main Colliery

An inquest was held on Tuesday at the Denaby Main Hotel, before Mr F. E. Nicholson, district coroner, touching the death of John T. Porter, residing with his parents in Sprotborough Street, aged 15 years, who met his death the previous day in a frightfully shocking manner by being caught in the machinery.

The deceased, a youth 15 years of age, was employed as a coal picker on what is known as the “nut belt.” No one seems to have witnessed the sad and unfortunate occurrence, or to know exactly how and where he first became entangled.

The foreman of the jury was Mr George Butcher, and the colliery company were represented by Mr H. S. Witty, the manager, and Mr James Rose, engineer.

Plans were produced showing the exact position of their fencing, machinery, and place where the boy was found.

The father, a miner, also employed at Cadeby, and residing in the new buildings, Denaby main, stated that he last saw the deceased at 5 am., and did not again see him until he was brought home dead. From the evidence he appeared to have left his work on the nut belt to go and get his “snap” in the screen engine house, a building about 80 yards away, shortly before 9 o’clock. He was afterwards seen to leave the engine house by a screen man named J. Brown, who stated that he last saw him alongside their fencing by the hard belt, through which it is conjectured he passed as an alternative route back to his duties, but which unfortunately he never reached.

He was found dead under the creepers by Jesse Horn.

Mr Butcher asked if the boy had any business to go through the fence in question, or if it would be a shorter cut to where he was working. It was stated that the distance by the proper road was about 80 yards, and why he should have gone through the fence there was no evidence to prove. The way in which the youth met his untimely death, it is supposed, was by going through the fencing and becoming entangled with the “creeper” belt taking slack from the screen to the revolving screen

The jury returned a verdict of accidentally killed.” The youth had only been working in a few months.

The deceased was insured with the Pearl Assurance Company. The claim was made at the district office. 68, spring gardens, Doncaster, on Tuesday, and within a few hours the superintendent was at Denaby and settled the claim.