Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Saturday 05 October 1889
The Fatality at Denaby Main Colliery.
Yesterday Mr. D. Wightman held an inquiry at the Reresby Arms, Denaby Main, touching the death of Charles Clark, 22, a joiner, who was killed whilst following his work at the new coke-wasbiug building, which now is in course erection, in connection with the Denaby Main Colliery.
Mr. Mellors, Government inspector, was present and Mr. W. E. Atkinson of the firm Atkinson and Sons, solicitors, of watched the case behalf of Messrs. Arnold and Sons, contractors, of Doncaster, by whom the deceased was employed.
Charles Clarke, carter, Doncaster, said deceased was his brother, and worked as a joiner the mills in course of erection at Denaby Main Colliery. He was 22 years age, and had worked at Denaby about a month.
George Cox, engineman at the steam crane near the new works, said deceased was working as a joiner on a stage which runs across the engine house. Witness was duty on the 2nd October, when deceased was killed. About 10 o’clock in the morning came to witness and asked him shift a “tipping pan,” as he wanted some timber from under it. As soon as witness was at liberty he lowered his rope and called out to deceased to be careful, as the pan would swing against the building. He answered ” All right, lower down; I’ll hang it on.” Witness lowered the rope, and as it came down to him he shouted out, “Whoa.” Whilst witness was reversing the engine someone called out “Set up,” and he set up, that is raising the rope. He raised it very gently, and kept hauling until he heard the pan drop. He did act feel the pan at all, and never felt it drop.
A man named George who was the bank, called out to witness to lower it down, as the box was on the top of the deceased. Witness never saw the position in which deceased was when the box fell on him. The someone who said “set up”was George Phipps. Witness did not know why he did not say so before.
The Coroner : What has caused the accident?—Witness: Don’t know.
Further cross-examined, Witness said deceased must have missed his foothold, and, catching hold of the pan, pulled it on the top at him in the hole beneath.
A verdict ” Accidentally killed ” was returned.”