The Terrific Gale

Great Destruction of Life and Property

A Schoolmaster Injured at Denaby

At Denaby Main a respected inhabitant of the village, Mr. Holdsworth, the schoolmaster at the Denaby Schools, was in bed when the heavy chimney stack fell with a crash through the roof into the room where he was sleeping. Mrs. Holdsworth and her daughter had also their bedrooms ventilated with much dust and debris of the fallen chimney.

The officials at the Denaby Colliery sent a number of men to clear away the rubbish, when Mr. Holdsworth was discovered in a semi-conscious condition, with a severe gash across his eyes, and his face much blackened by soot. Nearly a ton of debris was removed from the bed, and had it not been for the coverlet the injured man would have been suffocated. Medical assistance was called in, and his injuries attended to, when it was discovered that in addition to serious wounds on his head he was suffering from bruises on the legs and arms. He is progressing as favourably as can be expected, though it will be some time before he will be able to resume his duties.

The house occupied by Mr. Read, in Denaby View, also had the chimney stack blown down. A kennel containing a large dog, belonging to Mr. Fox, the manager of the Co-operative Stores, at Denaby, was hurled from one end of the yard to the other.

At Kilnhurst a large portion of a stack belonging to Mr. Rhodes was blown to some distance, and a portion of the chimney belonging to the premises of Mr. G. J. Kell, running engineer, was blown down. The inmates escaped unhurt.

A Woman Injured at Swinton

At Swinton a house situated in Bowbroom had the gable end blown away, and the chimney stack fell through the roof into a bedroom, where a woman named Widowson was sleeping. The iron bedstead was destroyed, and the unfortunate woman, who lies in a critical condition, was seriously injured, her ribs being fractured. She also suffered from severe internal injuries.

At the South Yorkshire Glass Bottle Manufacturing Company’s Works a sheet of 20 feet by 20 feet was blown down, and the roof of the remaining portion of the works damaged greatly, it being almost entirely denuded of tiles. A wall belonging to Mr. Pouncey, of Cliff Field House, was blown down. Inquiry every step, the parish numbers have had their gable ends stripped off. The gale abated somewhat in the afternoon of Wednesday.