South Yorkshire Times, November 11th 1944
Tried To Walk With Broken Neck
Conanby Miner’s Fatal Injury
How a miner attempted to walk out of the pit at Denaby Main Colliery after having been struck by a piece of stone, which was later found to have fractured his neck, but collapsed while doing so, was described to the Doncaster District Coroner (Mr. W. H. Carlile), at a Denaby inquest on Tuesday on William Davies (60), dataller, of Markham Avenue, Conanby. Davies died on Friday in the Fullerton Hospital, where he was admitted following the accident on September 11th.
Recording a verdict of “Accidental Death,” the coroner commented “It shows how careful people should be when dealing with injured folk, particularly in the pit where accidents are daily happening.”
Samuel Phillips, dataller, 56, Burman Road, Wath, said that Davies and he were on the morning shift on September 11th withdrawing supports in 201 north-west heading in the Parkgate seam. About 11.10 they were withdrawing a steel prop, when the hook on the “Silvester” broke. Witness went down on his hands and knees searching for the hook for fully ten minutes, and Davies, who had been sitting behind him, also knelt down and began searching. Phillips heard him shout “Oh, Sam” turned and saw the stone on him. The stone was about 3ft. by 2ft. It appeared to have struck Davies on the shoulder and knocked him sideways into a prop. Witness removed the stone, tried for twenty minutes to get Davies to speak and then went for deputy, who examined him.
When he did speak Davies said, “Well Sam’s been there fully ten minutes looking for that hook and I have walked right underneath it.” He said he had hurt his back. He was lying down and then sat up, but witness told him to sit there. Witness did not think he was seriously hurt. At 1-20 Davies took out his watch and said that he thought he would go out a little earlier. Witness took it that Davies wanted him to go with him and went to put the tools away. Davies set off ahead of him, but 300 yards from where he was struck by the stone witness found him lying down and fetched a stretcher. The roof from which the stone fell was supported by props and bars, set 3ft 6ins. apart, closer than usual.
The deputy, Gerner Cuzner Cutts, 160, Doncaster Road, Conisbrough, said after the accident he found on examining Davies, a bruise on his left shoulder, and a small red mark on his ribs at the right side, where he had been pushed against the prop. Davies said it felt a little “raw” on his left shoulder. Witness got him to move his arms and legs, and told him to stay where he was until he returned and then went into the next heading to give instructions to the men there. Witness thought Davies was all right.
Coroner: Do you think it right for an injured man to go out by himself?
Witness: I did not think he was serious at the time.
Witness was told Davies had fallen again. He asked him if he was hurt anywhere. Davies said “Aye” and that was all witness could get him to say. Davies was then taken out of the pit on a stretcher.
Addressing witness, the coroner said, “Looking back on it, would it not have been better to have kept him under control and for him to have been taken out of the pit on a stretcher in the first place and not have walked out? Don’t you realise that a man in his condition may say and do silly things?”
Dr. David T. Clark said he examined Davies when he was admitted to the Fullerton Hospital the same day. He was suffering from severe shock and abrasions of the back and shoulders. He complained only of stiffness. When his condition due to shock, would allow, he was X-rayed. While in hospital he developed bronchial pneumonia. Death was due to toxemia, due to paraplegia, due to contusion of the spinal cord in the cervical region.