Cadeby Pit Disaster of 1912
The Inquest
The inquest was resumed on 23rd July at Conisborough. Among those in court were J. R. R. Wilson, Acting Divisional Inspector of Mines; William H. Chambers, Managing Director of the Colliery Company; Herbert Smith and Sam Roebuck, President and Assistant Secretary of the Yorkshire Miners Association.
The Coroner stated that he had received a letter from the Home Office to the effect that the examination of witnesses on technical matters on behalf of the Government would be deferred until the Departmental Inquiry.
It was believed that 14 bodies were still in the mine.
The first witness was William Humphreys one of the 2 survivors of the first explosion. He explained how his suspicions were aroused by the interruption of the air current in the south district and the flying of dust. Having obtained assistance, he went into the zone of the explosion where he found 50 or 60 tubs smashed up. Beyond these was a fall of the roof and he found the body of a man named Mulrooney.
An account of subsequent investigations was given by Joseph Farmer and John Bullock, the latter dealing with his discovery of 22 bodies.
The evidence of James Springthorpe, the south district deputy was read by the Coroner, the witness being too ill to be examined. It was stated that Springthorpe lost his son in the second explosion.
An account of the 2nd explosion was given by Percy Murgatroyd, a survivor of one of the rescue parties. He said he was with Mr. Bury, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Douglas Chambers and Mr. Tickle, and they all stood on one side to let a stretcher pass with a body. The stretcher party had only gone a few yards when the explosion occurred.
The witness compared the shock of the explosion with the sudden closing of the ventilation door with great pressure behind it.
The noise of the fall of the roof was greater than the explosion, The air was filled with dust and smoke, and the witness told how he could hardly see his electric lamp before his face.
He had difficulty in getting over the 2 falls, but went down to the junction where Mr. Pickering and the others were lying.
He could not see them until he fell over them, and was too weak to rise. He laid there about 10 minutes and afterwards tried to telephone to the pit bottom, without success. He did not know any more until someone came over the fall and told him the air was alright.
Benjamin Hatfield, a deputy, said he had found bodies lying in twos and threes in the affected district.
Evidence was also given by Mr. Harvey S. Witt, agent for the colliery, who stated he first heard news of the disaster about 6 0'clock and immediately communicated with Mr. Pickering and the Rescue Station.
During the morning he had received a telephone message from Wentworth for Mr. Pickering, who was invited to luncheon with the King and Queen at Hickleton. He tried to get Mr. Pickering on the telephone in the pit and the reply was. 'I can't get him. it has gone off again and all those in the district are behind a big fall'.
The witness then went down and found a heap of bodies, including that of Mr. Pickering.
Only 2 men were alive, Mr. Bury and Mr. Farmery. The witness added that his head was affected by the afterdamp but he went back later with Mr. Chambers, the Managing Director.
In reply to a juryman, the witness said that from the time of his arrival Mr. Pickering took supreme charge of the operations below ground.
By Mr. Smith - The witness had received a report during the previous week-end of a smell in the south district such as would arise from a gob fire and it was being attended to. The pit was reported to be quite safe up to the eve of the explosion.
After Mr. Wilson had given evidence of his inspection of the pit and discovery of the bodies of his colleagues, the Coroner suggested that the jury should limit their verdict simply to the cause of death, leaving other questions to the later inquiry.
The jury returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death caused by two explosions in the colliery'.
©2004