Cadeby Pit Disaster of 1912
William Henry Pickering
William Henry Pickering died as a result of the second explosion at Cadeby Colliery.
William H. Pickering, Home Office Inspector of Mines, was born in 1858 at Upholland Lancashire, the second son of James Pickering a Coal Agent of Fisher House, Ormskirk Road, Orrell, who died in 1898.
In February, 1905, at a meeting of mining engineers held in Leeds, Mr. Pickering, British Mining Inspector, read a paper on 'The Dust Danger' The importance of dust as a factor in colliery explosions was, he said, now generally recognized and understood. Provisions had been introduced in the Coal Mine Regulation act regulating the use of explosives in dry and dusty places, and the 'Explosives in Coal Mines' order had been issued by the Home Secretary.
On 19 May 1910, he was awarded the Edward Medal for gallantry following his rescue attempt at the Water Haigh Colliery, Oulton.
The Pickering Reports
These reports were issued as a Blue Book, a few days after his untimely death, and dealt with the Yorkshire and North Midland District of which he was in charge. It was said that in view of his death on Tuesday 9th July, 1912, the papers were of 'unusual interest'.
On a sketchmap, which showed the position of collieries near Doncaster, Mr. Pickering had written his signature in the right hand corner. On the extreme left, Cadeby Main Colliery was marked.
In his introduction Mr. Pickering wrote that the importance of the division would be realized from the facts that output from mines and quarries was 76,111,852 tons thats its value was £26,322,630 and that work was found for the 255,646 persons of whom 262 were killed, 1,751 seriously injured and 39,610 disabled for more than 7 days.
In the section dealing with accidents Mr. Pickering wrote:
For another year the coalfield has been spared a mining disaster resulting in a large number of deaths from one accident. The last disaster was in 1896, a remarkable record for a district where most of the persons employed work in very fiery mines ... It is very encouraging to note a substantial reduction in the number of accidents, the number of deaths, and in the death-rate per 1000 persons employed. The number of deaths, other things being equal, might be expected to increase in proportion to the expansion of the coalfield. The death-rate is the true test, and the table shows that it is the lowest recorded for the past 11 years. The reduction in the number of deaths from falls of roof and side is particularly gratifying. The record is still far from satisfactory, for the accidents could be greatly reduced if the officials would exercise greater vigilance and the workmen, more care. The education of public opinion is the only remedy.
In 1912, a Joint Paper produced by William and his son Basil H. Pickering, about 'Eliminating Waste in shaft pillars', was presented to the Institute of Mining Engineers.
Mr. J. R. R. Wilson who, after the Cadeby accident, was Acting Chief Divisional Inspector of Mines said of Mr. Pickering:
... he was like a brother, I feel his loss most acutely just now. It was simply a train of coincidences that I was not with him at the moment of the disaster. Mr. Pickering was trying to get me on the telephone from half past 6 to 20 minutes past 7, and that delay meant that I did not join him just at that momemt ...
William Henry Pickering resided at Lawn House, Doncaster.
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