Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 30 September 1892

Fatal Accident at Manvers Main Colliery.

A Deputy Censured.

On Wednesday afternoon, the District Coroner, Mr. D. Wightman, held an inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of Wm. Canadine, who died at 11 o’clock p.m. on Monday, at the Montagu Cottage Hospital, from injuries received whilst following his occupation at the Manvers Main Colliery the same day.

Mr. James Mellors watched the case, and Mr. Ward, under manager, was present on behalf of the Manvers Main Colliery Company.

Wm. Canadine, Swinton, said he was a tramline at the Manvers Main Colliery. Deceased was his father, and was 50 years of age. He was a miner at the Manvers Main Colliery, and witness worked for him. On Monday evening about seven o’clock deceased was filling a riddle ; witness was filling a tub about five or six yards away. Another miner, named Joseph Howcroft, was close by with his son George Howcroft, trammer. The deputy, manager, Joseph Hardy, was present about two hours before. He looked round the place, found no fault and gave no instructions. Witness thought Hardy had inspected the place as usual. Deceased was riddling when about two or three tons of coal fell, burying him. No one else was injured. Witness assisted to get him out, the process taking about five minutes. He was at one brought to the Montagu Cottage Hospital on the ambulance. He said to witness: “I am a lucky chap, if then is an accident I am bound to be in it.” Deceased was booked to the place and was head man in it. The coal fell between the face and the nearest prop. The distance between them will be about 3 feet. There were some props between the corve rails and the face. He did not examine the place after the accident. The fall came from a letter off. He did not know that there was a slip there before. His father had plenty of timber and sprags lying loose ready to be set. He was sure the coal which fell was not old. He heard his father say that he was going to set the sprags and then begin court “holing”.

By the Coroner: Deceased died at the hospital the same night.

Joseph Howcroft, miner, said he was working with the deceased as a “getter.” He corroborated the statements of the previous witness. Witness said he was bringing the coal out when the accident occurred. He did not know of the slip, nor did he hear Canadine say anything about it. The deputy had not told him about the slip, neither had the deceased.

By the Inspector: he saw no coal on the sprags. We had been in the place all the afternoon, and there had been no holding. The coal was “bottom,” and was hard; it was not overhanging at the top. There were plenty of sprags in the place. It was customary for them to sound the coal before going between the face and the sprags.

The first witness interjected that he saw his father sound the coal and the place appeared quite safe.

Joseph Hardy, afternoon deputy, said he was at the place at 4 o’clock before the fall. There were two miners there at the time. Deceased was one and Howcroft the other. Deceased was putting in a sprag. He examined the place in the ordinary way and did not find any “slip” nor any “hug.” He had not been to the place since.

The Coroner: You ought to have been, seeing that you have come here to give evidence.

By the Inspector: Witness did not know whether the call was old or not.

The Coroner: It is all wrong. Here you are as a scientific witness, and have not examined the place after the accident.

Resuming his answers to the Inspector, witness said there was about a couple of calls of coal lying about the film when he saw the place at 4 o’clock.

The Coroner: (addressing witness): In future, Hardy, if you come to an inquest on a man who has been killed in the district over which you are deputy, be sure to have seen the place after the accident.

Witness: I will, sir.

Coroner: that when you give evidence you will be able to tell the jury what is your opinion as to the cause of the accident. As it is, you’re not much used to the jury today. You are deputy, a man supposed to thoroughly understand the workings in a pit, therefore your evidence should be a much more value than an ordinary collier. Under the present circumstances you are of no use whatever.

After briefly reviewing the evidence, the coroner went on to say that the deceased was 50 years of age, and his son informed them that he had been in the pit 40 years. He was, certainly a man of very great experience. The probability was that he considered the place of safety working at the time when the fall took place, that if there was a “slip” he did not know of it. It was difficult to think that a man of his age would go and work in the place that was dangerous. It had been given in evidence that there was plenty of timber about if he thought it necessary to use them, the assumption was, therefore, that he did not think it necessary.

The Jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Mr Ward, under manager, informed the jury that both the manager and himself had censored Hardy for not going to inspect the place after the accident. He ought to have gone to the place as soon as the injured man was got out.

The Coroner: That is my opinion, and the opinion of the jury too I think.

The jury comprised Messrs A Thomson (foreman), W Nicholson, R Dickinson, W Brown, J Ford, J Minskip, J Bullock, H Waddington, E Bullock, F Sharp, H Willoughby and T Lewis