Mexborough and Swinton Times March 16, 1918

Fell from Aerial Flight
Mexborough Youth’s Shocking Death
A Blacksmith’s Narrow Escape

Mr Frank Allen held an inquest at the Commercial Hotel, Mexborough, on Wednesday relative to the death, the previous day, of George Alfred Chappell (15), 2 Cliff Street, Mexborough, who while following his occupation as flight attendants at the aerial roadway connected with the Manvers Main Colliery bye product plant, fell from the platform on which he was stationed to the ground, a distance of 80 feet, and was almost instantly killed.

Alfred Chapel, to Cliff St, Mexborough, night watchman, said deceased was his son, and was employed on the aerial roadway at the Manvers Main Colliery. On Tuesday morning he left home for the colliery at 5.30, and he was brought home dead at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. He had been engaged on this work about two months, was very fond of it. He had never said it was dangerous work. He was in good health.

John Farnell, 52 Highwoods Rd, Mexborough, colliery blacksmith, said he was at work on Tuesday in a blacksmith shop at number 2, Manvers Main Colliery. The aerial roadway connected with the Coke oven went practically over the blacksmith shop, at a height of 70 or 80 feet. Shortly after 2 o’clock he was kneeling down a few yards in front of the shop when he heard a thud behind him and the sound of falling metal. Looking round, he saw deceased lying near his feet, about a yard away, and his shovel lying near. Witness pick the boy up boy up, and found blood flowing very fast from his mouth and nose. Witness did not know the boy, and did not then realise that he had fallen from the aerial roadway. He thought deceased had simply stumbled over the shovel. He did not find any sign of life in the boy, but he sent for the ambulance.

Andrew Williams, 146 Chapel St, Wath upon Dearne, Coke oven foreman, said deceased was employed as flight attendant, and the station was on the top of the coke and coal hopper. His duty was to steady the empty buckets as they went past. The rope ran at an average speed of rather less than 3 miles an hour. The buckets past him at about date of his waist. There was plenty of clearance, and little likelihood of the bucket either bumping into him catching his clothing. The platform on which he was stood with about 20 feet wide. There would be 4 feet clearance even if the buckets were swinging violently. The platform was fenced leaving only an opening for the passage of the buckets. If he was stood with his back to the rope, and in the line of the rope, it would be possible for the booking to strike him and throw him off the platform.

There was a prescribed area on the platform which was marked off as dangerous and deceased was forbidden to go into that area. Witness thought he must have been inside the area. He had seen him in there several times, and had cautioned him. Probably he did it to look down and shout to someone below. There was no necessity for him to call to anyone below, and witness had had occasion to reprimanding him for the practice.

In answer to a juror, witness said it was quite usual to employ boys of that age on that work. There was nothing on the bucket that could catch the boys clothing. There was some small coal on the platform, inside the barrier, which the appearance of being recently shovelled.

The coroner said it seemed probable that the boy went, for some purpose into the forbidden area, and was caught by bucket and knocked off the platform.

A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.

Mr T Athlon was foreman of the jury, and the inquest was watched by Mr H Danby, Inspector of Mines, Mr JT Price, manager of the bye product plant.