Mexborough and Swinton Times February 9, 1918

Wath Main Accident.
West Melton Man Killed
A Broken Link.

Mr, Frank Allen held an inquest at the Montagu Hospital, Mexboro’, on Tuesday, relative to the death of George William Vaughan (25), rope runner, 11, Co-operative Buildings,  West Melton, who was fatally injured in the Wath Main mine on Saturday.

Blanche Vaughan, widow of the deceased, said she last saw him on Friday evening at 8-40, when he left home to go to the Wath Main Colliery. She heard of the accident on Saturday afternoon, shortly before two. She saw him at the hospital on Saturday night, but he was unable to speak.

Peter Miller, 66, Wath road, . Bolton-on- Dearne said he was at work with deceased on Saturday morning- in the No. 1 South. Level. The accident happened at 11-45 deceased was the rope-runner in charge of the landing. There was a run of full ‘tubs coming along the level.

At the time of the accident they were standing, one of the tubs having been off the road.

Vaughan was in front of the run, and had signalled for the rope to be re-started               The rope had scarcely begun to move when a coupling gave way between the first and second tubs, and the first tub sprang forward and struck Vaughan, knocking him clear. Witness went to Vaughan, found him unconscious and sent for a deputy, and deceased was taken out of the pit.

John Henry Paskell, 6, Carnley street, West Melton, dayman., gave a similar account of the accident. Deceased he said, was crouching in the corner of a man-hole when he gave the signal to haul the run. There was a sound of something snapping, and then for a moment witness could see nothing for dust               . Then he saw  that the leading tub had struck Vaughan, who was lying unconscious and bleeding from the mouth. When the rope started there was no jerk, and there was no slack rope.

John Henry Edwards, colliery deputy, said he heard of the accident and went to the place. All the tubs were on the road. He examined the broken link and found that the fracture was due to a bad weld.

Mr. Walter Kelley, acting manager of the Wath Main Colliery, said he examined the place on Sunday morning. The link when new was seven-eighths of an inch in thickness, and welded at one end. The weld had drawn, and he found that the link had not been properly united. It had worn down to about 5/8 at the opposite end of  the link. The links were tested when bought and were supposed to bear a strain of 22 tons. The link would he bearing a strain of three tons at that point.

Sister Wesley, matron of the Montagu Hospital, said deceased was admitted on Saturday at 2 p.m., suffering from a fracture of the skull, and died on Saturday evening at 10.

A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned. Mr. W. J. On rl ton, H.M. Inspector, Mr, W. Kelley, acting manager of the mine, and Mr. H. Cutts, representing the workmen, were, present.