Mexborough and Swinton Times August 12, 1938
Workmen Buried in Trench
Three Injured – One Fatally
Five Ton Fall Of Clay
Three employees of the Wombwell Urban Council were seriously injured, and one has since died, as a result of the collapse of a trench in which they were working in Windmill Road, Wombwell, on Monday. The fatally injured man was: Charles Barker (50), ganger, (picture left) 54 Wath Road, Wombwell. The other two were: Fred Green (45), labourer, 46 Wath Road, Wombwell; and Horace Chatterton (44), labourer, (picture right) Alma Street, Wombwell; all married.
Earth Collapsed.
The men were working in a trench some five feet deep, excavated for the purpose of taking out an old iron pipeline. Running parallel with this trench was another partly-filled-in trench which had been excavated to a depth of fifteen feet for the purpose of laying a sewer in connection with a housing scheme.
Between the two trenches was some two feet of clay, and it was this intervening section which collapsed, burying the men. Altogether there were some eight men in the trench with Barker in charge of the work. A fourth man, Leonard Thompson (54), Myrtle Road, Wombwell, was caught by the forearms but managed to extricate himself. It was stated at the inquest that at the d time of the collapse Mr. W. Quest, Surveyor to the Wombwell U.D.C. was standing between the two trenches. Feeling the earth going he shouted “Look out,” and jumped over the trench.
Prodigious efforts were made by the other workers to extricate the men at the earliest moment, and after being, treated on the spot by Drs. Dickinson’ and Maxwell they were removed to hospital in the Wombwell U.D.C. and the Wombwell Main Colliery ambulances.
Mr. Barker was a son of Mrs. Barker, Lundhill Road, Wombwell, and the late George William Barker. A native of Lundhill he entered the service of the Wombwell U.D.C. seventeen years ago, and prior to that was a deputy a Barnsley colliery. He leaves a widow and one married son. The interment is at Wombwell Cemetery to-morrow (Saturday).
The Trench
