Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 18 November 1887
A Miner Buried Under 20 Tons of Coal
An inquest was held on Friday afternoon at the New Station Inn, Wombwell, before Mr D Wightman, touching the death of John Crossland, a mining contractor, was killed by a fall of roof at Mitchell’s main colliery, on the eighth inst.
Charles Morgan said deceased was a contractor down the pit, and witness worked for him. Witness of the 8th inst., between one and 2 o’clock, was filling some tubs at the top of number two “jinny” when the accident happened. There was a bar set against the coal which deceased was working, but it did not look very safe. The roof have been “bumping” and “weighting” some time, and the deceased had heard it. The bar was broken, but it stopped in its place. When deceased hit the bar with his hand to knock it out, the roof came down with a crash, and he was covered with a fall of between 20 and 30 tons of rock and coal. The deceased had plenty of time before to set a bar.
By Mr Gerrard (assistant inspector of mines): the old bar was broken, and Berry, the deputy, had examined it half an hour before the accident and said it must not be trusted. He told deceased to get the “muck” out of the way and to set another bar. Deceased did not do this.
John George Berry, the deputy, said he was told deceased the bar was unsafe, as it was badly broken, that he was to set another. This did not appear to have been done.
The Coroner stated that the accident appeared to be due to deceased neglect to set another bar, and a verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.