South Yorkshire Times, August 16th, 1969.

Production at Cortonwood Collery, Wombwell, came to a complete standstill last weekend, and underground workers have this week been redeployed at five local pits following a dramatic incident on Friday, evening which caused a total blockage of the pit’s main shaft.

About 250 miners from Cortonwood have been temporarily divided between Wath. Barnburgh, New Stubbin, Manvers and Elsecar Collieries. The remainder of the pit’s 1000 employees have been engaged in salvage, development or surface work. It is likely that the stoppage has meant a loss of around 12,000 tons of coal for the week.

Evactuated

Miners were evacuated from the pit when a skip, carrying coal to the surface, caught a girder in the shaft, blocking it and stopping the cage from moving up and down. No one was injured and the men left the mine by a second shaft.

The minders reported as usual to the pit on Monday, and were deployed to the area’s other pits from there. In several cases special transport was laid on.

A Coal Board spokesman told the “South Yorkshire Times,” soon after the incident: “Normal working is likely to be held up for a week while repairs are carried out.”