South Yorkshire Times, April 18, 1953

Corton Wood Pit Fatality

Killed By Cage

The Sheffield District Coroner, Mr A. P. Lockwood, recorded a verdict of ”Accidental’ death” at Saturday’s Wath inquest on 61-year-old Ben Sidebottom, night on setter, of 19, Dyer Road, Jump, who was fatally injured by the cage at Cortonwood Colliery last Thursday morning. Why he was crossing the bottom of the shaft at the time remained an unsolved mystery.

Harry Bell, who was engaged in getting salvage out of the pit at the time of the accident, told the Coroner that Sidebottom watched while material was put into one of the cages. He saw witness signal the cage away and would know that the balancing cage could then come to the bottom. Witness said he had his back to Sidebottom and continued “I shouted to him and when I got no answer I went forward and saw the cage was tilted. He was underneath it.”

Bell said that if Sidebottom intended to cross the shaft he could have opened the gate on his side and crossed in about half a minute. When he was found the gate on his side was closed and as there was no one else nearby it must have, by implication, been opened and closed by him, Mr Lockwood remarked.

Bell: I do not know what he was doing in the shaft but he would have know I wanted him to assist me down at my side when the cage came down. I have never heard of him crossing the bottom of the shaft before.

Bell said there was a long way round and admitted that Sidebottom may have been trying to save time by using the shorter route.

Mr Albert Arnold Mangham (manager at Cortonwood) said that the three previous list had not been to the top; the case has stopped on these occasions 28 feet from the bottom. He put forward a theory that Sidebottom may have mistaken the signal and thought that the cage was not going to the top. He was a good and conscientious workmen.

Mr Mangham said Doctor. I. Campbell (Swinton) said the cause of death was shock resulting from multiple injuries.