Cadeby Main pit disaster

The Cadeby Main Pit Disaster was a coal mining accident on 9 July 1912 at Cadeby Main Colliery at Cadeby, at Doncaster, now in South Yorkshire, England, killing 87 men. Early in the morning of 9 July 1912 an explosion in the south-west part of the Cadeby Main pit killed 35 men with 3 more dying later due to their injuries. Later in the same day after a rescue party was sent below ground another explosion took place killing 53 men of the rescue party.

Disaster

Opened in 1893 the Cadeby pit was owned by the Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Company, 5,000 men worked in Cadeby and at the related Denaby pit.[1] The King and Queen had been visiting mining villages in the area so the number of men below ground was less than usual following celebration the day before.[1] Only about 200 men were in the pit when an explosion occurred at about 02:00, in the direct area of the explosion 35 men were killed.[1] News of the disaster soon spread around Conisbrough and district and women and children rushed to the pit head.[1] Men who were not at work also turned up to help with the rescue but nothing could be done at first due to the fear of afterdamp.[1]

Soon volunteers entered the pit to search for bodies and these rescue teams were hampered by heavy falls of coal and stone and by 08:00 only six bodies had been brought to the surface.[1] Further explosions occurred while the rescue team were at work, killing some of the rescuers.[1] A total of 53 men were killed in the later explosions including W.H. Pickering the Chief Government Inspector of Mines for Yorkshire and the North Midlands and Charles Bury the manager of the colliery who died the following week from his injuries.[2]

Aftermath

The King and Queen who were visiting mining villages in the area went to the pit the following day to ascertain the situation and give support to the families.[1] This fact was mentioned in the 1977 film The Price of Coal, during a discussion by the managers of the colliery.[3]

Two colliery deputies were awarded the Edward Medal first class as well as three second class medals for gallantry during the disaster.[4]

Memorials to remember the 91 dead were unveiled at cemeteries in Conisbrough and Denaby on 9 July 2012, 100 years after the deadly event.

Report

The Chief Inspector of Mines issued a report in May 1913 detailing the accident, he concluded that a fire which had started some years before had never really been put out and had caused a small explosion in the same area in January 1912.[5] The circumstances on the day encouraged the larger explosion.[5] The inspector did criticise the rescue effort and although many men were trained in rescue work other unauthorised men had also entered the mine to help, which increased the death toll from the second explosion.[5]

References
  1. "Pit Disaster in Yorkshire". News. The Times (39947). London. 10 July 1912. p. 8.
  2. "The Cadeby Disaster - Death of the Manager of the Pit". News in Brief. The Times (39952). London. 16 July 1912. p. 8.
  3. "BFI Screenonline: Price Of Coal, The (1977)". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  4. "Awards of the Edward Medal". Official Appointments and Notices. The Times (40223). London. 28 May 1913. p. 11.
  5. "Cadeby Main Disaster". News. The Times (40212). London. 15 May 1913. p. 8.

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