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Full Details

Surname
JENNINGS
Forename
Thomas William
Day
15
Month
11
Year
1907
Age
18
Occupation
Haulage lad
Mine/Quarry Name
Barrow
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Barrow Haematite Steel Co. Ltd
Location
Worsbrough Park
County
Yorkshire WR
Details of Event
Shaft Accident killed 7. Along with others the deceased men got on to the cage in the No.3 shaft at the Parkgate seam for the purpose of ascending to the surface at the end of their shifts. A horsekeeper was also in the cage to go to the Thorncliffe seam 38 yards below. The cage was therefore, lowered to that seam where he got of. At the Thorncliffe landing there is a staging or platform so that the men can get on or off the two decks of the cage without its being move. The signalling is done from the top part of this staging and the hanger on there is the chargeman; the one at the low part is an assistant and beyond opening and closing the gates protecting the entrance to the shaft taking off and putting on the chains at the ends of the decks and pitting over a flag or flat sheet to cover the space between the floor of the deck of the cage and that of the landing has nothing to do. The flag or flat sheet is fitted with two spikes each 3.5 inches long which fit into holes in the floor of the cage decks and act as anchors to the cage. They are hinged to the floors of the landings and lifted and lowered by means of chains by the hangers-on. On the day in question the hanger-on, on the top part or landing of the staging when the cage came let the horsekeeper get off without dropping the flag or flat sheet, and at the same time shouted to the hanger-on at the bottom landing ‘Don't put the flag down’, and at the same moment signalled for the cage to be taken to the surface. Unfortunately the hanger-on at the bottom landing had lowered the flag and before he could get it up again the cage started and the result was that the cage was held and tilted for a moment or so and the flag flew back. Violent oscillation was thus set up and in ascending the top of the cage collided against the girder under the floor of the Parkgate landing with such force as to damage the cage and with another girder. It became liberated and was taken further up the shaft where it collided with another girder. The engineman the noticed something was wrong and stopped the cage. Seven of the men at one or another of these places were thrown out of the cage and fell to the bottom of the shaft being killed instantly and six others were more or less seriously injured. 7 killed.