Cadeby Pit Disaster of 1912
The Fate of the Rescue Parties
The work of the rescue parties was seriously hampered by the heavy falls of coal and stone which followed the explosion. The task of bringing the bodies to the surface began shortly after 9 o'clock by which time it was estimated that between 20 and 30 men had perished.
Mr. W. H. Pickering, Chief Inspector of Mines for Yorkshire and the North Midlands and Mr. Hewitt and Mr. Pickle other mine inspectors went down the pit, and rescue parties with special apparatus came from Wath-on-Dearne.
The Managing Director of the colliery company was in Sunderland when the accident happened and when he heard the news, he returned right away. In his absence his nephew, Mr. Douglas Chambers of Denaby pit joined the party who went into the mine, as did Douglas Pickering, son of the Government Inspector. These men were superintending the rescue below when a further explosion occurred.
George Whitton, on the far left of the photograph above, was one of the rescue team who died after they had entered the pit and the second explosion occured. George was the father of 3 girls and 2 boys, the youngest of those children, was only 8 months old.
Men were brought up in a state of collapse, overcome by the fumes.
The noise of the second explosion was heard 2 miles away. Other rescue parties were summoned.
Crowds gathered in the pit yard and at the pit head as anxious relatives waited for news. Several bodies were brought to the surface.
©2004