Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 08 October 1903

Fatalities At Denaby And Cadeby

Three Men Lose Their Lives

Denaby yesterday was the scene of two fatal accidents which caused considerable sensation in the neighbourhood, one man meeting his death about 4.30 in the morning through being run over by trucks in the Denaby Colliery yard, and another, a carman in the employ of the Great Central Railway, being knocked down near the Denaby level crossing by the two o’clock passenger train from Doncaster, the poor fellow being decapitated whilst crossing the line, in the sight of many people.

On the same afternoon an inquest was held at the Montagu Cottage Hospital, Mexborough, respecting the death of Charles Hanks, 27, a dataller, who met his end through a descending cage striking him whilst at work in the Cadeby Pit, early on Saturday morning.

Crushed To Death

The victim of the early morning disaster was a married man about 50 years of age, Joseph Pears by name, who resided at Wood View, Denaby. He had been in the employ of the colliery company for about three months as an extra labourer.

He was run over by some dirt waggons, both legs being severely mangled, and one arm severed from the body. He only lived about five minutes.

A Gruesome Spectacle

The next victim was Henry Greaves, a married man, of Swinton, and who had been in the employ of the Great Central Railway for many years. He left his horse and dray standing near the subway, about 50 yards from the Denaby level crossing, and called for some bundles of herbs that had been left at the Bone Mill for conveyance by rail to Sheffield.

He had got two bundles on the dray, and was apparently returning for some more, and passed to the railway line behind a goods train going in the direction of Doncaster, without noticing the approach of a passenger train at full speed on the other line. Stepping forward the unfortunate man was killed instantly.

A number of workmen leaving the colliery yard soon gathered, and a gruesome sight met their eyes. The victim’s head had been cut clean off, and was found some yards away from the body, whilst his brains were scattered for a distance of some 50 to 20 yards.

Killed By A Descending Cage At Cadeby

As before stated, Charles Hanks, of Denaby, a young dataller, who had only been married a month, was struck by a descending cage at the Cadeby Pit early on Saturday morning. At the inquest yesterday a verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.

Engine-Driver Severely Scalded

Not far from Denaby on that section of the Dearne Valley Railway, now in course of construction from Cadeby to Thurnscoe, another accident occurred yesterday, this one happily being unattended by loss of life.

The victim was Henry Lovell, of 48, Victoria Road, Mexborough, an engine-driver. He was carrying out his duties, taking waggon-loads of earth from the excavations, and was on his engine, when a tube burst, and he was severely scalded about the arms and legs, and knocked him clean off the engine, in this manner also sustaining injuries to his head.