Bentinck Colliery Disaster, 30th June 1915

On 30th June 1915 there was a serious accident at Bentinck Colliery, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, killing nine men [1] and injuring seven. News of the disaster, including some graphic descriptions of the fate of the men, appeared in the Nottingham press later that day.

“HURLED 600 FEET TO DEATH.

”12 Miners Killed and 7 Injured in Notts. Disaster.

“PIT CAGE SMASH.

“Mysterious Collision Midway Down Bentinck Shaft.

“Twelve miners were killed outright and seven others injured by a pit-cage disaster which occurred this morning at Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts.

“Two cages – one ascending and the other descending the shaft, which is 1,500 feet deep, collided midway with such force that twelve of the occupants were killed and seven were badly hurt.

“The accident happened in the Bentinck Colliery, belonging to the New Hucknall Colliery Company, between six o’clock and seven o’clock. Men were being lowered down the No. 2 shaft to the working when the cages collided midway. There were 14 men in the down-going cage and five in the ascending cage.

“Of the 15 ten were hurled by the impact of the platform to the bottom of the shaft – a dreadful fall of 60 feet. Of the remainder two were killed although not thrown from the cage, and the other seven were all more or less seriously injured.

“Two of the most serious cases of injury were W. Bacon [2], of Selston, and his son, C. Bacon [3], and they were conveyed to Mansfield Hospital. The others were taken to their respective homes. Bacon senior was removed to his home after receiving treatment at the hospital, but his son is seriously hurt, and an operation was necessary.

“CAUSE A MYSTERY.

“Up to the time of telephoning, says our correspondent, the actual cause of the accident remains a mystery.

“At the earliest moment after receiving intimation of the accident the officials of the colliery were on the scene, including Mr. P. F. Day (manager), Mr. G. H. Hunt (enginewright), and Mr. P. Muschamp (agent to the company).

“Two of the injured men were got out of No. 2 shaft, and the remainder of the injured men were taken through the working to the “top soft” mouth, and were drawn up No. 3 shaft.

“The accident is extraordinary inasmuch as the cages in No. 2 shaft had already taken down the greater part of the men. After the accident the ropes were examined, but nothing wrong was discovered in this connection.

“This is the first serious accident since the opening of the colliery in 1894, although a serious fire occurred there only last week.

“BRINGINING UP THE DEAD.

“The gruesome work of bringing the victims to the surface was not able to be commenced until about three o’clock, and then for half-an-hour or more a procession of stretchers passed from the pit-head to the joiners’ shop, tear-filled, watching the process. The stretchers were borne by bareheaded men, and during the tragic procession of the dead many women among the crowd (numbering several hundreds) fainted, and had to receive the attention of the Red Cross nurses who were in attendance. Hot coffee and tea were brought out, and the relief-party were regaled with much-needed refreshment.

“The work of identification, which at the moment of telephoning had just begun, is likely to be a difficult and harrowing business. Many of the bodies are dismembered; and in other cases the features have been so bruised and battered as to be beyond recognition.

“Only three men so far have been identified, they are:-

“George Simpson, Lindley’s lane, Kirkby,

“Amos Allen, Kirkby,

“George Smith, Church-street, Kirkby (brother of James Smith, one of the injured).

“THE INJURED.

“The injured are:-

“W. Bacon, aged 60, of Woodnook, Selston; cuts and bruises on head and left leg.

“C. Bacon, his son, of Lower Mexborough, Selston (fractured skull and broken spine).

“James Smith, Church-street, Kirkby-in-Ashfield (injury not stated).

“E. Ainger, aged 22, of 117, Vernon-road, East Kirkby; cut on head.

“Robert Walker, aged 24, Beighton-street, Sutton; bruised back and contusion to left leg.

“Harold Shelton, aged 23, of Spring-street, Sutton; injury to ankle.

“Charles Simpson, aged 27, of 49, Mutton-hill, East Kirkby, injury to foot.

“THE PIT IDLE.

“The whole pit is now idle, between 1,500 and 1,800 men and boys now being affected. It is not anticipated that it will be possible to resume work for at least a week. It is exactly a week ago since the fire occurred at No. 1 shaft. The men who were affected were all put on an afternoon shift, and in their case being again prevented from working will be a double hardship. The pit head working full time – six shifts a week – and it has been with extreme difficulty that orders have been dealt with.

“Among the doctors in attendance were Dr. Waller, Dr. Nesbit, Dr. Durance, Dr. Small. Dr. Hamilton, Dr. Daykin and Dr. Duncan. The police were early on the scene, and Mr. C. Bunfield, secretary of the Notts. Miners’ Association, was amongst the watchers at the pit head.

“It is expected that the inquest be opened tomorrow.

“BODIES “WHISTLED DOWN.”

“Victims Dismembered in their Terrible Fall.

“A graphic story of the disaster was given to an “Evening News” representative by Albert Suthern, of 69, Harcourt-street, who is the on-setter at the bottom of No. 2 shaft.

“The bottom cage,” he said, “had started to go up with two or three night-shift men when there was a sudden bang. It sounded for all the world like a gun going off. I waited a moment and expected to see the down cage alight in the usual way. I heard the whistling down of what I took to be the cage, and was horrified to hear body after body come crashing down to the bottom. It was terrible; I was in a way, I ran forward and could see the glimmer of the lamps which the men had been carrying and which were still burning. The two deputies, who also heard the bang, at once took steps to prevent the men who were waiting their turn from rushing forward. Ambulance men were called for, and all possible assistance was rendered. I never saw such a sight in my life.”

“Some of the men, Suthern added, were dismembered, and it was a terrible task collecting together the limbs. Bractice cloth was used for the purpose of wrapping round the bodies, which numbered, he thought, about a dozen.

“Six Men Clinging to Bottomless Cage.

“He thought the bottom of the down cage must have been knocked out. Six of the fourteen men who were in the cage were still inside when it alighted, although how they managed to remain there is a mystery.

“The 150 who had gone down when the accident happened were brought to the surface, and the painful task of bringing up the mutilated bodies was left until last. Six doctors went down.

“Difficult Rescue Work.

“One of the men told our representative that altogether they were 1½ hours in the shaft. Some of the injured men who were suspended half-way were heard to shout: “How long are you going to be before you can bring us up?” and the reply came: “You are all right; we are doing our best for you.” But the work was long and tedious, and it was only with extreme difficulty that they were brought to the surface.

“A Terrifying Experience.

“Robert Walker, of Beighton-street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, related a most terrifying experience. Referring to the cages catching in the shaft, he said: “It seemed to catch the end of the chair. There was a crash and I thought we were all going to the bottom. I was on the undamaged part of the cage and, my clothes catching, I fell head downwards, and was suspended for what seemed about twenty minutes. I struggled and kept swinging until my hand touched what I took to be the rail in the cage. I took hold of it and it saved me. When I had recovered myself sufficiently I was able to stand on the rail, and I then saw someone else swinging on the cage. He was given assistance, but died. Who he was, I don’t know.”

“Walker was injured about the back and right leg, and was considerably bruised. He was one of the number being taken on the “deep soft” [waiting] to be brought up the No. 2 shaft – an operation occupying some three hours.

“Harold Shelton, another of the injured men, who lives in Spring-street, Sutton, was in the descending cage. They noticed nothing wrong, he said, until the cages caught half-way in the shaft. The impact knocked out the side and part of the bottom chair. “After the smash,” Shelton said, “there were only six of us left, and we held on. One man died before we could liberate him.” [3]

[1] The estimated number of fatalities was reduced to ten and then to nine. Presumably this was because the remains of the dead were dismembered and only after they had been ‘re-assembled’ was the actual number confirmed.

[2] William Bacon is shown in the 1911 Census as 58 years old, living at Woodnook, Selston, with his wife, Sarah, aged 56, his 17 year-old son, James, a coal miner (ganger), and grandson, Syril Alfred Wood, aged 9.

[3] ‘The Nottingham Evening News’, 30th June 1915.

Photograph: http://www.healeyhero.co.uk/rescue/Collection/shane/bentick.htm