Mexborough and Swinton Times July 13, 1888

Frightful Accident at the Darfield Main Colliery

Two Lads Shockingly Mangled

Between three and 4 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon a frightful accident occurred at the Darfield Main Colliery, Wombwell, when she is feared will terminate fatally in one case, whilst in the other it has resulted in the loss of a leg and other serious injuries to the body.

It seems that a horse driver named Lewty, residing at Snape Hill Darfield, a youth of about 15 years of age, was working in one of the inclines of the colliery with another lad named Robert Hewitt, aged 13 years, son of a miner, residing at Wombwell. They were conveying a train of corves on an incline, when it is said, one of the lads neglected to put a “locker” in the wheel. It is supposed that Hewitt was knocked down on the rails, and the train passing over his arms almost tore one-off, near the shoulder joint. The other arm was frightfully mangled.

The youth Lewty was also knocked down, and one leg was frightfully injured they were both conveyed (Hewitt in a spring car, and Lewty in the colliery ambulance) to the Beckett Hospital and Dispensary, Barnsley.

On arrival, the full medical staff, including doctors Sadler, Blackburn, Lancaster, Horne and Geoffrey, were at once summoned. The torn limb belong to Hewitt was amputated close to the shoulder joint, and at the time of writing the medical staff only consultation whether Hewitt’s other arm should be amputated near the same joint.

Lewty’s leg was so shattered that it was amputated soon after the sufferers arrival at the institution named. The lad Hewitt, although so badly mangled, was quite conscious during the journey to Barnsley.. In addition the right side of his head was badly bruised. His case is a critical one . He had only been working about six weeks.