MineArchiveDinnington Main Colliery roof fall, 1908
About 25 tons of rock fell without warning on four men getting a tub on to the road at Dinnington Main Colliery on 6 August 1908, killing Peter Drabble outright and fatally injuring Norman Fletcher; the other two were seriously hurt.
| Date | 6 August 1908 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Dinnington Colliery |
| Region | South Yorkshire |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (Two corporals: Peter Drabble, 33, killed on the spot, and Norman Fletcher, who died at Rotherham Hospital on 30 August.) |
| Injuries | Two men seriously injured, who recovered. |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The roof settled suddenly, probably along a fault running parallel with the road, and brought down about 25 tons of rock.
Contributing factors
The roof was a strong sandstone-shale, but it held treacherous partings. Three bars, slotted into the rock at one end and propped at the other, were displaced by the fall.
What happened
On 6 August 1908 four men at Dinnington Main Colliery, near Rotherham, were getting a tub back on to the road when, without warning, about 25 tons of rock fell from the roof. Peter Drabble, a corporal aged 33, was killed on the spot. Norman Fletcher, also a corporal, was fatally injured and died at Rotherham Hospital on 30 August. The other two men were seriously injured but recovered.
Investigation & inquiry
W. H. Pickering, inspector for the York and Lincoln district, reported that the roof was strong sandstone-shale with treacherous partings, that a fault ran parallel with the road and the strata had probably settled suddenly from it, and that three bars slotted into the rock at one end, with props under the other, had been displaced. His account is in the Mines Inspector's report for 1908 (Cd 4672).
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Peter Drabble was killed on 6 August 1908 and Norman Fletcher died of his injuries on 30 August. 1,2,3,4
- About 25 tons of rock fell without warning on four men getting a tub on to the road. 1,2,3,4
- The other two men were seriously injured but recovered. 2,3
- A fault ran parallel with the road and the strata probably settled suddenly from it. 2,3
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…warning on four men getting a tub on to the road at Dinnington Main Colliery on 6 August 1908, killing Peter Drabble outright and fatally…” - Tub (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “About 25 tons of rock fell without warning on four men getting a tub on to the road at Dinnington Main Colliery on 6 August 1908, killing…”
Sources
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Dinnington Colliery (UK) — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Peter Drabble, Dinnington Main, 1908 — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) 1900s D6: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero
- (secondary) 1900s F2: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero
Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 6 October 2026