Southgate Colliery cage accident, 1911

On 22 November 1911 the winding engineman at Southgate Colliery, Clowne, lost control of the engine while twelve men were being lowered. The cage crashed onto the sump boards at the shaft bottom and was twice raised and dropped again; three men thrown out were crushed by it, and every other man in the cage was hurt.

Cause

The winding engineman lost control of the engine during the descent.

What happened

Twelve men were riding down Southgate's 1,000-foot shaft when the engineman lost control. The cage dashed violently onto the sump boards, was suddenly raised, and dropped again twice. Three of the men were thrown out onto the boards and were fatally crushed by the cage as it came down the second time. The other nine were all injured, four of them very seriously.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• On 22 November 1911 three men were killed at Southgate Colliery, Clowne, when the winding engineman lost control while twelve men were being lowered. ^1,2,3
• The cage struck the sump boards violently and was twice suddenly raised and lowered; three men thrown out onto the boards were crushed by the cage on its second descent. ^1,2,3
• All the other nine men were injured, four of them very seriously. ^2,3
• The colliery was owned by the Shireoaks Colliery Company Ltd. ^1,2

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…lost control of the engine while twelve men were being lowered. The cage crashed onto the sump boards at the shaft bottom and was twice…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “On 22 November 1911 the winding engineman at Southgate Colliery, Clowne, lost control of the engine while twelve men were being…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…men were being lowered. The cage crashed onto the sump boards at the shaft bottom and was twice raised and dropped again; three men thrown out…”
• Sump (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…while twelve men were being lowered. The cage crashed onto the sump boards at the shaft bottom and was twice raised and dropped again;…”

Sources

1. (primary) Southgate Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) NMRS deaths and accidents database: John William Bundy, Southgate, 22 Nov 1911 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) NMRS deaths and accidents database: William Marlow, Southgate, 22 Nov 1911 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 23 October 2026 · Last researched: 23 October 2026