| Description | (Copies)
Pictures of four men Involved in the rescue work
The accident occurred at a point in Queen’s Road, between Dugdale Street and the Gas Works (now demolished). Work was being carried out on a new sewer. The contractors were Messrs. Frank Haslam, of Lancaster. At about three o’clock on the Friday afternoon, James King, a bricklayer, was constructing an invert in one of the manholes. Suddenly he collapsed from gas fumes, and at the same time his labourer, George Uden, of Meadow Street, became unconscious. At work on the surface at this time was Charles Smith, of [address removed], and without thought for his own safety, he went down into the manhole to try to get his two workmates out. He succeeded in tying a rope round King before he also became unconscious. Several men were involved in the subsequent rescue attempt (see Negatives listed) but, unfortunately, Charles Smith lost his life. The dead man was 60 years of age, the father of six children, and left an invalid wife. He had been employed on the sewerage scheme for only three weeks and prior to that had been unemployed for 18 months. Note: Charles Ball lived in [address removed], and retired in 1966 (Jan). He died in October, 1966. |