27. The onsetter at the Silkstone Seam entrance saw the descending cage for a fleeting moment before it crashed on to the wooden baulks at that place and caused the men in the cage to crumple and drop. He and the other workmen and officials at the entrance assisted by the few men in the cage who had sustained only shock and bruises, immediately took steps to extricate the injured men from the cage.

28. The manager of the mine did not know that there had been an overwind involving a large number of men until 7 a.m. when he was told at his home by a messenger who had been sent by the under-manager of the mine. The delay in notifying the manager was caused by the inability of the telephone exchange operator at the mine to contact him because he had not been informed that the telephone numbers of the manager and some of his officials had been changed two days before when the Woodhouse Exchange was put on to the automatic system. The manager arrived at the mine at 7.10 a.m., assessed the situation and made arrangements for stretchers, ambulances and first aid equipment, stretcher bearers both below and above ground and casualty stations on the surface so that the men could receive medical attention before they were sent to the Sheffield Royal Infirmary. He informed the Infirmary of the probable number of injured men and asked for their reception and treatment. H.M. Senior District Inspector of Mines, the Area General Manager and other officials were notified of the accident.

29. The injured men were put on to stretchers and carried for about three quarters of a mile below ground from the Brookhouse downcast shaft to the Beighton upcast shaft where they were raised to the surface. They were then carried a short distance to the ambulances which conveyed them to the casualty stations near to the top of the Brookhouse shaft. The first of the injured men arrived at these stations at 8.30 a.m. and the last at 10.30 a.m. Here they received medical attention under the supervision of Dr. R. McL. Archibald, National Coal Board No. 1 (Worksop) Area Medical Officer, before they were sent to the Infirmary.