Early in the morning of 9 July an explosion in the south-west part of the Cadeby Main pit killed 35 men, with three more dying later due to their injuries.
[1] The King and Queen had been visiting mining villages in the area, so the number of men below ground was lower than usual following celebrations the day before.
[1] Soon volunteers entered the pit to search for bodies, and these rescue teams were hampered by heavy falls of coal and stone.
[1] A total of 53 men were killed in the later explosions, including William H. Pickering, the Chief Government Inspector of Mines for Yorkshire and the North Midlands (and husband of tennis player Alice Pickering),[2] and Charles Bury, the manager of the colliery, who died the following week from his injuries.
[3] The King and Queen, who were visiting mining villages in the area, went to the pit the following day to ascertain the situation and give support to the families.