The Huskar colliery drift where the tragedy occured is within a woodland at
Silkstone Common, the site is in Knabbs Wood and has a memorial of two
small kneeling figures within a mock drift entrance. The site is on Moorend
Lane and the Colliery to which the drift served was called Moorend I
believe. The 26 children that were drowned are buried in Silkstone
Churchyard where a monument gives details, but the youngest a boy of 7 and
the eldest a girl of 17 musy make this the truest tragedies of all
mining "Accidents". Further details can be found at;
www.pitwork.net
Thoughts of Huskar
How terrible to die, to die in youth
To die in childhood, a bitter truth.
Life’s breath taken by grasping water
Lambs trapped and held, then put to the slaughter.
To die in terror, in true petrifying evil dark
Cruel smothering of life, washing away every tiny spark.
To have to wait in screaming knowing
That death ever nearer was coldly flowing.
Little lives of no value to man or nature
Where was Earth with her motherly nurture?
When these babes of toil faced such torment
Was she the provider of this violent torrent?
Or did man alone create this untimely tomb
These infants barely left their mother’s womb.
Another example of man with nature tied
And still no ones fault that these children died.
Brothers and brother’s sisters, playmate and friend
Stood together in terror awaiting their end.
The swollen stream swept into that mine
Lord, twenty-six tiny souls were then made thine.
Taken from mothers but also from pain
To face underground hardships never again.
Children in heaven should at last know the sun
As miners we pray that this has already been done.
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