The Tragic Deaths of John Gannon & John Gregg / The People

The Tragic Deaths of John Gannon & John Gregg

"Greater nobility of mind and heart could no man show than did John Gregg, who, regardless of the risk he was running, bravely descended the shaft in which his colleague was lying in a helpless condition, with the heroic object of recovering him, and himself fell a victim to the presence of gas." Salford City Coroner, Mr A. Flint, 25 October 1927

In the early days of constructing the Ambassador Super Cinema in Salford, a heartbreaking accident claimed the lives of two dedicated workers, John Gannon and John Gregg. This page honours their memory and details the events of October 1927, drawing from historical records and eyewitness accounts. As part of the "People" section, it highlights the human stories behind the cinema's creation, reminding us of the risks faced by labourers in that era's construction projects.

The Incident

Work began on preparing the site for the Ambassador's foundations when tragedy struck on the morning of Saturday, 22nd October 1927. Two workers, John Gannon (31) of 36 Jennings Street, Salford, and John Gregg (31) of 10 Chapel Street, Pendleton, tragically lost their lives. The site had previously been an old cinder tip, and although this was known to Gerrard and Sons Ltd., of Swinton, who had been contracted to prepare the site for building, there was a lack of awareness about the dangers posed to their workers when digging the shafts.

The men were sinking a shaft as a preliminary to laying the foundations for the new cinema. It is believed that gases had collected at the bottom of the 25ft shaft during the excavation over the previous fortnight. On that fateful Saturday morning, the two men, along with another workman, Edward Wadsworth of Long Street, Swinton, stripped the planks covering the mouth of the shaft, and John Gannon descended into the pit. Upon reaching the bottom, he was seen to collapse, and John Gregg was lowered by Wadsworth in an attempt to rescue him.

As Gregg descended, he too became affected by the fumes when he reached about 15 feet down. Retaining his grip on the rope, he succeeded in reaching Gannon and clasped him with his arms before losing consciousness himself. Wadsworth, meanwhile, attracted the attention of nearby residents and contacted the Police and Fire Brigade.

The Rescue Efforts

An eyewitness described the rescue to a reporter at the time:

“Men came running from all directions and peered into the mouth of the shaft. A man tied a running noose in the windlass rope and let it down into the pit. He drew it gently over the head and shoulders of Gregg, who was on top of Gannon. We all pulled at the rope. We were surprised to find that both men came to the surface. That was because Gregg’s arms were tightly wound around Gannon’s body. Gregg’s last thought, presumably, had been to clasp Gannon and raise him. We had the greatest difficulty in unclasping Gregg’s arms.”

Another witness, Joe Barrick of Earl Street, Swinton, added: “I saw the rope from the winch dangling within a foot or two of the men in the shaft. The man underneath lay flat on his face and was absolutely still, and Gregg lay on top of him, grasping his clothing. He was badly gassed, and as I looked, he relaxed and lay still."

Foundation shafts on site

Image courtesy of NWFA

Despite attempts at resuscitation by Wadsworth and PC Harry Spencer, both men sadly died at the scene. At the Coroner’s inquest, Edward Wadsworth said that without hesitation, Gregg had gone immediately to Gannon's assistance but collapsed when some feet from the bottom. "I ran to inform the Police," he said, "and after the assistance of pedestrians had been enlisted, the men were hauled to the surface. It was a great shock to me, and I cannot speak too highly of Gregg’s courage and self-sacrifice."Recent information from the Carnegie Hero Fund Trust clarifies that John Gannon's legs became entangled in the rope during his collapse, rather than being deliberately attached or tied to it. This detail explains why pulling him up directly was not attempted and underscores the necessity of Gregg's brave descent into the shaft.