| Year | Month | Day | Name of Colliery | Where situated | Owners name | Person(s) killed | Occupation | Age if given | Category of Accident | Cause of death | Extra Details |
| 1868 | January | 6 | Barleith No 4 Pit | Kilmarnock | John Galloway & Co | Adam Irving | Pony driver | 15 | Miscellaneous | By a kick from the pony he was driving | |
| 1868 | January | 8 | Summerlee No 3 | Coatbridge | Wilsons & Co | John Hamilton | Collier | 60 | Explosions | Explosion of fire damp From Main body of report: The deceased, who was a collier, had been engaged on the morning of the accident for three hours or thereby in his working place, and worked with an open or unprotected light. The place he was extending was near to a dislocation two fathoms down, and he had just driven through a small hitch of 18 inches up, a few feet back from the face. As to how the accident occurred, it appears that the deceased had gone out with his " drawer," a boy, to assist him a short distance with a loaded hutch, and on returning to his place, ignited a little gas which had collected during the few minutes he was absent. A very small part of the " head coal," A, as per sketch, inside of the 18-inch hitch, had been taken down shortly before the accident, and the gas which was ignited had apparently gathered in that small opening. | |
| 1868 | January | 14 | Provanhall No 5 | Baillieston | Provanhall Coal Co | Robert Paterson | Drawer | 16 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof on main drawing road | Newspaper Report |
| 1868 | January | 15 | Balquhatstone | Slammanan | John Watson | Robert Paterson | Miner | 35 | In shafts | While he was ascending the pit, the pinion wheel of the engine broke and the descending cage being heaviest, he was carried to the pulleys, and fell back into the pit. Brake on fly wheel | |
| 1868 | February | 7 | Hill of Beath | Dunfermline | Ord Adams | Rob. Campbell | Brusher | 24 | Falls of coal and roof | Failing to take down a side piece of sandstone shaken by a shot, it fell over upon him | Newspaper report - Beath pages |
| 1868 | February | 8 | Grougar | James Sellars | Death not listed in Inspectors report | Newspaper report - Ayrshire pages (not mining accident) | |||||
| 1868 | February | 8 | Stanrigg | Falkirk | Alexr Wilson | Wm Bennie | Collier | 23 | In shafts | He was supposed to have fallen at a broken step, while descending traps to the bottom of a 40 fathom pit | Newspaper report |
| 1868 | February | 10 | Bannockburn | Bannockburn | Mrs Geddes | Alexander Stevenson | Assistant engineman | 68 | Miscellaneous | Got entangled with the underground machinery From Main body of report: There is a small engine situated near to the bottom of this pit, and the steam used by it is produced on the surface. The deceased was an assistant engineman. At the time of the accident he was engaged on the night shift, when the surface and underground engines were engaged pumping water. The steam being produced on the surface, the underground engine, when once started to pump water, did not require constant attention further than keeping it moving at the speed required to raise the drainage of the dook. It was the duty of the deceased to visit the underground machinery occasionally, perhaps five or six times during the night, and he was lowered and raised by the winding machinery. Some time before the accident it appears that he had been lowered to the bottom of the pit in the usual way. The engineman, his neighbour, observing that he remained unusually long, went down a "stair" pit to learn the cause of delay, and on reaching the machinery found him lying crushed between the fly-wheel and a cutting formed in the pavement, in which the lower part of the fly-wheel revolved. It is supposed that the deceased had, after being lowered to the bottom of the pit, proceeded down the dook to examine the state of the water in it. His lamp was found about mid-way down, and it is presumed that it had fallen or the light gone out, and in afterwards approaching the machinery without a light, he had unexpectedly got entangled with it. The deceased was 68 years of age, and though he was considered competent, it would have been more satisfactory if a younger person had been appointed to perform the duties. | Newspaper report |
| 1868 | February | 10 | Newton | Cambuslang | J P Kidston | Richard Sneddon | Manager | 62 | Above ground | By falling a few feet off a scaffold at the pit head | |
| 1868 | February | 14 | Grougar No 3 | Galston | Portland Iron Co | John Cowan | Boy | 13 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of stone at face | Newspaper Report |
| 1868 | February | 15 | Drumpeller No 2 | Coatbridge | Wilsons & Co | William Eccles | Miner | 40 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof while forming a lodgement off a sinking pit | |
| 1868 | February | 26 | Neilston No 1 | Kilsyth | James Wallace & Co | Joseph Jarvie | Collier | 40 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal at face | |
| 1868 | February | 28 | Bredisholm No 4 | Baillieston | Charles Tennant & Co | William Frame | Boy | 15 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof at face while engaged undermining | |
| 1868 | March | 1 | Govan No 3 | Glasgow | W S Dixon | Archd Maxwell | Collier | 19 | In shafts | Fell out of the cage while being raised From Main body of report: The deceased at the time of the accident was being raised on the cage, along with other three workmen, and when about mid-shaft he fell from it suddenly to the bottom of the pit, a distance of 42 fathoms. I learned afterwards that the unfortunate sufferer had been subject to convulsive attacks, and it is supposed that he had been seized by one at the time the accident happened. It would be prudent I think to prevent such persons from going into mines unless under special regulations. | |
| 1868 | March | 2 | Blackbraes | Falkirk | James Russell & Son | James Weir | ---- | 55 | Falls of coal and roof | ------- | |
| 1868 | March | 2 | Greenfield | Hamilton | Hamilton Coal Co | Wm McInnis | Collier | 23 | Falls of coal and roof | He was underholing, and 4 tons of coal rolled over on him. The seam was 4 feet high. | Newspaper report - Hamilton pages |
| 1868 | March | 7 | Kilwinning No 2 | Kilwinning | Eglinton Iron Co | Thomas Elliot | Boy | 15 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof about 10 faths from the face | |
| 1868 | March | 9 | Kirkwood No 2 | Coatbridge | John Hendrie | Thos Mackie | Drawer | 23 | Miscellaneous | Was run over by a loaded hutch | |
| 1868 | March | 12 | Carnbroe No 8 | Holytown | Merry & Cunningham | R Montagu | Collier | 31 | Falls of coal and roof | He was underholing the lower leaf of a 3 feet coal under 3 feet of the upper leaf, which fell upon him. He lived 3 days afterwards | |
| 1868 | March | 17 | Darngavil No 5 | Airdrie | Pat Rankin | B Montagu | Drawer | 13 | Falls of coal and roof | He worked with his father and brother, and was passing along the face when the roof fell upon him. Seam 3 feet | |
| 1868 | March | 17 | Neilston No 1 | Kilsyth | James Wallace & Co | David Shaw | Collier | 12 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof at face | |
| 1868 | March | 19 | Capeldrae | Lochgelly | Robert Aytoun | Wm Munro | Collier | 23 | Falls of coal and roof | He was working under a mass of top coal which fell upon him. Seam 6 feet thick, in 2 leaves. |
Newspaper report -
Auchterderran pages NB Date should be 12 March 1868 |
| 1868 | March | 30 | Drumpark No 1 | Baillieston | Drumpark Coal Co | James Weir | Drawer | 14 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal at face | |
| 1868 | April | 7 | Hillhead No 2 | Airdrie | William Baird & Co | Pat Fowley | Collier | 18 | Miscellaneous | Explosion of gunpowder | |
| 1868 | April | 7 | Parkhead | Motherwell | John Watson | ---- Hanigan | Collier | -- | Explosions | Burned by an explosion of gas from the goaf. Six men were burned. He died some weeks afterwards. From Main body of report: There is not a great quantity of fire-damp in the "goaf" of the Wishaw and Hamilton coal fields, but I have more than once detected it, and the only death from explosion of fire-damp last year was caused, I had reason to believe, from a fall of roof, driving out some gas which was in the "goaf," upon the naked lights of some men working at pillars (stoops), one of whom was the deceased. | |
| 1868 | April | 8 | Armsheugh | Irvine | Merry & Cunningham | James Holdon | Collier | 45 | Explosions | Explosion of fire damp From Main body of report: According to the special rules of the colliery, it was the duty of the fireman to descend the pit before the colliers shift commenced, and to proceed through every drawing road and along the whole coal-faces and working places in the colliery, and minutely examine the same, &c. It appears that the fireman did descend the shaft on the morning of the accident, and, as the pit was not expected to be worked fully for the day, according to his own statement, he examined only two or three of the working places. He afterwards had occasion to go with the deceased, who was to assist him to make some changes in one of the usual working places, but which had not been examined, and ignited a quantity of fire-damp, by which the deceased was severely burned and died from the effects of it. The fireman in this case was charged by the Procurator Fiscal of Ayr with culpable homicide, as also culpable neglect of duty ; he was tried by the sheriff and a jury, when he pled guilty to culpable neglect of duty, and was sentenced to four months imprisonment. | |
| 1868 | April | 11 | Commonhead | Airdrie | Colville & Gray | Jas McDermot | Collier | 40 | Falls of coal and roof | Was underholing, when a blade of sandstone 6 inches thick, 8 feet by 7 feet, fell on him. Seam 30 inches. Roof sandstone. Overman warned him to put up props. | |
| 1868 | April | 16 | Airdriehill | Airdrie | Jas Black & Son | Jno Rankine | Brusher | 22 | Falls of coal and roof | He was building the roadside when a stone fell out of the roof by a lipe upon him. Seam 4 feet. Roof sandstone. | |
| 1868 | April | 20 | Easter Glentore | Airdrie | Robert Hunter | Dd. Hunter | Manager | 40 | Above ground | Fall of sand and gravel in a mine near the surface. Mine not properly wooded. | |
| 1868 | April | 21 | Grangemouth | Falkirk | Grangemouth Coal Co | W Chalmers | Brusher | 36 | Falls of coal and roof | He was preparing to blast down the roof, 12 feet back from the face, when it fell upon him. Seam 3 feet. Roof shale. | Newspaper report |
| 1868 | April | 29 | Meiklehill | Kirkintilloch | James Gairdner | George McKay | Collier | 22 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof while repairing a roadway | |
| 1868 | May | 1 | Muirhouse | Wishaw | Archd Russel | Jno Yuil | Driver | 11 | Miscellaneous | This boy was passing along with a train of tubs when the roof fell upon him. | |
| 1868 | May | 5 | Bartonholm No 2 | Kilwinning | Eglinton Iron Co | John Johnston | Collier | 23 | In shafts | Fell down the shaft while attempting to leap off the cage after it was raised a little above the usual level From Main body of report: In this case, the cage had been lifted a little higher than the usual landing when men were being raised, and the deceased, who was on it along with two neighbouring workmen, leaped off while it was in motion, and on to the platform at the pit-head, where unfortunately he overbalanced and fell back into the shaft. The other workmen remained upon the cage, and got off it safely a few feet higher up. There was something unsatisfactory and irregular with regard to the signals, and though a bottomer was employed to see the hutches placed carefully upon the cage, and to make the necessary signals, he had frequently allowed the workmen to make the signals themselves. The engineman excused himself by saying that only one signal had been made, and in consequence thereof, less caution was observed than if he had been aware that men were being raised upon the cage. | |
| 1868 | May | 13 | Greenhill | Holytown | Robert Young | Pat Cairney | Collier | 25 | Falls of coal and roof | A piece of top coal weighing half a ton fell upon him. The seam is 8 feet thick in 2 leaves, the first leaf was 4 feet in advance, and he was working at it. | |
| 1868 | May | 14 | Lumphinnans | Lochgelly | Lumphinnans Iron Co | W Brown | Collier | 43 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof by a lipe. The seam was 30 inches. Roof a seam of coal 6 feet thick. | Newspaper report - Beath pages |
| 1868 | May | 18 | Hurlford No 12 | Hurlford | Allan Gilmour & Co | James Turnbull | Collier | 24 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal when in the act of taking it down | |
| 1868 | May | 21 | Bells Dyke | Airdrie | Dundas Simpson | Sam Morton | Collier | 26 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof (sandstone) while taking out pillars. Seam 4 feet. | |
| 1868 | May | 25 | Stottencleugh Mine | Muirkirk | Eglinton Iron Co | Wm McWhirter | Boy | 14 | Miscellaneous | Injured by a hutch upon a drawing road and died a few days later | |
| 1868 | June | 2 | Canobie | Canobie | Duke of Buccleuch | James Forrat | Foreman engineer | 42 | Above ground | Was crushed when loading machinery into a railway waggon From Main body of report: The deceased was the foreman engineer at the colliery ; he was engaged with others at the time of the accident loading some machinery into a railway waggon, when a crank weighing about six cwts., suspended by a crane rope, canted suddenly while being lowered, and the deceased was crushed under it. | |
| 1868 | June | 2 | Kilgramie | Girvan | Joseph Whitefield | Hugh Croally | Collier | 60 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal and roof | |
| 1868 | June | 6 | Mossend | Holytown | Mossend Iron Co | R Bennie | Drawer | 15 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof at pit-bottom. Not properly supported. | |
| 1868 | June | 16 | Bogleshole No 4 | Tollcross | James Dunlop & Co | Pat Newman | Brusher | 23 | Miscellaneous | While engaged blasting with gunpowder | |
| 1868 | June | 16 | Espieside No 3 | Coatbridge | Wm Baird & Co | James Easton | Collier | 37 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal, died a week after the accident | |
| 1868 | June | 18 | Whitehill | Airdrie | Henderson & Dimmack | A Sommerville | overman | -- | Miscellaneous | Crushed by cage at pit-bottom when stepping on. | |
| 1868 | June | 27 | Redan | Stevenson | Merry & Cunningham | Frank Mullen | Collier | 30 | In shafts | Fall from a scaffold while repairing the guide rods in the shaft From Main body of report: It appears that the "guide rods," or wooden conductors, in the shaft had got displaced by. the guides upon the cage getting out of place. The deceased and two others, the oversman being one of them, had been engaged for 12 or 14 hours before the accident happened making the necessary repairs upon the shaft, and for that purpose a scaffold was suspended by chains from the bottom of the cage, and hanging about 20 feet below it, for them to stand upon. With the exception of their tools, there was no other weight upon the scaffold except two guide rods, the one 18 and the other 9 feet in length. I understand that the 18 feet length rested upon the scaffold at one end, and was lashed to one of the chains about 8 feet above the level of the scaffold. The accident was occasioned by the scaffold breaking or giving way right along the centre. The oversman and his neighbour kept their places, or rather held on by the sides of the scaffold, and after great exertions reached the cage by climbing up the "buntons," but the deceased fell from the scaffold to the bottom, a distance of 80 yards. The construction of the scaffold was faulty, and since the accident, cross bars of iron have been added for the purpose of strengthening it. There was some uncertainty as to the real cause of accident. I was of opinion that it had been occasioned by the guide rod 18 feet long, above referred to, getting displaced or hanging out at the top, and when the cage was raised, such as was being done when the accident happened, it came in contact with the mid wall, and forced the scaffold asunder. | |
| 1868 | July | 1 | Cairnhill No 5 | Airdrie | Wm Baird & Co | R Hamilton | Sinker | 32 | In shafts | Fell off the kettle while being raised in the shaft | |
| 1868 | July | 14 | Strone | Kilsyth | Richard Brown | Alex Lorimer | Manager | 36 | Explosions | Explosion of fire damp From Main body of report: The deceased, who was the general manager, had on the day of the accident gone in company with the fireman to examine a block of coal near to the pit bottom, with the view of advising as to the mode of working it out. There was an air-course near to it, and as they had occasion frequently to go into the place it was not considered necessary to use the precaution of making an examination with a safety lamp before entering it, and they used open lights. In the course of their examination they ignited a small quantity of gas at a " cutter." The space where they had to travel in was contracted; the fireman made his way out and escaped, but the deceased unfortunately got affected by the gases and combustion, and was left behind. The flame from the cutter communicated with the dry wood, coal, and other loose materials in that part of the mine, not more than 80 or 100 yards from the pit bottom, and though repeated attempts were made to reach the deceased, they proved unsuccessful, and as a last resource the shafts and outlets were closed. Trivial though the matter appeared to be at first, it was some weeks after before the fire was subdued, and when an exploration was made, what was supposed to be the charred remains of the deceased were found not more than 60 yards from the pit bottom. Apparently he had got stupefied or confused by the sudden rush of flame in the contracted course and missed his way. | |
| 1868 | July | 15 | Skellyton | Larkhall | Hamilton & McCulloch | A Fleming | Driver | -- | Falls of coal and roof | Hutch got off rails and knocked out a prop, and the roof fell upon him. | |
| 1868 | July | 16 | Common | Cumnock | William Walker | James Park | Collier | 43 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof at face | |
| 1868 | July | 16 | Espieside No 5 | Coatbridge | Wm Baird & Co | Nicol Stewart | Collier | 30 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof | |
| 1868 | July | 25 | Skellyton | Larkhall | Hamilton & McCulloch | J Loudon | overman | 40 | In shafts | Was leaning over pit mouth at low scaffold, when the cage came down, and knocked him in to the pit. | |
| 1868 | August | 3 | Stonecrags Coltness | Wishaw | Coltness Iron Co | Jas Thomson | Collier | 20 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof (coal). Seam 9 feet high. | |
| 1868 | August | 6 | Limerigg | Slamannan | Robert Baird | Thos Maxwell | Sinker | -- | In shafts | Struck on head by the plumb-bob (about 4 lbs) falling off the end of the line. He died 10 days afterwards | |
| 1868 | August | 10 | Stevenston | ---- | Stevenston Coal Co | Jas Clark | Collier | 40 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal of side of a stoop while taking out pillars. Coal 3 feet thick. Roof sandstone | |
| 1868 | August | 24 | Dalquharran | Maybole | T F Kennedy | Thos McClusky | Sinker | 44 | In shafts | Fell from a kettle while descending the shaft | |
| 1868 | August | 29 | Auldhouseburn | Muirkirk | George Vallance | Wm Stevenson | Collier | 67 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal while engaged taking it down | |
| 1868 | August | 29 | Byrehill | Kilwinning | Eglinton Iron Co | Robt Perrie | Collier | 69 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal at face | |
| 1868 | September | 14 | North Boig | N Cumnock | Lanemark Coal Co | Adam Dickie | Engineman | 23 | Above ground | Found crushed under the crank of the pumping shaft From Main body of report: The deceased was engaged as an assistant engineman. It appears that on the night of the accident he had gone to his work in the usual way, there was no one along with him at the time, and about half an hour after he had entered upon his shift he was found lying crushed under the crank of the engine. It was imagined that he had been working about the valve of the "feed pump," when by some overlook on his part his dress had got entangled with the crank of the engine, and he was drawn round with it and crushed against the sides of the recess formed in the floor, in which the crank revolved. | |
| 1868 | September | 16 | Lochgelly (Raith) | Lochgelly | Lochgelly Iron Co | Will. McCaig | Collier | 50 | Falls of coal and roof | These men were sitting at breakfast about 20 feet back from the face of their room, when the roof (about 12 inches of coal) fell suddenly upon them | |
| Jno Yeats | Collier | 52 | |||||||||
| 1868 | September | 19 | Ironstone Pit, Whitburn | Alexander McAuley | Fall of stone | ||||||
| 1868 | September | 22 | Dalharco No 2 | Dalmellington | Dalmellington Iron Co | James Dickson | Brusher | 28 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof while engaged taking it down | |
| 1868 | September | 23 | Carron | Falkirk | Carron Iron Co | W Wilson | Driver | 12 | Miscellaneous | Fell when running between his horse and a race of tubs, and the hutches ran over him | |
| 1868 | September | 23 | Polkemmet | Bathgate | Sholla Iron Co | Jas O'Brien | Labourer | 31 | Ironstone mines – miscellaneous | Fell in among machinery, taking a “short cut” to the pithead from the engine house. | |
| 1868 | October | 2 | Dalkeith | Dalkeith | Duke of Buccleuch | ---- Hope | Engineman | 70 | Above ground | He stepped on the connecting rod when the engine was in motion and got his foot jammed between it and the wall. This man had worked the same engine for 30 years and it is said had frequently been so reckless as to do what at last cost him his life | |
| 1868 | October | 9 | Orbiston | Bell's Hill | Mossend Iron Co | D Hanigan | Sinker | 31 | In shafts | He was working in the bottom of this sinking pit, and something fell down and struck him on the head | |
| 1868 | October | 10 | Addiewell | Lothians | William Robertson | Not listed | Death not listed in Inspectors report | Newspaper report | |||
| 1868 | October | 12 | Parkhead | Motherwell | John Watson | Robert Wilson | Manager | 52 | Above ground | Explosion of a steam boiler From Main body of report: There were two steam-boiler explosions last year, one at Bo'ness, and the other at Motherwell. Both were high pressure boilers, 5 feet diameter, 3/8 in. plates; the former was 20 years and the latter 15 years in use. It did not appear that either of them had been short of water, and, excepting the worn-out condition of the boilers, there was nothing to account for the explosions. | |
| 1868 | October | 19 | Opencast No 2 | Coatbridge | Wm Baird & Co | George Clarkson | Collier | 48 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal at face | |
| 1868 | October | 24 | John Thomson | 34 | Death not listed in Inspectors report | Newspaper Report | |||||
| 1868 | October | 24 | Prestongrange | Prestonpans | Sir George Suttie | R Sneddon | Collier | 60 | Falls of coal and roof | He was underholing and the coal rolled over upon him. Seam 52 inches worked longwall. | |
| 1868 | October | 24 | Whitehill | Dalkeith | Archd Hood | D Dubie | Pony driver | 15 | Miscellaneous | Run over by tubs | |
| 1868 | October | 28 | Binniehill | Slamannan | John Watson | J McEwan | Collier | 22 | Falls of coal and roof | Roof fell on him while holing. Coal 26 inches thick | Newspaper report |
| 1868 | October | 30 | Blackbraes | Falkirk | Jas Russel & Son | J Chalmers | Collier | 35 | In shafts | They were descending the pit to examine something at the bottom, when the rope (a round wire) broke. From Main body of report: A breakage of a wire rope with a weight of 5 cwts., resulted in the loss of two lives. The rope was afterwards tested and bore a breaking strain of ten tons. The drum and pulley were only five feet diameter, which is rather small for wire ropes, but the working load was only 12 cwts., and it had only raised 8,000 tons. I could not account for the failure. | Newspaper report |
| John Sneddon | Collier | 22 | In shafts | ||||||||
| 1868 | November | 6 | Portland No 5 | Hurlford | Eglinton Iron Co | Alex McDonald | Hillman | 54 | In shafts | Fell down the shaft by pushing a hutch into the wrong division of itFrom Main body of report: In this case the deceased was an assistant pit headman, he had been to the "bing" with a hutch of coals, and on returning with the empty hutch instead of putting it on to the cage to be returned in the ordinary way, he pushed it into the wrong division of the shaft, and fell to the bottom with it. Such accidents occur, I believe, through a kind of forgetfulness or momentary absence, and happen to experienced workmen. There is no way of preventing them but by introducing moveable guards at the pit-mouth, which form a perfect protection when the cage is not there. | |
| 1868 | November | 11 | Cleugh | Wilsontown | Wm Darling's Trustees | Jas Watson | Collier | 30 | Falls of coal and roof | He worked in a place out of hearing of neighbours | |
| 1868 | November | 12 | Haywood | Wilsontown | Haywood Coal Co | M Steel | overman | 45 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof while knocking out props | |
| 1868 | November | 13 | Benhar | Linlithgow | George Simpson | A Hailstones | Drawer | 14 | Miscellaneous | Knocked against a prop by collision with another drawer, injured internally and died next day. | |
| 1868 | November | 13 | Prestongrange | Prestonpans | Sir George Suttie | Thos Archibald | Drawer | 14 | Falls of coal and roof | The roof fell on him while pushing his tub out main road. | |
| 1868 | November | 16 | Neilston No 2 | Kilsyth | James Wallace & Co | James Britton | Collier | 19 | Explosions | Explosion of fire damp From Main body of report: It appears that a stone mine had been in the course of extension for a considerable time, but for a day or two previous to the accident it had been discontinued on account of an excess of gas. The roadway leading into deceased's place passed by the end of the stone mine. It seems to have been well known to him, and those who worked in the same limited district with him, that fire-damp existed in the mine, and that it had been partially stopped until an opening, a small " blind pit," could be put down upon the end of it to form a better circuit for the air. Notwithstanding, the deceased went into within a few feet of the face of the mine with an open light, and ignited the gas by which he was burned; at first, it was not supposed to be seriously, but he died from the effects of it about a week after. It is difficult to know whether in this case a fence would have prevented the accident. By the second general rule it was the duty of the owner to use such a precaution, but he failed to do so. | |
| 1868 | December | 2 | Tennochside | Coatbridge | Monkland Iron Co | D Hannan | Sinker | 23 | In shafts | He was struck by a stone which fell off side of pit | |
| 1868 | December | 3 | Wellwood | Muirkirk | Eglinton Iron Co | Hugh McLachlan | Collier | 45 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of coal at the face | |
| 1868 | December | 5 | Stepends | Airdrie | Summerlee Iron Co | J Parkes | Collier | 43 | Falls of coal and roof | Was holing his coal when stone fell from roof. Seam 30 inches | |
| 1868 | December | 9 | Neilston No 2 | Kilsyth | James Wallace & Co | Thos McKay | Collier | 30 | Falls of coal and roof | Fall of roof at the face | |
| 1868 | December | 22 | Sheardale | Clackmannan | James Wingate | J Wingate | Manager | 27 | In shafts | He was descending a pit on a crane rope, the end of which was insufficiently attached (by himself) to the barrel. It surged, and he fell off. | |
| 1868 | December | 28 | Solesgirth | Kirkintilloch | James Wallace & Co | Jas Gilmour | pitheadman | 16 | In shafts | Fell down a (sinking) pit | |
| 1868 | December | 30 | Rigside | Douglas | James Swann | A Wilson | Miner | 40 | Falls of coal and roof | A piece of stone fell off wall side and killed him |
