| Year | Month | Day | Mine | County | Owner or Company | First Name | Surname | Age | Occupation | Category | Cause of accident & remarks | Extra Information |
| 1914 | January | 6 | Bowhill | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | John | McDowall | 20 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was passing down a brae when a fall occurred, without warning, which imprisoned him, without apparently seriously injuring him. Efforts were made to liberate him, but before this could be done a second fall occurred, which killed him. The place where the accident occurred was a low part of the roadway at the face of some back brushing. It had lowered appreciably during the holidays, so much so that several of the full hutches came into contact with the roof timbering whilst the rakes were being run, and a bar secured to the top of an empty rake had struck it with some violence. As this was only a short, time before the first fall it probably had a good deal to do with it. The roof above was very bad. | Newspaper report - Auchterderran pages |
| 1914 | January | 6 | Glencraig | Fife | Wilson's & Clyde Co Ltd | Frank | Murphy | 24 | Miner | Falls of side | He was taking down coal, but was standing in front and on the low side of it when it rolled over on to him, causing such injuries that he died about an hour later. The inclination of the seam was about 1 in 3. The coal came away to a "back" to which deceased's attention had been called a short time before. | Newspaper report - Ballingry pages |
| 1914 | January | 7 | Shettleston | Lanark | Mount Vernon Colliery Co Ltd | Thomas | Purvis | 23 | Drawer | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | Deceased had moved a loaded tub when passing to go down a slope road. He had expected it to rest but it moved slowly and overtook him when he had gone 17 yards ; in trying to escape, his head came in violent contort with the side of the moving tub and his neck was broken. The tub was not moving fast as it had a sprag in one of the wheels, and a man beside him easily stopped it with his hands. | |
| 1914 | January | 8 | Woolmet | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | James | Clark | 24 | Repairer | Falls of roof | He was walking into a level driven through old stoops when a flat piece of the blaes roof fell, without warning, and killed him instantly. The timbering rules required crowns to be set every 5 ft. on the roads under roof of the kind which fell, and if these had been set the accident would have been avoided. | |
| 1914 | January | 12 | Cobbinshaw No 5 (Oil shale) | Edinburgh | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | John | Keenan | 54 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was in the act of taking down his machine tree, set under a piece of shale, 6 inches thick, which overhung from the face, when 6 ½ ft. by 4 ½ ft. of the shale fell on him, and injured him no severely that he died on February 19th. | |
| 1914 | January | 23 | Gilmilnscroft No 6 | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Walter | McLauchlan | 36 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | A shot firer and a miner were on the same roadway at the face of which a shot was being fired by electric battery. After the shot exploded a stone projected by it fatally injured the miner. The men were 78 ft. away from the shot but in a direct line. There was an opening which they could have got into and been perfectly safe. | |
| 1914 | January | 25 | Prestonlinks | Haddington | Edinburgh Collieries Co Ltd | John | McGeehan | 43 | Brusher | Falls of roof | He, with other two men, was back brushing a level road. When the fireman was making his inspection he noticed that a bar across the entrance to a heading off this level was cracked, and one of the supporting props not vertical; he told McGeehan to place another prop under the bar. Deceased did this, and was in the act of removing the other prop to reset it when the bar swung out of position, and he was buried beneath a fall and instantly killed. | |
| 1914 | January | 27 | Oakley No 2 | Fife | Oakley Collieries Ltd | Walter | Reid | 17 | Pony Driver | Falls of roof | Whilst he was bringing out a rake of five loaded hutches, on an almost level road, a large fall, 12 feet long, occurred, which swung out the timbers, which were set skin to skin, and completely buried him. The body was not recovered till 1 ½ hours later, when life was extinct, death being due to suffocation. The road was very wet, and the timbering was not tied to resist lateral movement. | |
| 1914 | January | 28 | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Stenhouse | Scott | 16 | Trapper | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | His duty was to open a wooden ventilation door at the foot of an incline in order to slow rakes of full hutches to pass through. He sat in a manhole beside the door, and to open it had to step in front of it and pull it towards him. On this occasion he had not attempted to open the door soon enough, and was crushed against it by the rake of hutches coming down. It is probable that he had lost his light and, owing to the darkness was not aware the rake was so near to the door when he attempted to pull it open. A chain should have been attached by winch he would have been able to open the door without, stepping out of the place of refuge; the accident would thus have been avoided. | |
| 1914 | January | 31 | Hattonrigg | Lanark | Summerlee Iron Co Ltd | William | McCallum | 19 | Pony Driver | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | The deceased was illegally riding on a bogie attached to a rake of hutches along with the bogieman. They allowed the rake to run free, and, in attempting to stop it by regripping the rope with the clip, the bogie tipped up and pinned them underneath, killing one and seriously injuring the other. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1914 | February | 6 | Whitehill | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | William | Collins | 34 | Oversman | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | He was superintending the widening of a road and, in order to remove a girder, he allowed in contravention of Section 2 (a) of the Explosives in Coal Mines Order, two cartridges of gelignite to be placed on it as a "lay on" shot. When the gelignite exploded a small piece of the girder was blown off, and it struck deceased on the hip as he was sitting on the roadway 20 yards away. As well as being to blame for allowing the shot to be fired at all he neglected to take proper shelter. | |
| 1914 | February | 7 | Dysart, Frances Pit | Fife | Earl of Rosslyn's Collieries Ltd | David | Sim | 32 | Fireman | Shaft accidents – falling from surface |
He was attempting to step into the cage at surface or low scaffold
level, but stepped into the vacant space instead, and fell to
the bottom of the shaft, a distance of 150 fathoms. From Main body of report: On February 7th at Dysart Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Earl of Rosslyn's Collieries, Ltd., a fireman attempted to step into a cage at the ground level, but missed the cage and fell down the shaft. He had been told to come to work at 10 p.m., but did not arrive until 11.15pm. He had been drinking and probably did not know what he was doing. Had the fence gates been locked this accident would have been prevented. |
|
| 1914 | February | 8 | Bannockburn No 3 | Stirling | Alloa Coal Co Ltd | William | Carson | 32 | Miner | Falls of roof | He had apparently taken out a tree, and brought down some stone from the roof, and then started work at the coal without supporting the roof again. A piece of stone fell from between two sand backs, and severely injured him. The roof was full of open slips, and needed great care in timbering. Died February 21st. | |
| 1914 | February | 8 | Nethercroy No 1 | Dumbarton | Carron Co | Robert | Hodge | 18 | Labourer | Shaft accidents – falling from surface |
He pushed a hutch of ashes into the open shaft at the low scaffold.
He had previously put two hutches of ashes on to the cage, and,
thinking the cage was there, attempted to put on a third. From Main body of report: On February 8th at Nethercroy Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Carron Co., a surface horse driver and general labourer were engaged putting tubs loaded with ashes on to the cage at the ground level to be taken to the pithead level. The cage had been filled twice and was at the pithead level, when the man, having left the gate open at the ground level, pushed a further tub forward and fell with it into the shaft. |
|
| 1914 | February | 9 | Minto No 1 | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | Alexander | Ker, jun. | 23 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was bringing out a loaded hutch past the foot of a brae when the whole of the timbering collapsed and a good deal of roof followed. He was buried, and when extricated about an hour later his back was found to be broken. He died 24 days later. | |
| 1914 | February | 9 | Stane No 1 | Lanark | Kepplehill Coal Co Ltd | Edward | Main | 50 | Machineman | By machinery | While getting his machine to pull itself up to the face, the picks probably caught on the corner of the jib stell and forced the machine outwards, knocking out the holding stell. He was thrown from the switch on to the revolving disc, and caught by the picks, and fatally injured. | |
| 1914 | February | 10 | Polmaise No 1 & 2 | Stirling | Archd Russell Ltd | George | Gray | 20 | Haulageman | On surface – by electricity |
He climbed on to an iron bench in the Lamp room to get some matches
and a cigarette which had been hidden above a switchboard, and,
slipping, brought his hand in contact with an exposed terminal
and received a fatal electric shock. Unauthorised persons were
forbidden to enter the room, and there was a notice on the door
to that effect. From Main body of report: The fatal accident occurred at Polmaise Colliery, owned by Messrs. Archibald Russell, Ltd. An underground motor attendant just prior to descending into the mine at 3 p.m. handed to a boy, a lamp cleaner, a box of matches and a cigarette, asking him to hide them for him and suggesting that they be put on the top of the switch-board in the lamp room. The boy hid the articles in the place suggested, the man in charge of the lamp room not being present at the moment. The motor attendant came out of the mine a little earlier than usual, all the coal having been got out, and going into the lamp room, climbed up on to a cast-iron bench and reached for the cigarette and matches placed on the top of the switch-board. His foot slipped on the bench and his left hand came in contact with the fuse terminals. At the time of the accident electricity was being supplied in the form of three-phase current, 550 volts pressure, with the neutral point earthed. A motor generator in the lamp room, used for charging accumulators, had its bed plate properly earthed as were also other parts of the plant. The fuse terminals and ammeter were 7 ft. from the ground and were thus out of reach except by direct intention. The man in charge of the lamp room had been warned some time previously against storing matches and cigarettes in the lamp room and did not allow such to be done. In this instance, advantage was taken of his momentary absence. In addition, the motorman had no right to enter the lamp room. This accident also points to an absence of discipline. |
|
| 1914 | February | 10 | Rosehall No 14 | Lanark | Robert Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | James | Arbuckle | 46 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was stripping coal off the face of a fault, and, while in the act of backing it to the roadhead, a piece fell off the vees, and before he could get clear it caught him and crushed him to the pavement. | |
| 1914 | February | 13 | Niddrie No 12 | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | Alfred | Bennett | 15 | Miners Drawer | Sundries |
After putting a hutch on to the carriage on a carriage brae,
the average gradient of which was 70°, the deceased noticed
that one of the props, forming the position between the back
balance and carriage way, had been knocked out, and was on the
road on which the carriage ran. He therefore stepped on to the
incline to put it right, when he overbalanced and fell to the
bottom, and was instantly killed. From Main body of report: Two of them [sundry accidents] occurred in the Niddrie Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Niddrie and Benhar Coal Co., Ltd., where the seams are very steep. In the first case two youths went into an incline to reset a prop which had become loose. The boy killed lost his footing, the incline dipped at an angle of 70 degrees, and fell some 360 ft. on to the cage. In the second case in a similar place a youth leaned out of the mouth of the level and was hammering ("chapping ") on the rails in the incline, when he overbalanced and fell down the incline a distance of 180ft. Neither of these accidents should have happened. In the first case a fireman or roadsman should have been sent for, and in the second there should have been no necessity for the youth to lean out of the level. When repair or other similar work is being done on these steep inclines some precaution, such as wearing a safety belt, should be taken by the persons doing the work. |
|
| 1914 | February | 14 | Gauchalland No 4 | Ayr | Gauchalland Coal Co | John | Gebbie | 30 | Drawer | Other haulage accidents | An empty rake on a self-acting incline got off the rails. Deceased was assisting the man in charge by holding the brake till he would go down and put them right, He also volunteered to run the rake afterwards, and, while doing so, he apparently went to the front of the drum, and was attempting to get the rope to coil on properly when he was caught by it and strangled. | |
| 1914 | February | 15 | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | William | Clarkson | 38 | Boilermaker | On surface – by machinery |
The deceased, who was sent to do some work at a dross conveyor
on a Saturday, told his foreman at the end of the shift on that
day he had finished it. He, however, had not done so, for after
finishing his shift underground on the following day, he returned
to where he was working on the Saturday without informing anyone.
Some men were working at the same conveyor, and, when they finished
their work, not knowing the deceased was where he was, they started
the conveyor to see if it was running properly, and he was crushed
by the plates and fatally injured. From Main body of report: Both the accidents under this heading [Surface – by machinery] show a want of supervision and discipline. In the first case, a smith was ordered to do certain repairs to a conveyor on a Saturday. At the end of the shift he told his foreman he had completed the job. On the Sunday he was employed doing some work underground and having completed it, he came to bank and went to the conveyor at which he had been working on the Saturday. He had not finished the job on the Saturday and was intending to do so surreptitiously on the Sunday. Some other men who had also been doing repairs on the Sunday, not knowing of the presence of the smith, set the conveyor in motion and the man was killed. |
|
| 1914 | February | 17 | Newcraighall | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | John | Ferguson | 42 | Miner | Falls of side | The deceased was holing in the rise side of his place below a large projecting piece of coal, when it suddenly, and without any warning, fell, swinging out a sprag set underneath it, and caught and so severely injured him that he died on the 24th. The coal fell from a natural "back" or parting that had been opened by a previous shot. The seam is highly inclined, and, under the circumstances, it was dangerous to take out the coal he was holing, it should have been removed by a shot in the upper part of the seam. | |
| 1914 | February | 17 | Southrigg No 3 | Linlithgow | United Collieries Ltd | John | McGill | 50 | Bottomer | Other haulage accidents | He was bringing a tub of clay to the pit when he slipped and strained his heart. He died on February 24th | |
| 1914 | February | 19 | Roslin | Edinburgh | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | Thomas | Webster | 51 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was injured by a piece of stone, 3 ft. by 1 ½ ft. by l ½ ft., falling from the roof and rolling against his legs. Both his legs were broken, and he died seven months later in hospital. | |
| 1914 | February | 20 | Lochhead, Surface Dipping | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co Ltd | James Kilpatrick | Morris | 17 | Miner's Filler | Falls of side | He wished to pass some coal, which was known to bad. His father, who was in charge of the place, put his hand against the coal, but it fell on him whilst he was passing, and crushed him so severely that he died about 2 ½ hours later | |
| 1914 | February | 21 | Fauldhead No 1 | Dumfries | Sanquhar & Kirkconnel Collieries Ltd | John | Black | 51 | Fireman | Explosions of fire damp |
Between 5 & 5.55am. When making the inspection prior to the
shift commencing work an explosion of gas occurred, which extinguished
his light, and he was burned. He appears afterwards to have crawled
some distance into an old end and was killed by C.O. poisoning.
A naked light lamp, after the explosion, was found along with
his safety lamp near a break in the roof where gas was occasionally
found. He had evidently been carrying the naked light, in contravention
of Section 64 (2) of the Coal Mines Act, and thus ignited some
firedamp, the explosion of which deranged the brattice cloth,
and, at the same time, continued to burn at the feeder, and produced
carbon monoxide, which caused his death. From Main body of report: The first occurred in the Creepie Seam, Fauldhead Colliery, owned by Messrs The Sanquhar and Kirkconnel Collieries, Ltd. Part of the workings in this seam lay between two converging faults. On the rise side of the main dook several small faults crossed the workings and caused a small area to be at a higher level than the rest. Work in this small area had been suspended for some time, but the intake airway to the dook face passed by way of this part up over one fault and down over a second. There were three places standing against the fault and in the inbye place gas had occasionally been detected in an open break in the roof. The place was fenced off and brattice cloth has been arranged up the face to prevent an accumulation of gas. On the morning of February 21st, a fireman, John Black, was making an inspection prior to a shift commencing work when an explosion occurred, which was felt by another fireman, Thomas Dove, in another part of the seam. Dove at once made his way to the main haulage road with the intention of going to the pit bottom for help, he, however, met the miners on their way inbye to the fireman's station and choosing two of them who knew Black's district, he with them, went inbye after sending a message to the pit bottom to tell the manager of what had occurred. One of the two miners was a certificated fireman and he had at times acted as fireman in Black's district. He, therefore, knew the most likely place in which gas would be found, viz., the place already referred to above. Dove and he made their way towards this area, but were unable to get into it on account of afterdamp. Later, after the ventilation had been restored, the area was searched and Black's body found in the middle place of the three. His safety lamp was found unlocked, but otherwise intact, behind the brattice in the inbye place. An open light lamp was found within nine feet of the face of this inbye place just beneath the open break in the roof from which gas was known to issue. In his pockets a box of matches and a tobacco pipe were found. Apparently Black had gone beyond the fence across the entrance to the inbye place with a naked light and his safety lamp. After the explosion he had crawled into the adjoining place and was there overcome by afterdamp. |
|
| 1914 | February | 23 | Rosehall No 13 | Lanark | Robert Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Andrew | Black | 20 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | The deceased had charged a shot hole with gelignite, a detonator and fuse, and after lighting the fuse he retired to a place of safety. The shot did not immediately explode; after waiting about 40 minutes he returned to it and as he was approaching the face it exploded, and he was so severely injured that he died 12 days later. He should have waited at least 60 minutes as required by Section 3 (a) of the Explosives in Coal Mines Order. | |
| 1914 | February | 27 | Blairenbathie | Kinross | Fife Coal Co Ltd | David | Brown | 18 | Filler and Drawer | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | He, with another youth, was coming up a cut chain brae after placing a derailed tub on the road when a single tub brae above was running. The up-going empty caught the side, and the sudden strain drew the wheel tree out allowing the full and empty tubs to run back. The empty tub was stopped by a man on the bench, but the full tub, breaking the oak swinging block, struck the two youths. Deceased was uppermost and was killed on the spot, but the other youth was very little hurt. The inclination of the brae was 1 in 3. There was evidence of considerable rubbing at the place on the side where the up-going empty tub struck showing that other tubs had previously been caught there. If the place had been reported by the fireman and repaired, the accident would have been avoided. | |
| 1914 | March | 3 | Lochhead | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co Ltd | David | Morrison | 17 | Filler and Hanger-on | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | He was acting as hanger-on at the foot of a single tub brae having an inclination of about 1 in 3 ½. The empty hutch left the rails at 8 yards from the foot of the brae, and the sudden jerk almost drew out the 9-inch wheel from the stirrup which held it, owing to a nail, which acted as cotter, shearing. The men at the top of the brae did not notice this, and called on deceased to come up the brae and lift the hutch on the road. As soon as he relieved it and the weight came on the pulley the wheel drew out of the stirrup and released the chain, and the full hutch ran down the brae and crashed into the empty hutch, there not being sufficient room for the hutches to pass, and deceased s head was crushed between the empty hutch and the roof. He was killed instantly. In the first place, the arrangement of pulley used was bad and unfitted for such work, and in the second, if the road had been kept in proper order the tubs would not have left the rails. | |
| 1914 | March | 5 | Bedlay Coke Ovens | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | William | Marshall | 37 | Labourer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | The deceased, along with others, had just emptied some wagons of dross for the coke ovens, and, as it was raining very hard, they improperly got underneath the wagons to shelter. A locomotive shortly afterwards started to move the wagons, and in attempting to get from under the wagons deceased was so injured that he died the same day. | |
| 1914 | March | 5 | Earlseat | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co Ltd | William | Neil | 26 | Miner | Falls of roof | The drawer was out of the place about five minutes. When he returned he found deceased quite dead, owing to about 25 cwts. of coal having fallen on him. From the position of the body it would appear that he was holing under coal that was considerably overhanging, and that no sprags had been set. | |
| 1914 | March | 5 | Murdostoun | Lanark | Murdostoun Colliery Co Ltd | James Prentice | Kerr | 28 | Night pitheadman | Miscellaneous | Owing to the failure of the electric light he had procured a torch lamp, and was apparently proceeding to the winding engine house when he walked into the colliery reservoir and was drowned. To get into the water he had to pass through a space of 10 inches. He had only been employed at the colliery a short time. | |
| 1914 | March | 10 | Bothwell Park No 1 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John | Hazlett | 30 | Brusher | Shaft accidents – whilst ascending or descending by machinery |
Deceased was on the cage, with six other workmen, and while being
raised he took ill and falling to the bottom of the cage was
crushed. At a part of the shaft about 30 fathoms up he was forced
into a "ring," and when the cage passed he fell to
the bottom. The bottomer had permitted the cage to be raised
without fixing on the gates. From Main body of report: On March 10th at Bothwell Park Colliery, owned by Messrs. William Baird & Co., Ltd., a brusher was killed by falling out of an ascending cage. The onsetter had neglected to fix the gates on to the end of the cage before signalling for it to be drawn up the shaft. It was intended to prosecute the bottomer and a complaint was served on him. Before the case could be heard he became seriously ill, and on being informed of this, Crown Counsel instructed the Procurator Fiscal that there should be no further proceedings. |
Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1914 | March | 12 | Deans No 5 (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | George F. Brown | Chalmers | 27 | Miner | Falls of roof | He, and the man working with him, were preparing to blast down a piece of shale. His partner suggested that the two props under the shale should be left standing, but he knocked them out with a hammer. As the second one came out a fall of three tons of shale occurred and killed him. No prop drawers were provided, the manager stating he was not aware timber was withdrawn. | |
| 1914 | March | 12 | Gauchalland No 2 | Ayr | Gauchalland Coal Co | Andrew | Kerr | 16 | Coal Filler | Falls of roof | Deceased worked with his father in a longwall place. After an interval for food, the lad went into the place and began to work, when a fall of coal occurred, striking him behind the head, and knocking his face against the floor. It was not considered the boy was seriously injured as there was no outward trace of injury to the skull. After a week or so he did not improve, and from what was occurring the medical man deduced he had a hidden fracture of the base of the skull. He died on April 22nd. | |
| 1914 | March | 18 | Polmaise No 3 & 4 | Stirling | Archd Russell Ltd | John | Marshall | 35 | Brushing Contractor | Miscellaneous underground – suffocation by natural gases |
Livingstone was anxious to get to the face of a heading, rising
1 in 2, which was full of firedamp for 40 feet and which was
nearing a mine approaching it, to "knock through,"
and to measure how much had been driven. In spite of two warnings
from two firemen, and a direct order from the manager not to
try to get to the face, he sent Marshall up into the gas with
a wire round his waist to get to the face. Marshall collapsed
when about 30 feet up, and his legs becoming entangled in some
timber he could not be pulled back. Livingstone then went up
to get him down, and was overcome when 25 feet up the heading.
The bodies were not recovered until some hours afterwards. From Main body of report: The first of these accidents occurred in the Knott Seam, Polmaise Colliery, owned by Messrs. Archibald Russell, Ltd., on March 18th, and resulted in the death of an overman and a repairer. A man who had driven a certain heading, rising 1 in 2, asked the overman to pay him his wages as he had gone to another colliery to work. This man asked for more money than the overman was prepared to give, and, although the heading was filled with firedamp for a distance of 40 feet from the face, he determined to go into the face to measure the man's work, and, when in the face, to ascertain by knocking how much further the heading, or the place coming to meet it, would have to be driven before a holing was effected. The overman, with two repairers, appears to have gone into the heading and taken with him some lengths of f-in. pipes, intending to use the pipes to knock (chap) on the face whilst he stood clear of the firedamp. The manager of the mine heard of this and sent at once to the overman a message that he was to come out of the heading immediately as no attempt would be made to drive it any further. This message was duly delivered, but the overman replied that as he was there he would go in to the face and knock through. He thereupon sent a repairer, who had a piece of signal wire tied round his waist, up into the gas to try to get to the face of the heading, some 40 feet away. The messenger whom the manager had sent to the overman, when he saw the repairer proceed up the heading, rushed forward and endeavoured to stop him by pulling the wire, but as he did so the man fell groaning. Both overman arid messenger then pulled at the wire but could not drag the man out; it was found afterwards that his legs were one on each side of a prop. The overman then rushed up the heading and collapsed. The messenger, who had tried to stop the overman, also fell, but rolled down into fresh air in a semi-conscious condition. The overman had been manager and under-manager at two other different collieries, and might have been expected to have had more common-sense than to act in the manner he did apart from his disobedience to the manager's orders. |
|
| David | Livingstone | 38 | Oversman | |||||||||
| 1914 | March | 23 | Annandale No 11 | Ayr | Caprington & Auchlochan Collieries | William | McKie | 14 | Stone Picker | On surface – by machinery |
Deceased was one of five boys employed at a picking table, and
when there was no coal coming to the screens they apparently
amused themselves by going through the fencing and playing on
the moving jigging screen. Deceased was doing this when he was
caught by the revolving shafting, carried round and knocked against
the flooring above a number of times, and was so severely injured
that he died next day. From Main body of report: Both the accidents under this heading [Surface – by machinery] show a want of supervision and discipline. In the first case, a smith was ordered to do certain repairs to a conveyor on a Saturday. At the end of the shift he told his foreman he had completed the job. On the Sunday he was employed doing some work underground and having completed it, he came to bank and went to the conveyor at which he had been working on the Saturday. He had not finished the job on the Saturday and was intending to do so surreptitiously on the Sunday. Some other men who had also been doing repairs on the Sunday, not knowing of the presence of the smith, set the conveyor in motion and the man was killed. |
|
| 1914 | March | 23 | Balgonie | Fife | Balgonie Colliery Co | Andrew | Page | 76 | Wagon Greaser | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased was attempting to cross in front of four loaded railway trucks, and was run over and instantly killed. | |
| 1914 | March | 25 | Dechmont No 3 | Lanark | Archd Russell Ltd | John | Pollock | 50 | Miner | Falls of roof | The deceased was working at the coal face when a fall of roof occurred. Between the pieces of timber a bad lype was discovered which could not be seen before the stone fell. | |
| 1914 | March | 26 | Gardrum | Stirling | Carron Co | Mangus | Smith | 25 | Brakesman | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | He was probably riding on the buffer of the front wagon of a train of seven, and fell off on to the rails, and five wheels passed over him. | |
| 1914 | March | 31 | Blairmuckhill | Lanark | A & G Anderson | David | Graham | 35 | Repairer | Falls of roof | Deceased was working at the the top end of a coal-cutting machine run, setting timber to allow the coal cutter to pass. A place is driven in advance of the line of machine face to facilitate the starting of the machine on a new cut, and when this place had been brushed a part of the side was left overhanging. Graham was setting timber under this when it fell away from a lype and caught him. The brushers in a former shift ought either to have taken this overhanging stone down or set a bar to support it. | |
| 1914 | April | 1 | Fergushill No 26 | Ayr | A Finnie & Son | William | Sim | 34 | Wagon Trimmer | Shaft accidents – falling from surface |
Deceased opened the gate at the surface to put a loaded tub of
prop wood on to the cage forgetting that it was not there, with
the result that he pushed the tub into the open shaft, and he,
along with the tub, was precipitated to the bottom, a distance
of 49 fathoms. From Main body of report: On April 1st at Fergushill Colliery, owned by Messrs. Archibald Finnie and Son, a wagon trimmer lost his life in similar circumstances to those narrated above [e.g. Feb 8th]. He opened the gate fencing the top of the shaft at the ground level and pushed a tub into the shaft and followed it. |
|
| 1914 | April | 2 | Pumpherson No 4 Oil Shale Mine | Linlithgow | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | Robert | Miller | 65 | Drawer | Falls of roof | When he was holding a shovel a piece of stone fell from the roof and cut his left hand. Blood poisoning supervened and he died on May 26th. | |
| 1914 | April | 3 | Hillhouserigg | Lanark | Baton Collieries Ltd | Hugh | Linden | 38 | fireman | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | He was travelling along the coal face, and was actually under a shot at a roadhead when it exploded. The brushers had warned the men on one side of the road, but omitted to do anything to prevent anyone approaching the shot from the other side. The deceased's body was only found when the stone displaced by the shot was taken away. Contravention of Section 2 (e) of the Explosives in Coal Mines Order. | |
| 1914 | April | 3 | Meiklehill No 2 | Dumbarton | Woodilee Coal & Coke Co Ltd | John | Semple | 24 | Miner's Drawer | Explosions of fire damp |
1.45pm. Deceased left his working place, and went to a road to
get some rails, and when on his way his naked light ignited some
gas which burned him. The road was not at work at the time and
was not fenced off, but, in the ordinary course, had been inspected
by the fireman and no gas was found. From Main body of report: The second occurred at 1.45 p.m. on April 3rd in the Wee Coal Seam, Meiklehill Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Woodilee Coal and Coke Co., Ltd., and resulted in the death of John Semple, a miner's drawer. Semple left the place in which he was working and went up a slope to get a pair of four-feet rails. When nearing the face of the slope some gas, which had been lying next the roof, was lighted at the naked light he was carrying on his cap, and he was so injured that he died eight days afterwards. The face of the slope was not at work nor were the two inbye branch places turned off the slope. They were said to have been inspected at 10.30 a.m. and to have been found free from gas. In any case, as they were not being worked, they should have been fenced off. |
|
| 1914 | April | 6 | Hartwoodhill | Lanark | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | John | Muir | 27 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was holing at the coal face when a large piece of sandstone fell from the roof between the props and killed him instantly. There were two clay partings running parallel with the face, which the deceased had failed to notice. | |
| 1914 | April | 8 | Aitken | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James | McHale | 20 | Miner | Falls of roof | He had just set a bar to some bad roof, but had only set a prop at one end. He intended to set a prop at the other end after he had taken down some coal. As soon as he began to work at the coal the bad roof was liberated, and fell on him, killing him instantly. | Newspaper report - Beath pages |
| 1914 | April | 14 | Niddrie No 12 | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | Robert | Walker | 18 | Miners Drawer | Sundries |
His duty was to draw the miners' tubs and put them on to a brake
incline. As the signal at his level was defective he had stretched
out on to the incline, which dips at 64 degrees, to strike the
rail with a piece of iron, and so signal to the top or bottom
of the incline. While doing so he overbalanced and fell to the
bottom of the incline and was killed. From Main body of report: Two of them [sundry accidents] occurred in the Niddrie Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Niddrie and Benhar Coal Co., Ltd., where the seams are very steep. In the first case two youths went into an incline to reset a prop which had become loose. The boy killed lost his footing, the incline dipped at an angle of 70 degrees, and fell some 360 ft. on to the cage. In the second case in a similar place a youth leaned out of the mouth of the level and was hammering ("chapping ") on the rails in the incline, when he overbalanced and fell down the incline a distance of 180ft. Neither of these accidents should have happened. In the first case a fireman or roadsman should have been sent for, and in the second there should have been no necessity for the youth to lean out of the level. When repair or other similar work is being done on these steep inclines some precaution, such as wearing a safety belt, should be taken by the persons doing the work. |
|
| 1914 | April | 16 | Argyll | Argyll | Campbeltown Coal Co Ltd | James | McArthur | 60 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was working off the top portion of the coal when it suddenly fell, and before he could set clear he was caught and crushed beneath it. The coal came away from a ''back " which could not be seen prior to the fall. | |
| 1914 | April | 21 | Bentrigg No 2 | Lanark | H M McNeill Hamilton | Robert | Paterson | 47 | Pumper | Shaft accidents - falling from part way down | No one was present and how he met his death can only be conjectured, but it appears that he had been attending a steam pump at a mid working, and the heat seems to have affected him. He apparently crawled under a fence protecting the opening into the shaft, and fell into the shaft just as one of the cages was passing the place at a slow speed, as his body was found on the cage. The only mark of injury was on his head. | Newspaper report - Dalserf pages |
| 1914 | April | 22 | Devon | Clackmannan | Alloa Coal Co Ltd | John | George | 23 | Brusher | Falls of roof | He was holing under a "lypey" roof with insufficient timber set when a fall took place killing him on the spot. | |
| 1914 | April | 26 | Holytown | Lanark | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | James | Convery | 26 | Labourer | Shaft accidents – falling from surface |
He was engaged in putting loaded tubs of boiler ashes on the
cage on the surface at the shaft low level, to be raised to the
top level to be emptied on the debris heap, and, apparently thinking
the cage was at the low level he pushed a tub into the open shaft,
and fell to the bottom, a distance of 40 fathoms. The gate fencing
the shaft was found after the accident to be open, and had been
left open by the deceased. From Main body of report: On April 26th at Holytown Colliery, owned by Messrs. James Nimmo and Co., Ltd., a labourer lost his life also in similar circumstances to those recorded above [e.g. Feb 8th]. He left the gate open after sending away a cage from the ground level to the pithead level with a tub of ashes. He then turned and pushed another tub of ashes into the shaft and followed it. |
|
| 1914 | April | 27 | Loanhead Burghlee | Edinburgh | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | Alexander | Malcolm | 44 | Colliery manager | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | When chasing a rat across the sidings he did not notice a train of empty wagons that was being pushed up by a locomotive to the high side of the screens, and was crushed between the first wagon and a wall. | Newspaper report |
| 1914 | April | 30 | Polmaise No 1 & 2 | Stirling | Archd Russell Ltd | Peter | McGregor | 63 | Pithead worker | Miscellaneous | He was oiling a pulley on the pithead when he was crushed by a hutch of dirt against the side of the pithead. Died of pneumonia on May 7th. | |
| 1914 | April | 30 | Wishaw, Heathery Pit | Lanark | Glasgow Iron & Steel Co Ltd | James | Grant | 23 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | He charged and lighted a shot and then retired. A shot in another place exploded, and thinking it was his he returned to his place and was close up to the face when his shot exploded. He was so severely injured that he died about an hour afterwards. | Newspaper report - Cambusnethan pages |
| 1914 | May | 1 | Viewpark | Lanark | Robert Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Frank | Collins | 50 | Repairer | Falls of roof | Deceased had just reached the jib of a conveyor to obtain a "Sylvester" prop drawer with which to withdraw props when the roof suddenly fell and he was completely buried. About three hours elapsed before his body was recovered. The roof in falling displaced all the timbers set to support it. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1914 | May | 8 | Calderbank | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Thomas | McKnight | 42 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Deceased, with two other workmen, had just completed the charging of a shot hole in the pavement, and, when one of the men was about to ignite the fuse, the roof suddenly and without warning fell and the three men were buried. When the stone was removed one was found to be dead and the other two were injured. A subsequent examination of the roof showed that the fall had come away from an unseen and unknown glazy parting. Such partings had not been met with in this seam before. The roof was composed of hard fakes and was apparently good. | |
| 1914 | May | 13 | Bothwell Castle No 3 and 4 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | James | Knox | 40 | Machineman | Falls of roof | He was engaged putting up supports to the roof after the coal-cutting machine had passed, and while doing so the roof suddenly collapsed and he was partly buried. The roof was "lypey" and the fall came away from an unseen "lype," and in falling displaced five sets of timber. | |
| 1914 | May | 14 | Cobbinshaw No 3 (Oil shale) | Edinburgh | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | William | Smith | 46 | Miner | Falls of roof | The fireman, finding there were "lypes" on both sides of the place in which he was working, instructed him to set some bars to secure the roof. He and another man were carrying out these instructions when a fall of stone from the "lypes" occurred and killed him instantly. The place was dangerous, and if the precaution of setting temporary timber under the roof to protect the men during the time the bars were being set, had been taken, it is probable, the accident would have been prevented. | |
| 1914 | May | 15 | Bothwell Park | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | James | Hall | 58 | Labourer | Miscellaneous | Deceased, along with other two men, had been taking out some planks from beneath others. While doing so the upper planks were supported by means of props. After the required planks had been obtained, and when the props were about to be removed, the planks resting on the props slipped and fell. Deceased was caught and covered by them and killed instantly. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1914 | May | 16 | Bardykes | Lanark | Summerlee Iron Co Ltd | William | Douglas | 26 | Coal Cutter Attendant | By machinery | When racking out the cutting bar of the coal cutter, the deceased's clothing was caught in the picks, and his legs were drawn under the revolving bar, and very severely lacerated. He died the same day. | |
| 1914 | May | 18 | Dechmont No 3 | Lanark | Archd Russell Ltd | David | George | 40 | Assistant Coal Cutter Machineman | Falls of roof | The deceased was instantly killed by a large fall of roof from between two lypes. He was attempting at the time to secure the roof at this point. | |
| 1914 | May | 19 | East Plean No 4 | Stirling | Plean Colliery Co Ltd | William | Maltman | 68 | Carter | Miscellaneous | He was driving a horse and cart loaded with coal when the horse bolted, knocking him down; one of the wheels passed over his body. He died the following day. | |
| 1914 | May | 19 | Gartliston (Fireclay) | Lanark | P & M Hurll Ltd | Matthew | Neary | 29 | Miner's Drawer | Falls of roof | Deceased was in the act of filling a tub with fireclay when a stone fell, suddenly, and without warning, from the roof, and killed him instantly. The stone fell from an invisible " glazy" parting, the existence of which was unknown, prior to the fall occurring. | |
| 1914 | May | 21 | Arniston, Gore Pit | Edinburgh | Arniston Coal Co Ltd | Robert | Gibson | 64 | Miner | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | Deceased was walking on a drawing road towards the pit bottom at the termination of shift when a runaway hutch, over which the drawer had lost control, came towards him. Instead of stepping to one side, deceased faced the hutch and attempted to stop it. He was crushed between the top of the hutch and a bar, and died about four hours later. | |
| 1914 | May | 21 | Orbiston No 3 | Lanark | Summerlee Iron Co Ltd | Patrick | Gallacher | 26 | Cousieman | Falls of roof | The deceased was lifting a bar which had fallen from the roof, and prevented the running of an empty rake on a self-acting incline, when, without any warning, a large fall of roof occurred, and a large block of stone caught and crushed his head on to the fallen bar. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1914 | May | 22 | Bent | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co Ltd | John | Kilday | 21 | Machineman | By machinery | Deceased and another man were starting to pull an electrically driven coal cutter into its place, for undercutting the coal, by its own power, when a small piece of the roof consisting of ironstone rib fell on the revolving disc, which was not under the coal, with the result that the machine was thrown bodily round towards the waste, and before he could get clear he was caught by the revolving disc, and so severely injured that he died the same day. | |
| 1914 | May | 22 | Bothwell Castle No 1 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | George | Greenwood | 14 | Lamp-carrier | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | The deceased was probably struck on the head by the first hutch of a rake of hutches which was standing immediately on the inbye side of a brattice screen just as he was stooping down in order to remove a block. A second rake bumped against the first rake and caused the sudden and unexpected movement of the latter. Before attempting to do what he did he should have gone through the brattice screen. | |
| 1914 | May | 25 | Craig No 4 | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Thomas | Bell | 39 | Engineman | Miscellaneous | Deceased was in a stooping position washing the floor in fan engine room under the driving pulley, when the driving belt struck his head, and the nut of one of the bolts at the joint caused a wound. Blood poisoning supervened and he died 17 days later. | |
| 1914 | May | 29 | Lauchope | Lanark | A Dunsmuir | John | Nicol | 29 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Deceased fired three shots in his place lighting the three at one time. He retired from the place and heard two reports. Thinking that two of the shots had exploded simultaneously causing one report he returned to work in the face and some half hour later struck the charge of the third shot with his pick when it exploded and killed him instantly. | |
| 1914 | June | 2 | Earnock | Lanark | J Watson Ltd | Neil | McKillop | 44 | Miner | Falls of roof |
The deceased was taking down head coal in a lift of a stoop when
a fall caught and fastened his leg, and knocked out several props.
Before he could be released a further fall buried him. A breathing
space was made for him by one of the rescuers, but a third fall
completely covered him. When got out about three hours later
life was extinct. From Main body of report: On June 2nd a miner was killed by fall of roof in the Earnock Colliery, owned by Messrs. John Watson, Lid. He was not killed outright but was held fast by the fall. Heroic efforts were made by his fellow workmen to extricate him ; they, miner-like, took no heed for their own safety but struggled hard to release the unfortunate man. Other falls occurring, the rescuers were driven back from the place and the miner killed. For the bravery shown by him on this occasion, James Kennedy, a roadsman, was awarded the King Edward Medal, and further received, as also did two other of the rescuers, Andrew Nicol and William Houldsworth, an honorary certificate together with a grant of money from the Trustees of the Carnegie Hero Fund. |
|
| 1914 | June | 6 | Calderbank | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Thomas | Kirkwood | 26 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was in the act of throwing coal to the road, when the roof suddenly, and without warning, fell upon and killed him instantly. The roof in falling knocked out several props, which had been set to support it. | |
| 1914 | June | 6 | Haugh No 2 | Stirling | WmBaird & Co Ltd | Johannes | Andreson | 26 | Painter | Miscellaneous |
He was cleaning a bearer in the pithead frame for painting, and,
to do so, reached over a haulage pulley; the pulley started and
crushed him against the bearer he stood upon. From Main body of report: On June 6th at Haugh Colliery, owned by Messrs. Wm. Baird and Co., Ltd., a painter, who had taken a contract to do certain painting for this company at several of their mines, was engaged painting the head gear. He had, however, been forbidden to do any painting in the vicinity of the pulley wheels, three in number, on the top of the frame, but he was seen a minute or two prior to the accident on the top of the frame scraping the paint on one of the bearers of one of the pulley wheels apparently with his head between two of the spokes. This particular pulley wheel was used in connection with the underground haulage, and the pit being a busy one, the haulage rope was rarely standing for more than a minute at a time. The hauling engineman, knowing nothing of the position of the painter, he being so placed that he could not see the pulley wheel, started his engine in response to a signal and the painter was of course killed. |
|
| 1914 | June | 9 | Philpstoun No 6 (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Jas Ross & Co | Thomas | O'Donnell | 29 | Drawer | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | He was accompanying a loaded tub up a short dook when he fell in front of the tub and was so severely injured that he died on 17th September. He was either walking up in front of the tub and slipped and was run over, or was riding on the tub or chain, or attempting to get on to one or other of them, when he slipped and fell. | |
| 1914 | June | 10 | Woodhall | Lanark | Barr & Higgins | Neil | M'Alister | 27 | Drawer | Haulage – ropes or chains breaking |
A set of 10 tubs was being hauled out of a level road into an
incline, and deceased was helping the tubs round the turn at
the junction of the incline and the level when the haulage rope
broke and the tubs ran back and, catching deceased, caused injuries
from which he died the following day. From Main body of report: One fatal accident occurred owing to the breaking of a hauling rope which had already broken once before the same day and once on the previous day. It had been in use seven months and apparently in the conditions under which it was used that was a long-enough life for it. The man who was killed was standing in the haulage road waiting to put the back stay on to the last tub of the set when it reached him; had it been put on when the set was first lifted away, as it ought to have been, the accident would have been prevented. |
|
| 1914 | June | 11 | Newton No 1 | Lanark | Jas Dunlop & Co Ltd | Hugh | Wilson | 40 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | He lighted a shot, and, thinking he heard it explode, returned to see the effect of it. He had mistaken the report of another shot in an adjacent place for that of his own. When he got to the face his shot exploded and killed him. | |
| 1914 | June | 14 | Roslin | Edinburgh | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | John | McGuire | 51 | Surfaceman | Miscellaneous | When working on the sidings at the surface he slipped and cut his face with his hammer. Erysipelas set in and he died on July 6th. | |
| 1914 | June | 15 | Redford No 1 | Stirling | Jas Nimmo & Co Ltd | George | Erskine | 24 | Motorman | By machinery | The deceased appears to have gone inside the fence protecting the gear wheels attached to a haulage motor, and was caught by them and fatally injured. | |
| 1914 | June | 17 | Cults & Pitlessie Limetone Mine | Fife | Jas Martin | James | Steedman | 52 | Miner | Metalliferous mines – falls of roof |
When about to set timber to known bad roof a stone fell upon
him. From Main body of report: The two fatal accidents were both due to falls ; one to a fall of side, the other to a fall of roof. The second occurred in the Cults and Pitlessie Limestone Mine, owned by Mr. Jas. Martin. The foreman had found a part of the roof in a drawing level close to the side of the main haulage road to foe bad, and he, with the man killed, was preparing to set up timber to support it when a part of the roof nearer to them, which they also knew to be bad, fell and fatally injured the miner. It would have been more miner-like if they had made the roof safe as they went in instead of going beyond a bad stone to put a support under a second which was considered to be in a worse state. |
|
| 1914 | June | 20 | Dumbreck No 2 | Stirling | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Robert Dunlop | Anderson | 19 | Drawer | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | When taking empty hutches off the haulage rope, he heard a runaway coming and thinking it was an empty, stepped into the full road instead of into a manhole close at hand. The hutch which was a loaded one, struck and killed him on the spot. | |
| 1914 | June | 23 | Greenhill | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | James | McKenney | 15 | Miner | Falls of roof | The deceased was shovelling coal out from the face when a large fall of roof occurred, and part of the falling stone struck him on the head and crushed him. The fall came away from a lype, and displaced the timber set to support the roof. | Newspaper report |
| 1914 | June | 25 | Milnwood | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | Cormack | McFarlane | 36 | Brusher | Falls of roof | He and his neighbour were engaged securing the roof at a part where lypes were visible, and, while thus engaged, it suddenly fell upon and fatally injured him. | |
| 1914 | June | 25 | Rosehall No 14 | Lanark | Robert Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Robert | Brown | 27 | Repairer | Falls of side | Deceased was engaged with two other men in putting a set of timber up to the rout on a level road, when a stone fell from the side, knocked out a temporary prop and struck him on the back. | |
| 1914 | June | 25 | Swinhill No 2 | Lanark | Darngavil Coal Co Ltd | William | Frame | 21 | Drawer | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | The deceased was crushed beneath a loaded hutch as a rake was being hauled up a dook He had been in a refuge hole and had apparently tried to jump on to the rake in between two of the hutches. The signal wires had not been extended to the end of the haulage road as they ought to have been prior to its being put into use. | |
| 1914 | June | 26 | Muiravonside No 6 | Stirling | Jas Nimmo & Co Ltd | William | Stitt | 21 | Fireman | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Two brushers fired a shot in the brushing, and when they returned to clear away the results of it they found the fireman lying dead under the displaced stone. They had not taken proper precaution to warn anyone travelling up the face from the road below, and, in consequence, Stitt had crawled up the face, and been directly under the shot when it exploded. Contravention of Section 2 (e) of Explosives in Coal .Mines Order. | |
| 1914 | June | 29 | Carberry | Edinburgh | Edinburgh Collieries Co Ltd | William | Higgings | 15 | Pony driver | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | Deceased was drawing out a full train of hutches and, as usual at this mine, was sitting on the front of the first one. There was a strong current of air. To prevent his naked light from being blown out, he carried it well down in front of the hutch. While doing this he probably overbalanced and fell in front of the first hutch, which was pulled over him by the pony. | |
| 1914 | June | 30 | Lumphinnans No 11 | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | William Moffat Brownlie | Brown | 36 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was filling a small quantity of redd, which had just fallen from the side, when without warning, a large fall of roof occurred, breaking the roof timbers and killing him instantly. | |
| 1914 | June | 30 | Skellyton | Lanark | Darngavil Coal Co Ltd | William | Hastie | 67 | Pit bottomer and Pump Attendant | By machinery | The deceased was oiling machinery in motion, when he was caught between two spur wheels and instantly killed. | |
| 1914 | July | 3 | Shettleston | Lanark | Mount Vernon Colliery Co Ltd | Robert | Pritchard | 33 | Fireman | Explosions of fire damp |
8am. Deceased was making an inspection in a section, which had
been idle for several days, owing to a breakdown of the haulage
plant, and, while doing so, the light in his safety lamp was
extinguished by firedamp. He then opened the lamp to relight
it when an explosion occurred, and he was burned. His statement
is that he struck a match, but the probability is that he was
carrying an open light, as well as his safety lamp. From Main body of report: The third occurred at 8 a.m. on July 3rd in the Upper Kiltongue Seam, Shettleston Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Mount Vernon Colliery Co., Ltd. A section of the seam had been idle for several days owing to a breakdown of the haulage plant, but was inspected in the ordinary course by the firemen, one of whom, Robert Pritchard, when altering some screens, had the light of his safety lamp extinguished. He stated that he had unlocked his lamp and screwed off the bottom and then struck a match with which to relight the lamp, but the circumstances pointed to his having been carrying a naked light in addition to his safety lamp. The result was an explosion from the effects of which the man died four days afterwards. |
|
| 1914 | July | 4 | Dunnikier No 1, Panny | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | William | Williams | 26 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was killed by a heavy fall of roof in a siding, which came down, owing to the displacement of the props, set beneath the baulks supporting the roof, by a rake of hutches, which was being lifted from the siding. He was immediately behind the last hutch although he had been told to wait until the rake had been lifted from the siding. | |
| 1914 | July | 6 | Craighead No 1 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Terence | Lavery | 25 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was working at the coal face when a large stone fell from the roof, crushing him about the head and shoulders. The stone swung out several trees set up to support it, and exposed a lype running parallel with the face. | |
| 1914 | July | 6 | Newcraighall No 3 | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | John | Arthur | 40 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was working at the face of a room which was stripping a pillar to the rise of a fallen waste, when, without warning, a piece of the roof stone, which must have been loose and concealed by the rubbish in the waste, fell and struck him on the thigh, causing injuries from which he died the following morning. | |
| 1914 | July | 9 | Blantyre No 4 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | Alexander | Henderson | 57 | Repairer | Falls of roof | Deceased was apparently examining the roof in a roadway, which he had been sent to repair, when part of it fell, and a stone struck his head, fracturing his skull and pinning him to the pavement. | |
| 1914 | July | 14 | Fauldhead No 3 | Dumfries | Sanquhar & Kirkconnel Collieries Ltd | Joseph | Farnsworth | 55 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was engaged holing in a place 12 feet wide in stoop and room workings. He had two sprags set under the coal; part of it, however, broke over him owing to an unseen lype behind the holing, and fell on him, and injured him so severely that he died the same day. | |
| 1914 | July | 14 | Whitehill | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Robert | Cairns | 44 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was at work making a hole for a strap at the roadhead of a longwall face in a seam 5ft. thick, when the two carrying bars and the polling wood above them, were swung out by a fall of blaes roof, which killed him instantly. Stringers to bind the carrying bars together would probably have prevented the swinging of the timber. | |
| 1914 | July | 16 | Blair No 7 | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | George | Andrew, jun | 15 | pony driver | Other haulage accidents | While deceased was proceeding outbye with a loaded rake of 6 tubs a snibble dropped out of one of the wheels of the tubs; he went to reinsert it when his right trouser leg was caught by another snibble and he was dragged some distance and received injury to the calf of his leg. He died 12 weeks later from septic poisoning. | |
| 1914 | July | 18 | Teasses & Teuchats Limestone Mine | Fife | Teasses Lime Co Ltd | George | Suttie | 54 | Miner | Metalliferous mines – falls of side |
He was holing when the undercut stone fell upon him, no sprags
having been set to support it. From Main body of report: The two fatal accidents were both due to falls ; one to a fall of side, the other to a fall of roof. The first occurred in the Teasses and Teuchats Limestone Mine, owned by Messrs. The Teasses Lime Co., Ltd. A miner had holed 3 1/2 ft. deep under the face of limestone for a width of 7 ft., and 1 ft. deep under the remainder. He had fired and cut up the left side with a shot and was lying under the undercut stone, holing, when the overhanging part, weighing about two tons, fell on to him. If he had had sprags set the accident would have been prevented. |
|
| 1914 | July | 27 | Roslin | Edinburgh | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | James | Porteous | 29 | Miner | Other haulage accidents | The inclination being very steep, 85 degrees, the inclines are worked by back balances and carriages. To send his full tub down on the carriage provided to convey it to the level road, he took the empty hutch off and shouted to the brake boy to lever the carriage down 4 inches by barring the drum, although he must have known, had he thought about it, that this was impossible, with the empty tub off the carriage. The brake boy, never expecting that the empty hutch had been moved off the carriage, tried to lower the carriage, which, naturally, rose up above th bench instead with the result that when deceased came out again with his full tub he pushed it over the incline. He was drawn over with the tub and fell a distance of 21 fathoms. | |
| 1914 | July | 28 | Blantyre No 4 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | Henry | Quin | 50 | Shaftsman and Repairer | Falls of roof | Deceased, with several others, was repairing at large fall on the main haulage road and, while standing upon the fall breaking up some stones, part of the roof above fell and fatally crushed him. | |
| 1914 | July | 30 | Minto No 1 | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | James | McVey | 19 | Miner's Drawer | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | He was standing behind an empty tub at the foot of an incline, when a full tub at the top broke loose from the chain to which it had been attached, and running down the incline collided with the empty tub at the foot. Deceased was crushed between the empty tub and the wall side. | |
| 1914 | July | 31 | Callendar No 14 | Stirling | Callendar Coal Co Ltd | Thomas | Kane | 15 | Pithead Worker | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | He was preparing to leave a workman's train before it had stopped, and a jerk threw him on to the rails where a wagon wheel crushed him fatally | |
| 1914 | August | 3 | Dalzell & Broomside | Lanark | Wishaw Coal Co Ltd | Hugh | Sanaghan | 47 | Miner | Falls of roof | He had just set a prop when a large stone swung out between three lypes, and fell on him causing immediate death. His son, working with him, was also injured. | |
| 1914 | August | 4 | Lochore, Mary Pit | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Roderick | Miller | 24 | Engineer | Other haulage accidents | He was taking measurements of a haulage wheel when it moved and crushed his hand. Died of tetanus on 10th inst. | |
| 1914 | August | 9 | No. 1 Shale Mine, Duddingston | James | Findlay | Not listed | Death not listed in Inspectors report | Fatal Accident Inquiry: James Findlay, miner, Harbour Lane, South Queensferry, died on 9 August 1914 at his house, from injuries sustained on 19 August 1912 in No. 1 Shale Mine, Duddingston, Kirkliston Parish, Linlithgowshire, when he slipped and fell upon his knee | ||||
| 1914 | August | 13 | Afton No 1 | Ayr | New Cumnock Collieries Ltd | Andrew | Clapperton | 47 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was working at a machine face stripping off coal. He saw a lype and was preparing to set a prop when a portion of the roof fell upon him. His injury appeared at first to be a fracture of one of the arm's, but his ribs had also been injured, and he died three days later. | |
| 1914 | August | 13 | Balgonie | Fife | Balgonie Colliery Co Ltd | George | Nelson | 29 | Contractor | By machinery | He apparently slipped on to the bar of a coal cutting machine when preparing to lever it into the cut, and was so severely injured that he died about three hours later. | |
| 1914 | September | 4 | Lumphinnans No 1 | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James | Morgan | 31 | Miner | Falls of roof | While filling his lamp with tallow at the roadside a fall of roof took place from a lype, and killed him on the spot. | |
| 1914 | September | 14 | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | David | Hare | 63 | Roadsman | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | He had been repairing roof on a horse road and stepped to the side to allow the rake drawn by a pony to pass. He had good room, but apparently he slipped, as his legs were caught by the wheels and he was dragged a few yards and injured. He died three hours later from shock following on his injury. | |
| 1914 | September | 15 | Lochrigg No 4 | Lanark | Ballochney Coal Co Ltd | Robert | Newall | 21 | Bottomer | Shaft accidents - falling from part way down |
Deceased was bottomer at a mid landing. He signalled away the
cage to the surface, opened the gate, and immediately after went
to the back of a loaded tub. and, pushing it into the open shaft,
fell with it some 18 fathoms, and was killed. He had evidently
forgotten that he had signalled the cage away. The landing was
well lighted. From Main body of report: On September 15th at Lochrigg Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Ballochney Coal Co., Ltd., an onsetter, after signalling the cage away and seeing it drawn up the shaft, opened the fence gate and getting behind a laden tub pushed it into the shaft and fell with it to the bottom. |
|
| 1914 | September | 21 | Glenboig Fireclay Mine, Star Pit | Lanark | Glenboig Union Fireclay Co Ltd | Charles | Leckie | 34 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Deceased bored a hole to a depth of 3 ft. in an upward direction and charged it with 1 lb. of gunpowder; he inserted a squib, and, as soon as all was ready, ignited the match, and immediately the shot exploded. Before he could get clear he was covered with the debris from the shot and fatally injured. It transpired that deceased was in the habit of nipping a piece off the end of the squib, and, apparently he had in this case, nipped it off almost close up to the gunpowder train, and the gunpowder was ignited by his light. Contravention of Section 2 (f) (b) of Explosives in Coal Mines Order. | |
| 1914 | September | 22 | Auchlochan | Lanark | Caprington & Auchlochan Collieries | Daniel | Smart | 48 | Fireman | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | The deceased was attempting to lower a hutch down a brae by going in front of it. He was overpowered and crushed between the hutch and the side of the level road. He committed a breach of General Regulation 26. | |
| 1914 | September | 22 | Dunsyston | Lanark | Summerlee Iron Co Ltd | James | Murray | 23 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Deceased was setting breakers, preparatory to brushing a roadway, when a large stone fell from the brushing face on to him, crushing his head and killing him almost instantly. | |
| 1914 | September | 22 | Loanhead Ramsay Pit | Edinburgh | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | James | Watson | 28 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was working alone in a stooping place in a seam lying at an angle of 52 degrees. His place was well propped and spragged when seen by the fireman, about an hour before the accident, and it is not known exactly what occurred, but it appears as if his head had been jammed against a prop by falling coal. His skull was fractured, and he died 36 hours later. | |
| 1914 | September | 23 | Chapel | Lanark | Chapel Coal Co Ltd | William | Young | 67 | Surface Worker | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | He was attempting to cross a line of rails and was knocked down by a Caledonian Railway Company's locomotive, which had apparently run past the coal washery without whistling. He died on October 26th. | |
| 1914 | September | 23 | Dalkeith | Edinburgh | A G Moore & Co | John | Reid | 65 | Miner | Falls of side | While taking some coal down, more came away than he expected, and he sustained a cut on the back of his hand. Blood poisoning set in and he died on October 8th. | |
| 1914 | September | 25 | Gartshore No11 | Dumbarton | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | James | Gunniss | 42 | Roadsman | Other haulage accidents | The deceased was struck by a haulage rope, and thrown against a brick building. He received an injury to his head from which he died 13 days later. | |
| 1914 | September | 25 | Gateside | Lanark | Flemington Coal Co Ltd | John | Shaw | 26 | Miner | Falls of roof | Whilst proceeding to his work the deceased was crushed by a fall of roof and immediately killed. | |
| 1914 | October | 1 | Southrigg No 3 | Linlithgow | United Collieries Ltd | James | McKay | 23 | Pit Bottomer | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous |
Deceased was one of two authorised signallers. The other (James
Smith) unknown to him. had signalled an empty cage away, but
had not seen that both shaft gates were closed. McKay went on
the cage to adjust a rod when the cage was suddenly lifted ;
he overbalanced, and was so severely crushed between the shaft
side and the cage that he died next day. James Smith was subsequently
prosecuted, and convicted and fined. From Main body of report: On October 1st at Southrigg Colliery, owned by Messrs. The United Collieries, Ltd., an onsetter signalled the cage away but omitted to close the fence gates. He moved away from the shaft and another onsetter, not knowing the cage had been signalled away, was about to step into it to effect some small repairs when it was raised up and he was seen to be staggering back and forward as if about to fall as the cage went out of sight. A signal was given to stop and a shaftsman ascended to the surface by the second shaft and climbed some ten fathoms down the one in which the accident occurred, where he found the cage empty and the onsetter standing on a bunton leaning against the shaft side. He was taken to the surface on the top of the cage and was afterwards found to have sustained a fracture of the spine and otherwise to have been very severely crushed. The onsetter who had signalled the cage to be drawn away without first having closed the fence gates was prosecuted and convicted and fined. |
|
| 1914 | October | 2 | Hamilton Palace | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co Ltd | Robert | McCart | 39 | haulageman | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous |
Deceased, and another workman, went into the shaft to repair
the signal wire; he had to get some distance above the cage,
which was resting in the bottom, to a pulley carrying the wire.
In getting the wire into its position on the pulley he seems
to have pulled it sufficiently far to give the signal to ascend
with the result that the cage was raised while he was descending
by way of the ''buntons," and he was caught and fatally
crushed. From Main body of report: On October 2nd at Hamilton Palace Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Bent Colliery Co., Ltd., a cage of men was ready to be signalled away from the shaft bottom when it was found that something was wrong with the signal wire. The onsetter told two men who were in the cage, and one of whom was accustomed to shaftwork, to come out and see what was the matter. They both got on to the top of the cage, and one of them climbed a short way up the shaft by way of the buntons to make the necessary repair, i.e., to replace the signal wire round a pulley. He shouted "It's all right," and the cage was immediately drawn up the shaft and he was caught by it as he was climbing down the buntons and thrown into the shaft. The whole proceeding was unnecessary as there was a second lever by which the signals could have been given and the men already in the cage brought to bank, and the cage then used for making whatever repair might be necessary. |
|
| 1914 | October | 8 | Seafield No 3 (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | Hugh | Dunipace | 38 | Fireman | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | He had gone into the main incline, which had a gradient at the point of 1 in 3 ½, to attend to a joint in the steam pipes, when the bogie coming down left the rails and crushed him against a tree. He died the following day. | |
| 1914 | October | 12 | Garriongill No 12 | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | Patrick | Lynn | 37 | Brusher | Falls of side | He had fired a shot in a longwall road, and had been dressing down the roadside when a stone suddenly fell from between two lypes, and caused injuries to his head. He was working alone at the time and was found, sitting by the side of the road unconscious, by his neighbour when he went into the place. Deceased did not recover consciousness. | |
| 1914 | October | 12 | Garthamlock | Lanark | Steel Company of Scotland Ltd | William | Walker | 44 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was holing his coal when, without warning, the roof fell upon him killing him instantly. The roof fell away from between the "vees" of a hitch and lypes which were unseen, and, in falling, threw out the roof supports. | |
| 1914 | October | 15 | Blairhall | Fife | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | John | Ferguson | 38 | Shunter | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | The colliery locomotive was pulling some wagons out of a siding when he saw that the brake of the last wagon was down. He attempted to lift the brake handle by using his brake stick over the wagon spring as a lever; he, however, pushed the stick too far in, and the spokes of the wheel caught it and caused him to be thrown under the wheels of the moving wagon. He was severely injured and died a week later. | |
| 1914 | October | 20 | Blackhill | Lanark | Summerlee Iron Co Ltd | William | Stocks | 58 | Haulage Attendant | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | Deceased was the haulage attendant, and, at the time of the accident, was engaged preparing to fix a rail, which had become loose, and, while doing so, he evidently forgot about an approaching loaded tub and his head was caught between it and a centre prop. The system of haulage was endless rope, with one tub at a time, and speed was 1.7 mile per hour. By having the haulage stopped for a moment the repairs could have been done with safety. | |
| 1914 | October | 20 | Castlehill, Slaghill Pit | Lanark | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | Robert | Cassels | 23 | Miner | Falls of roof |
They were starting to take a new leaf off a stoop without setting
trees under the straps which were needled into the blaes above
the coal, a precaution the fireman had instructed them to take.
A heavy fall of roof and side took place killing Duffy on the
spot, and so injuring Cassels that he died on October 22. Owing
to a mistake in counting the number of men below ground the accident
was only discovered some five or six hours after it happened. From Main body of report: On October 20th a man was killed and another fatally injured by a fall from the roof in the Ball Coal Seam, Castlehill Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Shotts Iron Co., Ltd. They were taking out a stoop of coal coming back from a fault. Two lifts had been taken off. The fireman was in the place about 1 o'clock p.m., and he instructed the men to take up a third lift, setting props under the straps in the road before starting to hew away the coal. This was the last seen of the men prior to the accident. From an inspection of the place afterwards it appeared the men had started work on the coal without properly securing the road timber as directed by the fireman. |
|
| Patrick | Duffy | 25 | Miner | |||||||||
| 1914 | October | 20 | Meadowbank | Stirling | Jas Nimmo & Co Ltd | Matthew | Bennie | 20 | Machineman | By machinery | When starting an electrically-driven coal cutting machine into its cut, he threw the switch at once into the full-on position. The disc caught into the coal and caused the machine to swing violently across the face, and he either fell or was thrown on to the disc. He was so severely injured that he died about 4 ½ hours later. | |
| 1914 | October | 23 | Philpstoun No 6 (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | James Ross & Co | John | McIndoe | 34 | Miners Drawer | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | Deceased was taking an empty tub towards the face when a loaded tub, which had run away on the road he was going, collided with his empty tub and killed him. Deceased partly contributed to the accident, as he failed to shut a stop block on the road as he came out with his own loaded tub a short time previously. This stop block would have prevented the runaway reaching him. | |
| 1914 | October | 23 | Prestongrange | Haddington | Summerlee Iron Co Ltd | James | Johnstone | 36 | Miner | Falls of roof |
The deceased men were straightening the line of the upper portion
of a conveyor face, when, without warning, the roof above them,
and over an area of 9 feet 8 inches by 6 feet, and of a thickness
of 5 feet 10 inches collapsed, and buried them. The roof was
found to be cut on three sides by keen lypes, and on the fourth
by a waste break. Johnstone was killed instantly, but Couper
lived for 2 ½ hours. From Main body of report: On October 23rd one man was killed and another fatally injured by a fall from the roof in the Jewel Seam, Prestongrange Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Summerlee Iron Co., Ltd. The Jewel Seam, which is 3 1/2 feet thick, is worked longwall, and in the section where the accident occurred the coal is taken from the line of face by a conveyor. On the back shift of October 23rd there was a short length of coal at the top end of the face to be worked off to allow the conveyor to be moved forward, and four men were employed at this work. Two of these men were working close together when, without any warning, the roof collapsed about them and buried them. After the accident it was seen that the portion of the roof which fell had been bounded by keen lypes on three sides whilst on the fourth was an old waste break. One of the keen lypes became more and more exposed as the coal was removed until the support left by the remaining coal and two props, with lids, proved unable to support the weight upon them. If flat crown trees had been set instead of props and lids it is possible the accident would have been avoided. |
Newspaper report - Lothian pages |
| James | Couper | 32 | Miner | |||||||||
| 1914 | October | 26 | Fauldhead No 1 | Dumfries | Sanquhar & Kirkconnel Collieries Ltd | John | Harkness | 39 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased and his neighbour were engaged ripping the roof of a roadway preparatory to converting it into a haulage road, when a stone fell from the roof causing injuries to which he succumbed 10 days later. The stone came away from an unseen lype. | |
| 1914 | October | 26 | Minto No 2 | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | James | Smith | 15 | Bogieman | Other haulage accidents | While riding on a bogie his head caught a bar, and he was knocked off the bogie and had his leg and some ribs broken. He died the following morning from shock. | |
| 1914 | October | 27 | Cadder No 17 | Lanark | Carron Co | William | Edgar | 24 | Coal Cutting Machine Gummer | By machinery | When deceased and his mate (Burns) arrived at the face, they found a mechanic renewing the brass bushes of their electrically-driven coal cutting machine. On these repairs being completed, deceased went for the trailing cable and Burns went for some lubricant. Deceased returned to the machine with the trailing cable and held it across the machine for the mechanic to fix into the plug box. This the mechanic did, whereupon the machine immediately was set in motion, and the deceased was caught by the revolving bar and severely injured. He died four days afterwards. On enquiry being made it was found that deceased had connected the outbye end of the trailing cable to the gate end box and had there switched on the current in order to save himself a second journey for the purpose. Unfortunately the starting switch on the coal cutting machine was in the "on " position, and as soon as the trailing cable was fixed in the plug box the machine was set in motion. The accident was easily avoidable, and was due to carelessness and want of thought. | |
| 1914 | October | 27 | Mossbeath No 1 | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | David | Mitchell | 29 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Deceased was brushing a longwall place where the inclination was 1 in 3, and where all the brushing except 10 inches was pavement brushing. The pavement brushing had been taken forward, and he was levering down the top when a part from the roadside came over suddenly from a lype. He was caught about the back and so severely injured that he died on November 24th. | |
| 1914 | November | 3 | Gilbertfield | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | Henry | Kerr | 37 | Repairer | Miscellaneous underground – suffocation by natural gases |
Deceased and another man were sent to take material out of a
disused rising road, but were told by the deputy not to go beyond
a fence, as there was an accumulation of gas on the inbye side
of it. They disobeyed these instructions with the result that
deceased was suffocated and the other man rendered unconscious
for some time. A breach of General Regulations 4 and 9 was committed. From Main body of report: The second case occurred on November 3rd in the Splint Seam, Gilbertfield Colliery, owned by Messrs. John Watson, Ltd. Two repairers were sent to remove rails and self-acting haulage gear from a disused rise road. They were told not to go beyond a fence which had been put up by the fireman, but to remove everything on the low side of the fence. They, however, removed the fence and going beyond it got into an accumulation of firedamp, and one of them was suffocated whilst the other was rendered unconscious. Their intention had been to get out the rails or haulage gear on the rise side of the fence. The intention of the man who was suffocated was deliberate, for, prior to knocking the fence down he had gone into another part of the mine, and when refused the loan of an electric lamp by one man had taken that of another. |
|
| 1914 | November | 4 | Bellfield No 3 | Lanark | Wm Barr & Sons Coalmasters Ltd | James | Ferguson | 17 | Pony Driver | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | His pony, which, having been idle the previous day, was somewhat restive, failed, when coming outbye with a rake of hutches, to stop at the lye. When endeavouring to stop the pony it ran down an incline and he was crushed between the hutches and the side of the road. A stop block placed at the top of the incline would have prevented this accident. | |
| 1914 | November | 4 | Bothwell Park | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | George | Paterson | 18 | Chain Runner | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | Deceased was a run-rider on a haulage road rising from the shaft, and part of his duties was to couple and uncouple the rakes, which usually consisted of 18 tubs. At the top of the haulage road was a hauling engine worked by compressed air; the empty rake being hauled up and the loaded rake lowered down by the drum running loose controlled by a brake. Some distance from the top was a bench and deceased brought the rake to a standstill a short distance above the lye for the purpose of attaching two loaded tubs; these tubs stood on the haulage road; the signal was given to lower the rake, and, just as it was about to reach the stationary tubs, deceased stepped in between with his head and shoulders to couple when he was fatally crushed. He had been warned the day before about the dangerous practice of going between the tubs to couple them. | |
| 1914 | November | 5 | Leven No 4 | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Peter | Wyper | 28 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was assisting another man to push a tub uphill to the working face in a longwall road, when a stone suddenly fell from between two crown trees, which were set further apart than the timbering notice directed, and killed him. | |
| 1914 | November | 6 | Auchengeich | Lanark | Jas Nimmo & Co Ltd | James | Hope | 56 | Surface Foreman | Miscellaneous | Deceased with some other workmen, was engaged unloading a wire rope from a wagon when the forefinger of his left hand was pricked by a wire placed around the coil. Septic poisoning supervened and he died a month later. | |
| 1914 | November | 7 | Donibristle No 2 | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | John | Kilgour | 24 | Banksman | Miscellaneous | Deceased, during a night shift, went from the pithead to the boilers for some water, and, on returning, a crutch which he used slipped at the edge of a hole, dug for foundations. He fell into the hole and on getting out complained of his fall. He was at work for two shifts afterwards then became ill and died on November 25th. He was a weak man and a cripple, but the Doctor says he undoubtedly died from internal injuries received. At the Public Inquiry held in connection with this man's death the Owners' proved that the pathway was broad and well lit; the Fiscal admitted this and stated, had the deceased had two feet, instead of one foot and a crutch, there would have been small probability of accident. | Newspaper report - Beath pages |
| 1914 | November | 9 | Auchincruive | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John | Milligan | 38 | Miner | Falls of roof | Whilst working at the coal face a fall of roof occurred. The deceased, thinking he was running out of the way, ran to a more dangerous position, and was completely buried. When extricated three hours later life was extinct. | |
| 1914 | November | 9 | Kirkwood No 1 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | John | Mulraney | 50 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was stooping coal and had just begun a new " lift" about 10 feet wide; he had taken out the bottom portion, and put up two props under the head portion, and was in the act of coming out from under the head portion when it suddenly fell upon him. The movement of the strata caused by the stooping operations was the cause of the sudden burst. | |
| 1914 | November | 9 | Motherwell No 3 | Lanark | J Watson Ltd | George | Jenkins | 51 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased appears to have been on his knees shovelling coals in his working place, when part of the roof, which was cut up by lypes, fell, and a piece 12 inches by 12 inches by 9 inches struck him on the head and killed him. His place was well timbered and two props were found under the fallen stones. | |
| 1914 | November | 10 | Grasshill No 2 | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John | Muir | 66 | Picking Tableman | Miscellaneous | Whilst proceeding from the picking tables to the ground floor the platform leading to the stairs suddenly gave way, and he was precipitated to the flour, a distance of 12 feet. He died three hours later from rupture of the liver. | |
| 1914 | November | 11 | Climpy | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | Walter | Kirkwood | 39 | Manager | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous |
He came on to the pit top, and in the absence of the banksman
who was tipping a hutch, signalled three to the onsetter. The
onsetter intended to signal three in reply, but on the first
of the three raps being received he moved to enter the cage.
The winding engineman, not waiting for the completion of the
signal lowered the cage and deceased was caught between it, and
the flat sheets. In addition to not waiting until the return
signal had been received deceased was about to enter the cage
although the keps were not in place From Main body of report: On October 11th [sic] at Climpy Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Coltness Iron Co., Ltd., the manager lost his life by an absolute disregard of the requirements of the Act and General Regulations. He entered a cage at the pithead level before the signals required to be given when a person is about to descend were given, and without the keps being placed beneath the cage. He came on to the pit top and signalled "3" to the onsetter; the cage came to the surface and the loaded tub was taken off. A signal of ''1 " was received from the onsetter, and forthwith the manager stepped into the cage. The winding engineman thought it was the signal "1" to raise up and accordingly started the engine, and the manager was caught between the top hoop of the descending cage and the flat sheets at the pit top. The antagonism prevailing in some parts of Scotland in regard to the use of keps should be dissipated after an occurrence of this sort. It has been necessary for more than one inspector to have to ask for the keps to be put under the cage before entering, two occasions this has been my own experience. |
|
| 1914 | November | 12 | Swinhill No 2 | Lanark | Darngavil Coal Co Ltd | John | Kent | 52 | Machineman | By machinery | The deceased was caught by the boot in the revolving disc of the machine when changing the picks, his son being at the switch. The machine stopped at that moment through the surface circuit breaker tripping. In his anxiety to get help to release his father's boot, the son forgot to put the machine switch to the "off" position. The circuit breaker was put in again by the surfaceman in charge at the power station with the result that the machine began to revolve again. The deceased had one leg torn off by the picks and the other badly lacerated, as well as one of his hands, and died some 1 ¼ hours afterwards. | Newspaper report - Dalserf pages |
| 1914 | November | 13 | East Roughrigg | Stirling | Robert Forrester & Co Ltd | John | Hunter | 24 | Miner | Falls of roof | While filling a hutch a large stone fell from the roof and so severely injured him that he died in about half an hour. | |
| 1914 | November | 14 | Prestongrange | Haddington | Summerlee Iron Co Ltd | William | Boyd | 19 | Pony Driver on surface | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased was crossing the colliery sidings close to the washery and screening plant, which were at work. He failed to notice a train of 15 empty wagons which were being pushed by a locomotive into the sidings, and was knocked down and so severely injured that he died seven hours later. | |
| 1914 | November | 20 | Ingliston No 36 (Oil shale) | Edinburgh | Young's Paraffin Light & Mineral Co Ltd | David | Anthony | 46 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was cleaning up and timbering his working place when a mass of shale fell over from an unseen clay back and killed him almost instantly. | Newspaper report - Lothian pages |
| 1914 | November | 23 | Polmaise No 1 & 2 | Stirling | Archd Russell Ltd | William | Kane | 37 | Miner | Falls of roof | He was caught by a stone coming away while setting a tree under it, the vibration causing it to part away from a keen lype. He died on December 7th. | |
| 1914 | November | 25 | Knowton | Lanark | Barr & Thornton | Arthur | Johnstone | 30 | Assistant Machineman | Falls of roof | Deceased was travelling behind a coal cutting machine setting props to crown trees which were already needled into the coal and held up by props at the waste end. Owing to the coal breaking just after the machine passed and before he got a prop set to the crowntree next the machine, the crown tree was swung out, some 9 cwts. roof stone fell on him and injured his back, He died from his injuries on December 12th. | |
| 1914 | December | 2 | Tofts No 2 | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John | McLeod | 30 | Bottomer | Shaft accidents - falling from part way down |
Whilst the cage was running in the shaft deceased opened the
fence gate at the bottom and pushed a loaded tub forward evidently
forgetting that the cage was not there. He and the tub fell into
the sump, which had 12 feet of water in it, and he was drowned. From Main body of report: On December 2nd at Tofts Colliery, own eel by Messrs. William Baird and Co., Ltd., an onsetter, after signalling the cage away, omitted to close the fence gate. He ran a tub forward to and into the shaft and fell with it into the sump and was drowned. |
|
| 1914 | December | 11 | Minto No 2 | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | William | Paton | 41 | Bricklayer | Falls of roof | Deceased had been engaged building the side walls in a new cross-measure drift, and while waiting for building material went to the face and sat down near the workmen there. A stone weighing about 1 cwt, fell from the roof and injured him so badly that he died the same day. The man in charge of the place had tried to take the stone down with a pinch bar, and, carelessly left it without support, because he was unsuccessful. Deceased himself was not free from blame as he had no business to be at the face, it not being his working place. | |
| 1914 | December | 12 | Newcraighall | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | Henry | Murray | 38 | Assistant Banksman | Shaft accidents – falling from surface | After deceased had placed two empty tubs on the cage and the banksman had signalled it away, he was in the act of turning himself to get to the other cage space when some empty tubs coming down on to a Hadfield Controller ran through it, and pushed him against the cage which was just moving away. He was carried into the shaft, fell to the bottom, and was killed instantly. The cause of the failure of the controller was not discovered as it worked all right immediately afterwards. Possibly a small piece of coal prevented its proper action, or deceased himself had unwittingly held the handle too long open after the previous tubs had passed through. | |
| 1914 | December | 15 | Dundonald, West Mine | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | James | Herkes | 34 | Coal Cutter Attendant | By electricity |
Deceased was one of the attendants at a coal cutter driven by
electricity at 500 volts, three phase, the neutral of the system
being earthed. The cables were armoured throughout. When the
shift was finished the current, besides being cut off at the
gate end box, was cut off the cable leading into the section
by drawing the fuses at a four-way box further outbye. While
his neighbour talked to one of the officials deceased went to
draw the fuses ; shortly afterwards he was found lying dying
beside the box. He expired a few minutes later. What happened
is not known. See Report p, 22. From Main body of report: The one accident and death attributed to an electric shock occurred on December 15th in the West Mine, Dundonald Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Lochgelly Iron and Coal Co., Ltd. In the Little Splint Seam, in a lye, known as Henderson's lye, there was a four-way box from which two coal cutters and a small pump were supplied with alternating current at 500 volts. The fourth way was not in use. The box was hung on standards to suit the incoming main cable and the three outgoing cables. It was very heavy and strongly made with a lid weighing about 1 cwt. hinged at the top. One person could not hold the lid open and at the same time insert or draw fuses; either a second person was necessary or the lid had to be propped up. It would appear that the lid had been, propped up. When a coal-cutting shift was finished it was a practice for the machinemen not only to switch off the current at the gate-end box but also to draw the fuses in the box above mentioned. On the morning of the accident, about 6.30, the man who was killed was on his way outbye with another machineman, when they met the day shift fireman who was on his way inbye. The second machineman stayed to talk to the fireman for a moment and the other continued on his way outbye. A moment or two later the second man followed the first outbye and on arriving at the four-way box found him lying at the side of the box with the fingers of one hand touching the bottom flange. The lid of the box had apparently been opened but had fallen partly shut and was held from closing by a sleeper which had to all appearance been used as a prop. He was drawn away from the box by his neighbour, who did not feel any shock whilst doing so, and he and the fireman applied artificial respiration but to no useful purpose. Mr. J. Masterton, Senior Inspector, made investigation of the occurrence and he reported as follows:- "The fuse box was left just as it had been till I examined it. The lid was held 7 1/2 inches open by an old pit sleeper 38 inches long. The sleeper was damp and greasy and there was a mark inside the lid as if it had slipped there. One of the fuses of the pump circuit immediately under the end of the sleeper was pressed out of position, the knife edge of it was twisted, and the corresponding spring which should receive it was spread ; the protecting insulating shield inside the box was bruised at the hole which the knife edge had been in. Two of the fuses on the coal cutter circuit were drawn and lying in position, the third was only partly drawn, and it appeared to me as if the door slipped when he was just about to draw this fuse. Suppose this had occurred the man would receive a very severe blow at the base of the skull. His chance however of receiving an electric shock even when being knocked forward and down was small, and his fingers would require to get through one of two 1 3/4 inch spaces between the insulating shields which are purposely to prevent accidental contact. The fuses themselves are of the tubular porcelain type with insulating protection outside the hand grips to prevent accidental contact with live parts. Suppose the man did come into contact with a live part the voltage he would receive would be 290 volts, and the average man can stand this even three-phase if he is not held in contact." Mr. W. E. T. Hartley, who, on Mr. R. Nelson, the Electrical Inspector of Mines, joining the Army, was appointed to carry on the inspection duties in connection with the use of electricity in Mines in the Nos. 1 and 2 Mines Inspection Divisions, also made inspection of the plant and he reported as under:- "There are three points where a shock might have been received but only by very considerable carelessness. The ebonite tubes on the fuse holders are secured by two small roundheaded screws. These heads are live when in use, and a hand placed outside the porcelain could touch one of them ; again with a fuse holder half drawn it is possible to lift a finger over the protecting flange of porcelain and touch the blade of the holder which would still be live. The third point is the line work behind the protecting shield. This could be got at deliberately with ease, but by no chance when withdrawing a fuse. The most probable place for anyone to get a shock is the small screw mentioned above, and the contact would be made by the fourth finger of the right hand; after that the blade of the fuse, which would be touched by the same finger. In either case, however, more than ordinary carelessness is needed." A post-mortem examination was made, when it was found that there were no visible bruises on the body but there were two little blisters on deceased's hand, one on his little finger and the other on his ring finger ; several unusual conditions in the heart and brain were revealed. There was nothing about the head or neck to show that he had received a blow. The brain showed a little more fluid than usual and the distinction between the white and grey matter was more obvious than customary. The blood was more fluid than usual. The valves of the heart controlling the delivery of the blood to the aorta were malformed; this defect probably being congenital and being a well known condition though not a common one. This lobe of the heart was as a result enlarged. The conditions were such that an electric shock might easily cause death, though on the other hand death might occur without any such stimulus. It was not probable that a blow, such as from the falling of the door of the distribution box would determine death in this case where the man was accustomed to pit work. Deciding on the balance of probabilities, the case has been classified as one due to electricity. |
|
| 1914 | December | 15 | Shettleston No 2 | Lanark | Mount Vernon Colliery Co Ltd | Edward | McConville | 18 | Miner | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | Deceased was pushing an empty tub against a slight gradient when a loaded tub, which had run away from a branch road above crashed into his tub, and he was fatally crushed between his own tub and the side wall. The tub belonged to another drawer, who apparently had failed to put in a snibble to control it, and he let it go and it ran free until it met deceased's tub. The runaway had gone a distance of 30 yards. | |
| 1914 | December | 19 | Polquhairn | Ayr | Polquhairn Coal Co Ltd | Archibald | Robertson | 28 | Drawer | Haulage – run over or crushed by trams & tubs | The deceased was walking up the dook road at the end of his shift, and during the interval when the haulage is standing. When near the top he was struck by some runaway hutches and severely injured. He dies four days later from his injuries. There was no arrangement to show to the engineman when the dook was clear of persons. | |
| 1914 | December | 24 | Castlehill, Hyndshaw Pit | Lanark | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | James | Findlay | 41 | Bottomer | Sundries | Deceased was pulling an empty tub across the plates at the shaft bottom when some loaded tubs, which had not got free from a haulage clip in time, pushed forward other loaded tubs against him and knocked him under the descending cage. If deceased had kept the shaft bottom gate closed till the proper time to open it the accident would not have occurred. | |
| 1914 | December | 28 | Aitken | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | David | Strachan | 46 | Hanger-on | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous | Deceased had assisted to put four empty tubs on the lower deck of the cage. He had just finished fixing the guard and the cage was signalled away, when the girl in charge of the blocks allowed some empty tubs to get through, and he was pushed against the automatically closing ventilating doors at the shaft top at the moment they were closing and caught and killed. | |
| 1914 | December | 28 | Maxwell | Ayr | Killochan Coal Co Ltd (in liquidation) | James | McBride | 65 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – irruptions of water |
He was drowned by water which burst in at the face of a level
after a shot had been fired. The presence of old workings was
entirely unknown, and has not been definitely ascertained, as
all the water has not yet been pumped out of the workings. From Main body of report: An accident occurred on December 28th in the Maxwell Colliery, owned by Messrs. The Killochan Coal Co., Ltd., owing to an inrush of water into the face of a level in the Main Coal Seam. There were eight men in the district at the time the inrush occurred, and one failed to get clear of the water and was drowned. At present, as the water has not all been pumped out, it is difficult to say where it had come from in view of the fact that no one has any knowledge of any workings into which the level could hole. The nearest known old workings in any seam were 350 feet distant. Before beginning to work the Main Coal Seam, the manager of the colliery took the precaution to examine all available old plans of the district and had a new set prepared with all the data he could obtain in reference to old workings marked on it. Further, the Consulting Engineers, who had been connected with the colliery since the year 1870, had never heard of any workings in the Main Coal Seam in the vicinity. When the water is pumped out, which will be at an early date, an inspection will be made to endeavour to ascertain the cause of the irruption. |