Notes - The information in this page is mainly compiled from appendices to the reports of the Inspector of Mines and Collieries. Unless stated otherwise, the extra details are from the main body of the report. Many accidents are not listed in these reports and additional names have been added from newspaper reports and other sources - these are indicated by a shaded gray background.
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| Year | Month | Day | Name of Colliery | Where situated | Owner or Company | First Name | Surname | Occupation | Age | Category | Cause of accident and remarks | |
| 1898 | December | 21 | Bothwell Castle No 1 Pit | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Thomas | Low | Contractor miner | 40 | Falls of roof | Some props were knocked out on haulage road by hutches, and while putting a hutch on the rails the roof gave way. Injured on 21st December, 1898, and died on 11th August. | |
| 1899 | January | 6 | Townhill | Fife | Townhill Colliery Co Ltd | Peter | Williamson | Pithead labourer | 30 | Shaft Accidents – Falling into shaft from surface | A pony was being sent down the pit in a net. and while it was being lifted off the shuts by the winding engine, deceased was steadying it and was pulled forward and fell down the shaft. | |
| 1899 | January | 9 | Gilbertfield No 2 Pit | Lanark | Cambuslang Coal Co Ltd | Thomas | Stene | Miner | 24 | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | On entering his working place to commence work, his naked light ignited fire-damp, which the fireman affirmed was not present when he made his inspection. The bratticing was five yards back from the face. | |
| 1899 | January | 10 | Pumpherston (Oil shale) | Edinburgh | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | Archibald | Kerr | Miner | 25 | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | Deceased was engaged near stooping in an inclined seam, and ignited some gas by his open light which had collected in the waste. | Took place in an oil shale mine where stooping a highly-inclined seam was in operation. The evidence showed that a proper examination before work commenced was made, and that gas had not been previously seen at the place ; the deceased man had apparently gone near the waste and ignited gas at his open light. The ventilation arrangements were not satisfactory, and too much confidence appears to have been placed on the previous immunity from gas. |
| 1899 | January | 13 | Holmes (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Holmes Oil Co Ltd | Peter | Gallocher | Miner | 40 | Miscellaneous underground – By explosives | After lighting two shots of gunpowder at the face of a crosscut mine, and retiring crying ''fire," he appears to have gone back on them, and was instantly killed. | |
| 1899 | January | 17 | Craighead No 1 Pit | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John | Aitken | Bottomer | 23 | Falls of side | Fall of side on haulage road while it was being straightened and repaired. | |
| 1899 | January | 18 | Longriggend | Lanark | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Matthew | Baxter | Miner | 52 | Falls of roof | Deceased was engaged taking down coal, and when the coal fell the roof fell with it, and fatally crushed him. | |
| 1899 | January | 19 | Eglinton No 1 Pit | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | William | Gormon | Pony driver | 22 | Miscellaneous underground – By trams and tubs | Found dead under the front hutch of a ''race " of ten full hutches which he was taking out a level. | |
| 1899 | January | 23 | Twechar No 1 Pit | Dumbarton | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John | Higney | Miner | 55 | Falls of side | While holing, a piece of coal and roof fell on him. | |
| 1899 | January | 25 | Viewpark Colliery | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | John | Robertson | Waggon shifter | 62 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | He stepped in front of an empty waggon in motion at the "screes" and was run over | |
| 1899 | January | 27 | Balgonie | Fife | C B Balfour | James | Gorie | Signalman | 71 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | Deceased was employed as a signalman on a private railway at a point where, after a sharp curve on a falling gradient, it passed under an over-bridge, on the further side of which there was a public footpath. After signalling that the road was clear, and in order to prevent anyone approaching by the public footpath, he crossed the railway in front of some trucks which were being pushed round the curve, and was run down by them and killed instantly. | |
| 1899 | January | 27 | Bredisholm No 3 Pit | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Peter | Bryson | Miner | 28 | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face while brushing his road. | |
| 1899 | January | 30 | Cowdenbeath | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | John | Cree | Miner | 42 | Falls of roof | Deceased was working in a narrow place between two diverging hitches, when the roof suddenly fell, swinging out the timbers, and killing him instantly. | |
| 1899 | February | 2 | Motherwell | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | William | Cairney | Wagon greaser | 15 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | Crushed between wagons. | |
| 1899 | February | 3 | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Alexander | Steele | Miner | 40 | Falls of roof | Deceased was lying holing, when the roof fell and crushed him ; he managed to get clear, and proceeded to the roadhead, where he was found ; his injuries proved fatal two days afterwards. | |
| 1899 | February | 7 | Blantyre No 1 Pit | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | Gavin | Leishman | Stone picker | 14 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | He was sitting on the rails under an empty waggon when a railway locomotive and waggons came up without warning and he was run over. | |
| 1899 | February | 9 | Niddrie | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | Francis | Brogan | Miner | 28 | Haulage – Sundries | Deceased was engaged with others in driving a cross-cut mine from the Stairhead coal to Great Seam at top of a brake incline. The carriage was lowered and the safety bar left open, and immediately after three heavy shots were fired, which caused the whole place to be filled with a dense smoke. It is supposed that deceased in making his way back to the mine face stumbled into the incline and fell a distance of 26 fathoms. The inclination was 75°. | |
| 1899 | February | 10 | Dalbeath | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | John | Tanner | overman | 39 | Haulage – By machinery | Deceased was endeavouring to pick up a screw-key which had fallen underneath the framework which carried some haulage pulleys, when his head was caught by a projecting portion of a clutch revolving with the shaft, and crushed against the framework. | |
| 1899 | February | 10 | Dalziel No 1 Pit | Lanark | Wishaw Coal Co Ltd | Joseph | Wilson | Roadsman | 55 | Falls of roof | While lifting rails in a haulage road close to where the stoops were being extracted the roof gave way, crushing through the timbering. | Newspaper report |
| 1899 | February | 15 | Balgonie | Fife | C B Balfour | Alexander | Lister | Miner | 34 | Falls of sides | While holing the coal at the face of a longwall place in the lower leaf of the Dysart coal, a mass of coal and stone fell away from a back. | |
| 1899 | February | 23 | Charlestown | Fife | Charlestown Lime Co | Richard | Armstrong | Miner | 30 | Metalliferous Mines | Deceased was working in a place 30 feet in height, when a stone, supposed to have been loosened by the concussion from a shot fired in an adjoining place, fell upon him, fracturing his skull. | |
| 1899 | February | 23 | Nethercroy No 3 Pit (Ironstone mine) | Dumbarton | Carron Co | Wm. | Nicol | Labourer | 40 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | Run over by loaded hutches on a surface haulage road. He seems to have been attempting to uncouple the rope. | |
| 1899 | February | 25 | Douglas | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | Robert | Bell | Sinker | 22 | Shaft Accidents – Falling from part way down | Deceased and two other sinkers were putting the permanent slides in the dip winding space of a new shaft. While leaning through betwixt the centre buntons to screw up the nut on a slide bolt, he was struck on the head by a descending cage attached to the rise winding rope as a counterpoise, dragged through between the buntons, and fell to the bottom, a distance of about 60 fathoms. He had been warned of the approach of the cage, but failed to understand, or to withdraw his head in time. | |
| 1899 | February | 25 | Ellismuir No 3 Pit | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Charles | Hennan | Miner | 21 | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on dook while repairing it. Caused by failing to put up props as directed by the overman. | |
| 1899 | February | 28 | Glespin | Lanark | Robert Swann | Thomas | Somerville | Miner | 41 | Falls of sides | Deceased was holing the last portion of a " cut coal," 6 ft. 6 ins. in length, while his son was drilling a machine hole to blast it off. The coal appeared to be hard and was not gibbed. It came away suddenly from an end crack, fell upon deceased, and killed him instantly. | |
| 1899 | March | 2 | Viewpark | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Owen | McQuiggan | Brusher | 46 | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. He appears to have been in the act of knocking out props to put in a building. | |
| 1899 | March | 3 | Carmuir | Stirling | Carmuir Coal Co Ltd | Benjamin | Gibson | Drawer | 14 | Haulage – By trams and tubs | Deceased was, against the Special Rule, taking a hutch laden with clay down an inclined road by going in front of it: he was overpowered and run over. | |
| 1899 | March | 11 | Roman Camp (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Broxburn Oil Co Ltd | Michael | Green | Drawer | 24 | Haulage – On inclined and engine planes | While travelling up a "cuddy brae" behind the empty hutch, it became disconnected from the rope and ran back carrying deceased with it and crushing him against the stoop side. | |
| 1899 | March | 13 | Roman Camp (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Broxburn Oil Co Ltd | Patrick | Brown | Miner | 26 | Falls of sides | While engaged at stooping in an inclined seam, a mass of shale fell away from a clay back and crushed him. | |
| 1899 | March | 16 | Shield Mains Colliery | Ayr | A. G. Moore & Co. | Alexr. | Kerr | Miner | 40 | Shaft Accidents – Falling from part way down | He supposed that the cage was at the mid working, where he was employed, when it was at the surface. His drawer opened the gate and he pushed a loaded hutch into the open shaft and fell with it to the bottom. There was no duly appointed bottomer. | Only four men worked during the night at the mid-working, which was protected by gates connected with an indicator in the enginehouse in terms of Additional Special Rule 2. After their shift was finished the deceased and his drawer, a boy 15 years of age, came out to the shaft with a loaded hutch. There being no bottomer, they proceeded to send up the hutch to the surface. The boy opened the gate and told the deceased that the cage was there. The latter pushed forward the hutch, but as the cage happened to be at the surface, the hutch fell down the shaft, taking him along with it. Had there been a bottomer as required by the regulations, it is very unlikely that this accident would have happened. |
| 1899 | March | 17 | Coltness | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | James | Buchanan | Brusher | 30 | Falls of roof | Deceased and another brusher were engaged putting in buildings with debris which had been blasted from the roof for the roadway, and while doing so the roof was heard to burst; deceased shouted to his neighbour, and at the same time sprang to the roadhead, but he was caught by the falling stone and fatally crushed. | |
| 1899 | March | 18 | Gartshore No 9 Pit | Dumbarton | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Hugh | Carr | Miner | 31 | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | Apparently gas had lodged in a cavity caused by a fall, and a further fall seems to have dislodged the gas, which the air current carried to his naked light. | |
| 1899 | March | 21 | Camp No 1 Pit | Lanark | Camp Coal Co Ltd | Andrew | O'Hara | Miner | 38 | Miscellaneous underground – By explosives | He was about to fire two shots of compressed gunpowder. He lit the fuse of one, but the fuse of the other did not seem to ignite, and he had to retire. On returning after one shot went off, the other went off also. | Newspaper report |
| 1899 | March | 28 | Blantyre No 4 Pit | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | James | Rodgers | Waggon trimmer | 26 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | While spragging a railway waggon he fell, and the sprag crushed him against the ground. | |
| 1899 | March | 30 | Wilsontown | Lanark | William Dixon Ltd | James | Williamson | Labourer | 56 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | Deceased was engaged clearing debris from a tramway leading to the boiler fire-doors, when a bogie filled with dross ran him down. | |
| 1899 | April | 3 | Earnock | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | Thomas | McHaffie | Pony driver | 29 | Falls of roof | Deceased was engaged as a driver between the faces and a horse lye, and while proceeding in-bye with an empty rake of two tubs, the roof fell on him. It was supposed that the horse had gone to one side and knocked out some roof supports. | Newspaper report |
| 1899 | April | 4 | Drumpeller Nos 3 and 4 Pits | Lanark | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co Ltd | George | Lindsay | Miner | 38 | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | Apparently gas had accumulated in an unventilated place near where he was working, and a fall of roof forced it out, when it was ignited by his naked light. | |
| 1899 | April | 7 | Tillycoultry | Clackmannan | Alloa Coal Co | David | Peebles | Miner | 38 | Falls of sides | While taking out a piece of bottom coal, the top coal fell on deceased. The injury was supposed to be slight, but he died from its effects nine days afterwards. | |
| 1899 | April | 9 | Ferniegair | Lanark | Archibald Russell | Alexander | Taylor | Assistant ostler | 16 | Shaft Accidents – Whilst ascending or descending by machinery | Deceased and another workman descended the shaft on the Sunday to feed the horses, and just as the cage arrived at a mid-working, the Main Coal, where both were to get off, he fell into the shaft to the Splint Coal, a distance of 11 fathoms. He was not the usual attendant on the horses, but was acting in the place of another man who had failed to turn out to his work. | Newspaper report |
| 1899 | April | 9 | Polton | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | George | Bartie | Pumping engineman | 45 | Haulage – By machinery | Deceased had gone in between the eccentric - rod and the unfenced flywheel of a pumping engine, and was screwing up the nut on a plummer block cover, when he was struck by the revolving flywheel, fell partly into the flywheel pit. and was killed instantly. | |
| 1899 | April | 10 | Dumbreck No 2 Pit | Stirling | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Thomas | Ramsay | Drawer | 17 | Miscellaneous underground – By trams and tubs | While taking a full hutch down a road he was overtaken and crushed by a runaway full hutch. | |
| 1899 | April | 15 | Glenbuck Galawhistle Pit | Ayr | Cairntable Gas Coal Co Ltd | Wm. | Reid | Miner | 53 | Falls of side | Fall of coal while taking it down. | Newspaper Report |
| 1899 | April | 17 | Viewpark | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | George | O'Brien | Brusher | 21 | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at road head while putting in a building. | |
| 1899 | April | 20 | Little Raith | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | Andrew | Millar | Pitheadman | 35 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | Deceased was a pitheadman, and part of his duties was to trim the wagons and run them to and from the screens. While taking two loaded wagons to the lye they collided with another standing on the same road, about 60 yds. away, which caused deceased to fall across the rail, and before he was able to get clear, the wheel of one of the wagons caught his left leg and inflicted a severe flesh wound at the thigh, to which injury he succumbed 14 days afterwards. | |
| 1899 | April | 26 | Wellsgreen | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Adam | Hunter | Miner | 42 | Haulage – On inclined and engine planes | Deceased and others were engaged on a cut chain brae inclined 1 in 4, putting a loaded tub, which was derailed, on the rails, and when it was put on it ran away at a high speed, and while trying to cross to the opposite side to reach a place of safety the ascending empty tub struck him. He died from his injuries five days afterwards. No one seemed to think of pinning down the brake while the work of putting the tub on the rails was proceeding. | |
| 1899 | May | 2 | Moorfield, Bogside, No 1 Pit | Ayr | J & M Craig Ltd | Wm. | Eccles | Miner | 17 | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1899 | May | 5 | Bogleshole No 4 Pit | Lanark | James Dunlop & Co Ltd | Allan | Naismith | Labourer | 50 | On Surface – Miscellaneous | Collapse of an old wall, caused by digging a trench alongside of it. | |
| 1899 | May | 5 | Whitehill | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Archibald | Cunningham | Attending coal cutter | 53 | Falls of sides | Deceased was in front of a coal cutting machine, regulating its forward motion, when a piece of coal, 4 ft. in length, burst off the longwall face, swinging out a rance, and falling upon him, causing injuries which terminated fatally two days afterwards. | |
| 1899 | May | 9 | Muiredge | Fife | Bowman & Co | James | Penman | Miner | 73 | Falls of roof | A fall of roof relieved by a lype injured deceased, and he died on the 7th June. | |
| 1899 | May | 11 | Dysart | Fife | Earl of Rosslyn's Collieries Ltd | John | Kelly | Sinker | 53 | Shaft Accidents – Falling from part way down | The shaft was being re-sunk from the level of the Dysart Main Coal Seam. Deceased, and two other sinkers descended on the cage to the Dysart Main Coal bottom, and while one of the men was preparing to fix the kettle rope to the winding rope in order to descend to a bucket-door of pump, 11 fathoms below, deceased walked into the shaft, and fell into the water 23 fathoms down. To reach the body grappling irons had to be used. No reason could be assigned for deceased's conduct. The temporary fence had been removed immediately before. | |
| 1899 | May | 13 | Foulshiels | Linlithgow | Loganlea Coal Co Ltd | William | Waugh | Miner | 34 | Shaft Accidents – Whilst ascending or descending by machinery | Deceased and a boy got on to the cage at a mid-working, the boy signalled the cage away and deceased in some way fell off the cage to the bottom of the shaft. The gate fencing the shaft did not close readily, and he may have been attempting to close it after the cage moved away. | |
| 1899 | May | 15 | Ayr-Drumley No 1 Pit | Ayr | George Taylor & Co | Peter | Savage | Fireman | 35 | Miscellaneous underground – By explosives | While firing two shots of amvis by electricity one did not go off. He returned to examine the cable, and, having done this, told a miner to again try the battery while he was standing close to the shot. The miner did as he was told, and the shot went off. | Ayrshire accident pages |
| 1899 | May | 16 | Blackhill No 9 Pit (Ironstone Mine) | Lanark | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co Ltd | James | McGuiness | Roadsman | 59 | Miscellaneous underground – On inclined and engine planes | While standing between a double line of rails on a dook when two "races" of hutches were passing, he got caught by the upgoing full "race." | |
| 1899 | May | 16 | Cadzow | Lanark | Cadzow Coal Co Ltd | Charles | Gorman | Miner | 52 | Falls of roof | Deceased was engaged withdrawing the props from under the head coal, when it suddenly fell on him. | Newspaper report |
| 1899 | May | 16 | Foulford | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Peter | Fitzpatrick | Pit bottomer | 33 | Haulage – On inclined and engine planes | Deceased, whose usual work was bottomer, was a handy man. and for the shift was engaged as dook runner. The rake, which usually consisted of twelve tubs, ran at an average speed of four miles an hour, and the runner had permission to ride in front of the loaded rake when ascending the dook, and behind in the empty rake when descending. No one saw the accident, but the attention of a driver was drawn by the rope striking the roof, and on examination part of the rake was found to be overturned at the top of the dook, and deceased under. He had apparently fallen off the front tub on which he sat. | |
| 1899 | May | 17 | Dechmont No 1 Pit | Lanark | Archd. Russell | Peter | McCann | Miner | 52 | Miscellaneous underground – On inclined and engine planes | While travelling up a dook with a hutch attached by a tail chain to a "race" he got crushed against the side of the road. | |
| 1899 | May | 18 | Cadzow | Lanark | Cadzow Coal Co Ltd | James | Ramsay | Miner | 56 | Haulage – By trams and tubs | Deceased left his working place, which was a rising one, and went to another to get a drink of water, and in returning without a light, he was met by a runaway tub which was being filled by his son. The tub was insecurely fixed. | |
| 1899 | May | 18 | Daldowie Colliery | Lanark | Dunn Brothers | Wm. | Young | Labourer | 27 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | When attempting to mount a locomotive which was putting waggons into the siding he fell, and was run over. | |
| 1899 | May | 18 | Polkemmet | Linlithgow | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Thomas | Malcolm | Sinker | 36 | Shaft Accidents – Things falling into shaft from surface | The accident occurred in a sinking pit. Deceased and two other sinkers were preparing to fire several shots in the bottom, and prior to lighting the shots a canvas pipe was sent to the surface fixed by a sling chain: on arriving there the pipe was detached and the chain was thrown into the shaft, the weight of which was to take the winding rope down to the bottom. By mistake, the chain had also been detached from the rope, and it fell to the bottom and struck deceased. | |
| 1899 | May | 22 | Benarty | Fife | Lochore and Capeldrae Cannel Coal Co Ltd | Michael | Casey | Roadsman | 38 | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | Deceased with naked lights were accompanying the fireman, who had a safety lamp, when he was making his inspection before the entry of the miners, and going first up a rising road ignited fire-damp. | The second fatal explosion of fire-damp caused the loss of two lives and injury to a third person. All were officials, the two deceased being roadsmen and the injured man a fireman. The roadsmen had been working in the pit all night, and the fireman had descended about 4 a.m. to make the inspection previous to the entry of the miners, which required to be made with a safety lamp as gas had been seen in the seam. The roadsmen appear to have accompanied the fireman in his inspection, and on arriving at the foot of an upset the roadsmen went first with naked lights, although the fireman stated he warned them that it was not safe to do so. The result was an ignition of gas, and all were seriously burned. Only one shaft was sunk to the seam in which the explosion took place. Two roads were being driven for the purpose of providing a second outlet. Other workings, including those near where the explosion occurred, were being prosecuted for the ordinary production of coal. As this appeared to me to be a direct breach of Section 16 of the Coal Mines Act, I asked for and obtained your authority to proceed against the manager, and the case was heard at Kinross on the 8th August, but the Sheriff dismissed the action and awarded the manager expenses. The owners, however, suspended all work in the seam, with the exception of that necessary for providing a second outlet, which was completed on the 17th August. |
| Joseph | Hamilton | Roadsman | 44 | |||||||||
| 1899 | May | 22 | Clackmannan | Clackmannan | Clackmannan Coal Co | James | Russell | Pony driver | 14 | Falls of roof | While the deceased were riding on a rake of loaded hutches drawn by a pony, the pony appears to have stepped across the road in a lye and the tail chain came in contact with a tree set in the middle of the road and displaced it, causing a heavy fall of roof. White contravened a Special Rule in riding. | |
| John | White | Miner | 21 | |||||||||
| 1899 | May | 23 | Kelty | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Peter | McCarron | Pony driver | 54 | Haulage – By trams and tubs | While driving a rake of loaded hutches to the shaft, deceased went forward and opened a door and fastened it back; usually the hutches pressing against a bow on the door loosened the catch so that the door fell to after the rake had passed, but the horse stumbled against the door and loosened it before the rake arrived at it. and deceased, who was on the front hutch was crushed between it and the door. | |
| 1899 | May | 24 | Woodhall No 1 Pit | Lanark | Barr & Higgins | Thomas | Paterson | Fireman | 38 | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | A blind pit was being pierced up a fault, and was 15 yards high. Owing to inadequate ventilation gas accumulated in the pit, and deceased was attempting to clear it out. His safety lamp went out, and he sent the miner working with him down the pit to relight it. The latter went back seven yards from the shaft, struck a match and ignited the gas, getting himself injured, while Paterson fell down the shaft. Two hours elapsed ere his body was got out. | With reference to the explosion in Woodhall No. 1 Pit on 24th May, this is an instance of how ignorance and neglect of the regulations are the cause of explosions which ought never to happen. The road leading to the blind pit was bratticed, but the ventilating current was so feeble that operations ought not to have been carried on until a sufficient amount of ventilation was available. The deceased fireman and the injured miner were breaking the regulations by having matches and attempting to relight a safety lamp close to where a body of fire-damp was being dislodged, and in the circumstances any man of ordinary intelligence could have foreseen what might happen if a naked light were exposed. |
| 1899 | May | 26 | Newcraighall | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | John | Daly | Sinker | 27 | Falls of roof | Deceased was standing under a scaffold in a sinking incline, when the roof suddenly fell. Two shots, fired immediately before, had been bored into the roof and had broken it. The seam inclined 75 degrees. | |
| 1899 | May | 27 | Kelty | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Alexander | Miller | Labourer | 49 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | Deceased was run over by two empty wagons run forward by the colliery locomotive at the screens. | |
| 1899 | June | 6 | Common No 10 Pit | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Alexr. | McPheaton | Pony driver | 17 | Miscellaneous underground – By trams and tubs | Run over by a loaded hutch, which appears to have overpowered him, while illegally drawing in front of it. | |
| 1899 | June | 12 | Broxburn (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Broxburn Oil Co Ltd | Daniel | Murray | Trapper | 13 | Haulage – On inclined and engine planes | Deceased was sitting leaning against a a prop on the inside of a sharp curve where a level road joined an engine plane at right angles. A set of nine loaded tubs was being lifted by the haulage rope, and, owing to the extra strain due to one of the rear tubs having become derailed, several of the leading tubs tilted over towards the inside of the curve. One of them struck deceased, crushing his head against the prop, and killing him instantly. | |
| 1899 | June | 12 | Whitehill | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Michael | Loftus | Drawer | 19 | Haulage – By trams and tubs | Deceased was pushing an empty tub up a road rising 1 in 12, when he was run into by a descending loaded tub, said to have been double snibbled. The empty tub was driven back over him, causing injuries which resulted fatally five weeks afterwards. The view of the descending drawer was obstructed by a canvas screen. He shouted to warn any one who might be coming up, but deceased had apparently failed to hear him. | |
| 1899 | June | 13 | Newton No 2 Pit | Lanark | James Dunlop & Co Ltd | Donald | McKinlay | Miner | 56 | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. Several props were knocked out by the fall. | |
| 1899 | June | 20 | Broadrigg | Stirling | John Nimmo & Son Ltd | Alexander | Hay | Loco. Breakman | 21 | On Surface – On railways and tramways | Deceased ran three wagons down toward two others standing on the main line in order to couple all together, on approaching the stationary, he stepped in between to couple, but as the points were not open to the main line, the wagons buffer-locked and he was fatally crushed. | |
| 1899 | June | 20 | Holytown No 5 Pit | Lanark | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Laurence | McCann | Miner | 25 | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | McCann went into a level in which there had been no work for a week and which was not fenced off, when his naked light ignited an accumulation of fire-damp. The fireman admitted that he had not inspected the face of this level. In addition to the deceased, other five men were injured. |
The explosion in Holytown No. 5 Pit on 20th June, by which two men lost their lives and other five were injured, was also caused by a disregard of the regulations. Owing to bad management in laying out the workings a level had to be stopped for want of ventilation, and by taking down a screen, no air-current whatever passed to the level face. The fireman did not fence off this discontinued working place as he ought to have done, neither did he on the day of the explosion, according to his own admission, make the inspection of the level face required by Section 5 (1) of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1896. One of the deceased miners appears to have gone into the level face for a private purpose, when his naked light ignited a considerable accumulation of fire-damp, with the result stated. |
| Henry | Connelly | Miner | 50 | |||||||||
| 1899 | June | 28 | Bent | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co Ltd | Edward | Wilson | Brusher | 35 | Falls of roof | Deceased was taking out some props under the brushing at a longwall roadhead, preparatory to blasting it down, when a large stone fell from between two parallel lypes converging overhead, killing him instantly. | |
| 1899 | June | 29 | Dykehead | Lanark | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co Ltd | Robert | Scott | Roadsman | 53 | Falls of roof | Deceased was laying a hutch road in to a stoop which was about to be taken out, when a stone, 5 ft. by 4 ft. at extremes and 5 1/2 ins. in thickness, suddenly fell upon him, swinging out the props which had been under its lighter end. He sustained injuries to which he succumbed three days later. | |
