| Date of Accident | Mine | County | Owner or Company | Name | Age | Occupation | Category | Cause of accident & remarks | Extra Information | ||
| 1903 | January | 7 | Southrigg | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | James Wallis | 23 | Drawer | Falls of roof | Deceased was proceeding outbye with a loaded tub, when the roof collapsed, burying him beneath the fall. It was thought the tub struck a prop supporting a crown, and caused it to be thrown. | |
| 1903 | January | 14 | Earnock No 3 | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | James White | 31 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of head coal while sitting waiting for the fireman to come and fire a shot. The coal was not secured by props as it ought to have been. | |
| 1903 | January | 15 | Arthur | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | James Haxton | 75 | Pitwood sawer | On surface – by machinery | Deceased was ripping a piece of wood at a circular saw, when the saw caught it in some way and threw it violently forward, and it struck him in the abdomen. | |
| 1903 | January | 15 | Denbeath | Fife | Bowman & Co | Patrick Healy | 21 | Loco. Shunter | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | The locomotive engine pushed part of a train of waggons into a siding off the main line, giving the waggons sufficient impetus to enable them to clear the crossing, and as soon as the waggons had passed into siding deceased who had held the points jumped on to the engine. The locomotive then returned on the main line, pushing the remaining part of the train in front, and on reaching the crossing the engine caught part of a waggon just where deceased stood on the footplate, fatally crushing him. The waggons in the siding had gradually moved back until the leading one fouled the crossing. | |
| 1903 | January | 16 | Devon | Clackmannan | Alloa Coal Co Ltd | Andrew Drummond | 46 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased and his three sons were taking a 13 ft. cut off the lower side of a stoop, in a 5 ft. 6 in. seam, holed near the centre. The cut had been holed to a depth of from 2 to 3 ft. across its whole width, and deceased was completing the holing at the nose while his son was drilling a shot hole near the fast side, when a piece of coal 6ft. 0in. by 1ft. 6 in. by 2ft. 0in. suddenly burst off and fell on deceased, killing him almost instantly. No rances or holing props appeared to have been set. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | January | 21 | Polton | Fife | Lothian Coal Co | Mechelo Riso (Italian) | 30 | Waggon trimmer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased was standing between two waggons - probably taking shelter from a storm - which stood five feet apart, when two other waggons came down and striking the nearest sent it close up to the other, and fatally crushed him. A workman who saw deceased's danger shouted to him, but although he appeared to hear he stood still until the waggons collided. He could neither speak nor understand the English language. | |
| 1903 | January | 22 | Kinnaird | Kinross | Fife Coal Co Ltd | William Martin | 48 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was stamping a hole in the pavement to set a machine tree to bore a shot hole, when a small stone fell off the side and injured the thumb of his left hand ; blood poisoning supervened and he died on 5th February. | |
| 1903 | January | 23 | Glenboig (Fireclay) | Lanark | Glenboig Union Fireclay Co Ltd | Peter Mitchell (Pole) | 21 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was filling a tub with clay when a part of the overhanging face fell and killed him on the spot. | |
| 1903 | January | 25 | Adam Gilmour | See 13 March 1902 | |||||||
| 1903 | January | 30 | Motherwell | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | William Wilson | 24 | Bottomer | Falling from part way down | Deceased was bottomer at the upper of two mid landings. He had signalled away a cage containing a man who was descending to pit bottom, and as the same cage was re ascending he erroneously assumed that it was being brought back to him, prematurely raised the gate which fenced the shaft and pushed forward a loaded tub, falling with it to pit bottom, a distance of 40 fathoms. | |
| 1903 | February | 2 | Busbiehead No 2 | Ayr | J & R Howie | Laughlan Connolly | 46 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at roadhead. Due to want of timbering. | |
| 1903 | February | 2 | Lochhead | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co Ltd | James Anderson | 18 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was taking down some coal at a ''nose " in a longwall working. A rance had just been drawn from it. but as the coal did not come away readily, he sat down and began to relieve it by deepening the holing. While so engaged the coal came away suddenly, causing injuries which terminated fatally. | |
| 1903 | February | 3 | Whistleberry No 1 | Lanark | Archd. Russell | John Russell | 35 | Miner | Haulage – run over by tubs | He is said to have gone in front of loaded hutch at the top of a "cuddie brae" to put it on the rails. He did not hook it to the rope, and when put on the rails it overcame and ran over him. | |
| 1903 | February | 5 | Carberry | Edinburgh | Edinburgh Collieries Ltd | Phillip Laing | 33 | Sinker | Shaft accidents -things falling from part way down | Deceased was a foreman sinker, and at the time of the accident was engaged removing a scaffold 7 fathoms below the Great seam, and the planks were raised to said seam by a rope and drawn up by two workmen. A plank was fixed to the rope in the usual way, and while being hauled up it slipped from the rope and fell, striking deceased on the head. The rope had not been properly fastened by deceased. | |
| 1903 | February | 6 | Prestongrange | Haddington | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co | James Ritchie | 14 | Haulage assistant | Other haulage accidents | Deceased was attempting to prevent some tubs, which had been struck by a horse-rake, from fouling a crossing, when the leading tub left the rails and crushed him against a brick wall. | |
| 1903 | February | 9 | Stanrigg | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | John Kelly | 29 | Miner | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | See report |
This accident occurred in the Upper Drumgray coal. The seam
is worked longwall and has a moderate dip. The deceased and his
brother worked on the back shift, and were alone in the section
digging coal. During the shift deceased left his working place
and proceeded to the road above to get some tools, and gas was
ignited at his naked light. |
| 1903 | February | 10 | Earnock No 1 | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | William Paterson | 38 | Fireman | Falls of roof | Post to which pulley at top of incline was fixed gave way and let off two full hutches. The chain attached to hutches knocked out a prop, and this let the roof fall on him. | Newspaper Report |
| 1903 | February | 12 | Dumbreck No 1 | Stirling | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Robert Weir | 40 | Brusher | Falls of side | Fall from side of road while enlarging it. | Newspaper report |
| Archd. Goodwin | 29 | Brusher | |||||||||
| 1903 | February | 18 | Bailliesmuir | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | William Allison | 36 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was holing when a piece of face stone fell upon him. | |
| 1903 | February | 19 | Polton | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | John Davie | 39 | shaftsman | Falls of side | Deceased was engaged in the shaft, with two other workmen, repairing a float wire in connection with a pump, when a stone fell from the side, and striking him, he was precipitated to a scaffold 26 fathoms below. | |
| 1903 | February | 20 | Dalzell & Broomside | Lanark | Wishaw Coal Co Ltd | Robert Dunlop | 25 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased and another were taking a narrow cut off the back of a stoop, and had bared an upthrow hitch of 2 ft. 6 ins. It was not intended to continue the cut across the hitch, but the men were allowed to work there for the day, until another place was prepared for them. Deceased was holing on the bench formed by the hitch, when a stone 7 ft. 6 ins, by 5 ft. 6 ins. at extremes, and 1 ft. 4 ins. in thickness, suddenly fell upon him from the roof, causing injuries to which he succumbed five hours afterwards. The "specified distance" for propping, under Additional Special Rule 6 did not appear to have been adhered to. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | February | 21 | Durie | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Richard Fullerton | 42 | Pit joiner | Falling from part way down | Deceased, with three other workmen, was engaged removing the pipes &c., from an abandoned shaft. During the operations it was necessary to remove a batten of wood which was in the way of the cage, and to do so deceased stood on a scaffold which was being supported by the batten. When the batten was freed, it and the scaffold on which he stood fell down the shaft carrying him with them. He fell into 8 fathoms of water, and some days elapsed before his body was recovered. | |
| 1903 | February | 21 | Redding | Stirling | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | David Robertson | 49 | Waggon shifter | On surface – miscellaneous | Deceased was attempting to move a loaded waggon with his brake stick placed at the back end of the wheel and resting on the rail, when the stick slipped and he fell forward on his face. It is supposed his face struck the axle box of the waggon. | |
| 1903 | February | 27 | Northrigg | Linlithgow | United Collieries Ltd | William McAlpine | 42 | Oversman | Shaft accidents – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | The shaft is 61 fathoms deep to the Colinburn coal seam, and 12 fathoms above is the Main coal seam. Deceased came from the adjoining shaft, and at the mid-working he stepped on to the top deck of the rise cage to be raised to the surface, and when the cage was within 10 ft. of the top it fell away and he with it was precipitated to the bottom. The hose pin had by some means worked itself free from the muzzle, and the cage was thus released from the winding rope. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | March | 3 | Blairenbathie | Kinross | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James King | 48 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was stripping the coal off a lype at a longwall face, when a stone 8 ft. 0 in. in length by 3 ft. 6 ins. in width, and about 3 ft. 0 in. in thickness at centre, suddenly fell upon him, killing him instantly. The stone was triangular in section, and fell from between two parallel lypes, converging upwards. The outer lype had not been seen prior to the accident. The place was well propped. | |
| 1903 | March | 5 | Bent No 6 | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co | Andrew Weir | 32 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. It is not known what he was doing at the time of the accident. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | March | 6 | Govan No 6 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | Edward Vint | 15 | Stone picker | On surface – by machinery | While oiling machinery in motion he was caught by the driving wheels | |
| 1903 | March | 8 | Bankton | Haddington | Forth Collieries Ltd | John O'Hare jun | 27 | shaftsman | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous | Owing to a large increase of water, chests had to be requisitioned to raise it from the shaft bottom and were to be emptied on arriving at the top automatically by lever arrangements. When the first chest arrived deceased and the oversman got into it in order to fix the position at which the lever was to come into operation to empty the chest, and while thus engaged the chest was suddenly raised and he was crushed against the fence at the top. The emptying of the chest had taken the weight off, and the brake not being on the engine moved. | |
| 1903 | March | 10 | Pumpherston (Oil Shale) | Edinburgh | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | James Brunton | 35 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Deceased and another were driving an upset in a seam 8 ft. 9ins. in thickness and having an inclination of 24°. Two shots, each containing 1 ½ lbs. of gunpowder, and about 4 ft. 0 ins. apart, were being lighted. The gutta-percha covered fuse of deceased's shot did not appear to ignite readily, and as that of the other shot was burning freely, the men retired. On hearing one shot explode deceased at once returned to light the other, under the impression that he had formerly failed to do so. He appeared to have been close to it when it exploded, causing injuries to which he succumbed two hours afterwards. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | March | 10 | Kenmuirhill No 2 | Lanark | Glasgow Coal Co | Matthew Clark | 28 | Waggon shifter | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | He stood in front of a full waggon holding a prop against it to let other waggons move it, but the prop was knocked out and he was crushed between the waggons. | |
| 1903 | March | 11 | Clydeside | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | John Lundie | 37 | Waggon trimmer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | While pinching back a waggon to take out a trig the pinch slipped. He fell, and the waggon ran over his leg. | |
| 1903 | March | 14 | Ferniegare No 1 | Lanark | Archd. Russell | John Miller | 31 | Bottomer | Falling from part way down | He pushed an empty hutch into the open shaft at a mid-working and fell after it to the bottom. | Three of the fatal accidents happened at mid-workings to bottomers who fell down the shaft. The first of these occurred at Ferniegare, No. 1 Pit. The miners being idle, the bottomer disconnected the gates fencing the entrance to the shaft from the wire connecting the gates with the indicator in the engine-house, in order to get some repairs done. Apparently, while he was away from the shaft, the engineman, without giving a signal as he ought to have done, raised the cage from the mid-working. The bottomer seems to have opened the gate, and, thinking that the cage was still there, pushed an empty hutch into the open shaft and fell after it. ………. Probably none of these three accidents would have happened if the regulations had been observed. |
| 1903 | March | 18 | Easter Jaw | Stirling | Carron Co | Edward Craig | 26 | Engine keeper | On surface – by machinery | Deceased was apparently about to proceed to the pithead scaffold by means of a steam hoist, and put on the steam just as he stepped on to the cage, when the cage was raised suddenly and he was caught between it and the frame and fatally crushed. | |
| 1903 | March | 19 | Carfin No 1 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | Simon Cristolitus | 29 | Drawer | Falls of side | Fall of clay from working face while passing along it. | |
| 1903 | March | 21 | Glencraig | Fife | Wilson's & Clyde Coal Co Ltd | David Carver | 24 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was about to brake a loaded tub down a dipping road, when the roof suddenly fell upon him. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | March | 23 | Gilbertfield No2 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Wm Coyle | 44 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | March | 25 | Mossbeath | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | George Lindsay | 16 | Miner | Shaft accidents – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | Deceased and some others were descending to a mid-working. 33fathoms above pit bottom, on the lower deck of a double-decked cage, while eight men were ascending on the opposite cage, which was also double-decked. Owing to momentary forgetfulness, the engineman ran the descending cage past the mid-landing, and then considered it safer to bring the ascending cage to pit bank and let the men off before reversing. When the men left its upper deck the pithead man signalled to have the lower deck brought up to the landing ; and, simultaneously, the bottomer, recognising that the men on the cage at pit bottom were mid-working men, signalled for the cage to be raised. Unfortunately, at the same moment deceased attempted to jump off the cage at pit bottom, and was caught and crushed against the landing. | |
| 1903 | March | 27 | Auchenharvie No 5 | Ayr | Glengarnock Iron & Steel Co Ltd | Michael Duffin | 25 | Shot firer | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | He failed to take proper shelter while firing a shot of saxonite and carbonite by electricity, and was struck by a projected stone. | |
| 1903 | March | 30 | Gilbertfield No2 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | James Biggans | 15 | Coupler | Haulage – run over by tubs | While uncoupling hutches a "race" of hutches coming up crushed his head between them. He resumed work on 7th April but took suddenly ill and died. | |
| 1903 | April | 3 | Shieldmains | Ayr | A G Moore & Co | Samuel Paterson | 49 | Picking table foreman | On surface – miscellaneous | When lifting a derailed hutch on a gangway with his hands on the railing, the railing gave way and he fell over the gangway. | |
| 1903 | April | 8 | Rosehall No 3 | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Wm Stevenson | 51 | Fireman | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road while passing along it. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | April | 13 | Grangemouth | Stirling | Grangemouth Coal Co Ltd | John Padkin | 52 | Waggon driver | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased was hauling a rake of four small waggons, by means of a horse towards the loading jetty, and when nearing the weighing house he stumbled as he stepped off the leading waggon and one wheel of the waggon passed over him. | |
| 1903 | April | 14 | Carfin No 1 | Lanark | William Dixon Ltd | Frank Svohl | 23 | Drawer | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road while redding a fall. | |
| 1903 | April | 15 | Lochwood No 3 | Lanark | Lochwood Coal Co Ltd | Charles Downie | 44 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Two shots of compressed gunpowder were being fired. His neighbour lit the fuse of one and he attempted to light the other and thought that he failed to do so. The first lit shot went off, and on returning to relight the other it went off, killing Downie and injuring his neighbour. | |
| 1903 | April | 20 | Mosside | Linlithgow | Gavin Paul & sons | William Marshall | 37 | Roadsman | Falls of roof | Deceased and another were repairing a heading, 12 ft. in width, and shifting some props which had been set too close to the rails. They had renewed four props, and deceased was preparing to set a fifth, when a stone 12 ft. 0 in. long by 4 ft. 6 ins. broad and 1 ft. 3 in. in thickness, triangular in section, suddenly fell upon him, causing his death before he could be extricated. | |
| 1903 | April | 21 | Little Raith | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | William Bowman | 22 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was engaged withdrawing props from a lift, where the coal had been extracted, when a large stone suddenly fell from the roof and completely buried him. | |
| 1903 | April | 22 | Birkenshaw | Lanark | Larkhall Fireclay Co Ltd | Wm Mair | 38 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at roadhead while setting a crown to secure it. | |
| 1903 | April | 23 | Lochhead | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co Ltd | Thomas Nicol | 52 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was about to commence holing, when a large piece of coal fell away from an unseen lype. | |
| 1903 | April | 24 | Bogside | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | William Rae | 15 | Pony driver | Falling into shaft from surface | He opened the gate at the top of a blind pit, pushed a full hutch into the open shaft and fell after it. | A pony driver also got killed by opening the gate at the top of a blind pit while the cage was at the bottom, pushing a full hutch into the shaft, and falling after it. An accident of this kind could not happen if, instead of a gate opened by hand, a fence actuated by the cage and therefore automatic in its action were used. |
| 1903 | April | 27 | Wallyford | Edinburgh | Edinburgh Collieries Ltd | Robert McEwan | 14 | Stone picker | On surface – by machinery | Deceased was walking on the picking table in the opposite direction to that in which it was travelling, when he stumbled and fell among the driving wheels and was fatally crushed between the spur wheel and a beam. | A boy was walking on a travelling table in the opposite direction in which it moved, and stumbling fell on the top of the driving wheels, which were fenced around but not boxed in. This is a bad habit indulged in by many of the young persons employed at the tables in cleaning the coal, and although warned, and in some cases examples made by dismissal, the thing continues, and the wonder is that accidents from this cause are not more frequent. |
| 1903 | April | 28 | Holytown No 12 | Lanark | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Alexander McGibbon | 28 | Fireman | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Explosion of bellite when preparing to charge a shot-hole. Another man was injured. The particulars of the accident are not known. | |
| 1903 | April | 30 | Carfin No7 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | David Hostler | 27 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal. | |
| 1903 | May | 2 | Hill of Beath | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Charles Izatt | 26 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased apparently was taking off coal at the face, when a stone fell from the roof, killing him instantaneously. The stone fell away from an unseen lype. | |
| 1903 | May | 4 | Cowdenbeath No 10 | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | John Woods | 21 | Drawer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased was riding on a train of empty waggons, and either fell off or was knocked off and run over. | |
| 1903 | May | 6 | Common No 16 | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Richard Corrie | 29 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | While firing a shot of fracturite it went off in some unexplained manner. Apparently he thought it had missed fire and he returned to it. | |
| 1903 | May | 6 | Stonelaw No 1 | Lanark | Farme Coal Co Ltd | John Rincavich | 22 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1903 | May | 7 | Woodhall No 1 | Lanark | Barr & Higgins | David McGugan | 19 | Drawer | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on engine dook. | Newspaper Report |
| 1903 | May | 9 | Carfin No 6 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | John McKey | 27 | Joiner | On surface – miscellaneous | When pinching a plank from off a scree the pinch slipped and struck him behind the ear. He worked till 18th May when erysipelas set in and he died on the 20th. | |
| 1903 | May | 11 | Howmuir | Lanark | Auchinlea Coal Co | Joseph Smith | 40 | Sinker | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Three shots were about to be fired at the bottom of a sinking pit, and deceased was sent to warn some men who were driving a lodgment, and to prevent them from coming outbye. Two shots were fired, but owing to a damp fuse some delay took place with the other, and a second messenger was sent to warn the men in the lodgment. Owing to a misunderstanding as to his message, deceased left the lodgment prematurely and was struck by a piece of rock thrown by the shot. | |
| 1903 | May | 12 | Auchinraith No 2 | Lanark | Merry & Cunninghame Ltd | Frank Regan | 45 | Road repairer | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on haulage road while repairing it. | |
| 1903 | May | 12 | Neilsland No 1 | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | Jas Mathie | 56 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1903 | May | 20 | Kirkwood No 1 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Robert Halliday | 40 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at brushing face. Died in September, and the accident was not reported till then. | |
| 1903 | May | 22 | Broomhouse | Lanark | Haughhead Coal Co | David Thomson | 39 | Fireman | Shaft accidents – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | When ascending the shaft alone in the cage he fell out. | |
| 1903 | May | 22 | Camps | Lanark | Camp Coal Co Ltd | John Jarvie | 37 | Miner | Falls of roof | While engaged withdrawing props after stoop was extracted, the roof fell and caught him. An attempt was made to rescue him, but a second fall taking place, he was completely buried. | |
| 1903 | May | 22 | Drumgrange No 10 | Ayr | Dalmellington Iron Co Ltd | Constantine Morgan | 60 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face, apparently when knocking out props. | |
| 1903 | May | 25 | Greenhill | Lanark | Greenhill Colliery Co Ltd | Robert McAlpine | 33 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased had apparently been holing when the roof fell upon him. His drawer missed him on coming to the face with an empty tub, and on search being made he was found under the fall. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | May | 26 | Arniston | Edinburgh | Arniston Coal Co Ltd | James Potts | 27 | Drawer | Falls of roof | Deceased and his neighbour were engaged taking a piece of coal off the side of a stoop to form a new roadway, when the roof suddenly fell. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | May | 26 | Glengarnock No 6 (Ironstone) | Ayr | Glengarnock Iron & Steel Co Ltd | Jas Findlay | 55 | Roadsman | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road while enlarging it. | |
| 1903 | May | 27 | Climpy | Lanark | Climpy Coal Co (Geo L Watson) | William Baird | 49 | Brusher | Falls of roof | While deceased was putting a building in the wall with the debris made while brushing the roadway, the roof fell and injured him, causing his death seven days later. | |
| 1903 | May | 28 | Bothwell Park No 2 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Daniel Lynch | 30 | Brusher | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | While pulling out the wires and detonator from a charge of saxonite it exploded. | Occurred at Bothwell Park Colliery, and occurred in unusual circumstances. The deceased brusher charged a shot-hole with saxonite, using an electrical fuse and detonator. When the shot-firer came round he informed him that he had no shots to be fired, and shortly after sent after the latter to bring him back, but he had disappeared and could not be found. The deceased then was in the act of attempting to pull out the wires and detonator, when the charge exploded and killed him. The other men who were present professed entire ignorance of how the accident occurred, and it was some time after ere the real facts of the case were divulged. |
| 1903 | June | 4 | Bothwell Castle No 4 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Edward Love | 46 | Engineer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | While riding in an empty waggon beneath the screes he put up his head and got crushed against a girder. | Newspaper Report |
| 1903 | June | 6 | Balgonie | Fife | Charles B Balfour | James Bell | 29 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was engaged in the top division of the Dysart Main Coal, working off the coal coming back, and at the time of the accident was "backening" coal toward the roadhead, when the roof suddenly fell upon him. | |
| 1903 | June | 9 | Hamilton Palace | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co | Peter Simm jun | 22 | Pony driver | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road while taking an empty hutch to a working place. | Newspaper Report |
| 1903 | June | 10 | Skellyton | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Jas Magee | 19 | Bottomer | Falling from part way down | He pushed an empty hutch into the open shaft at a mid-working and fell after it to the bottom. | Three of the fatal accidents happened at mid-workings to bottomers who fell down the shaft……… The second of these accidents occurred at Skellyton Colliery. In this case the bottomer, apparently without looking to see if the cage was at the mid-working, brought forward a full hutch, opened the gate, pushed the full hutch into the open shaft, and fell after it. The engineman stated that he did not observe the indicator show the gate open, but even if he had he would not have had time to signal to the deceased before the accident happened. ………. Probably none of these three accidents would have happened if the regulations had been observed. |
| 1903 | June | 10 | Biggarford | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Thomas Grant | 24 | Miner | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | See report | The most serious explosion occurred at Biggarford Colliery, whereby four men were seriously injured, one of whom subsequently died. The No. 1 shaft, which was originally sunk to the Kiltongue coal at a depth of 58 fathoms, was re-sunk to the Lower Drumgray coal 18 fathoms below [see diagram]. The bottom stoop had been turned, and the working was being laid out on the longwall method at A and B. The air current to ventilate the seam was forced down the No. I shaft by a fan at the top, and was said to be about 9,000 cubic feet per minute ; this current was split at the bottom in about equal proportions, and after traversing the stoop returned by a blind shaft to the Kiltongue workings and thence by the outlet shaft to the surface. At the time of the accident there were nine persons in the seam-four at A, three at B, and two at C. At A a " branch " road had been formed to the rise off the level. Shortly before the accident the men working in the " branch " heard the roof " working," and fearing that it was about to fall were preparing to leave the place when suddenly gas ignited at one of the naked lights and an explosion resulted. The lights carried by all the men in the seam were extinguished, but, notwithstanding, they managed to reach the shaft and were raised to the surface. An examination of the workings afterwards showed that at A the roof of the newly opened longwall place had taken the "first break," and a considerable quantity of gas had been liberated. The explosion was very violent, as was evidenced by the tubs being derailed and thrown toward the stoop side, rails lifted from their, position, props along the level road thrown out, and doors and stoppings destroyed. The force was from A toward the shaft. At the Inquiry held under the Fatal Accident Inquiry (Scotland) Act, 1895, it transpired that shortly after starting to cut the bottom stoop gas was seen on the opposite side of the shaft from A, and safety lamps were used, but these were subsequently withdrawn when the gas disappeared. The jury added a rider to their formal verdict to the effect that the management had acted imprudently in withdrawing the safety lamps. Had safety lamps been in use no explosion would have occurred, and I quite agree with their rider. |
| 1903 | June | 18 | Orbiston No 1 | Lanark | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co | Michael McCafferty | 42 | Brusher | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | While charging a shot-hole with gunpowder a spark from his lamp ignited 4 lbs. of the explosive. | |
| 1903 | June | 19 | Bothwell Park No 2 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Wm Shiverall | 24 | Fireman | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at brushing face when about to fire a shot just after firing another close to it. | |
| 1903 | June | 19 | Hamilton Palace | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co | Peter Wilson | 29 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof while drawing props at stooping operations. | Newspaper Report |
| 1903 | June | 26 | Niddrie | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | George Brown jun | 15 | Incline brakesman | Sundries | Deceased was employed as brakesman at the top of a brake incline 40 fathoms in length and having an inclination of 73°. The brake lever was situated at the uppermost bench, the formation of which had not been completed. It was not part of deceased's duty to place the tubs on the carriage, but it appeared that he had attempted to do so, probably to assist the miner, who was a relative. He forgot that the carriage was not at the bench, pushed the loaded tub into the incline, and fell with it to the bottom. | |
| 1903 | June | 30 | Dumbreck No 2 | Stirling | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Wm Barrie | 69 | Miner | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous | When stepping off the cage he slipped and fell into the cage seat. The accident was not reported until after his death on 13th September. | |
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Unnamed men who died in 1903: Another miner was injured in Hamilton Palace Colliery on 17th April, 1903, by a fall of coal and died on 21st October, 1903. A beam of wood, while being unloaded at a railway station by a carter employed at Little Mill Colliery, Ayrshire, fell upon him and inflicted fatal injuries. A miner got his finger scratched on 15th April in Bent Colliery, and he died on 5th May from blood poisoning. |
