| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. | 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. | 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. |
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. |
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. | 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. |
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. | 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 |
| 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. |
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. | 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. | 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. |
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 |
| 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. |
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 |
| 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. | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. |
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. | On June 6th at Haugh Colliery, owned by Messrs. Win. 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. | 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. | 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. |
