Dalziel 7 June 1887

Newspaper Articles

Yesterday morning a sad accident occurred at Dalziel Colliery, Motherwell belonging to Messrs McAndrew and Co. While four men were descending the pit at 6 o'clock to relieve those who had been working all night, the pinion came out of the gearing of the spur wheel, the rope slipped from the drum, and the occupants of the cage were precipitated to the bottom of the shaft,a depth of 61 fathoms. Three of the men were killed instantaneously, the fourth was seriously injured, and a man who was working at the bottom of the shaft was badly hurt:

Killed
John Short, pitheadman, Craigneuk, age 47, widower
George Smith, pitshanker, age 38, married residing in Cambusnethan
Edward Wheelan, pitsinker, age 40, married no family, residing in Stonefield Blantyre

Injured
Edward Collins, sinker, Chapel Street Hamilton, severely injured*
Robert McNeely, sinker, Leechlee Street Hamilton, bone fracture.
[The Times June 8 1887]

*Edward Collins died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 10th June 1887

Colliery Accident Near Motherwell - Three Men Killed - Two Injured
A painful sensation was created in Motherwell on Tuesday by the report that a lamentable accident had occurred in No 2 Pit, Dalziel Colliery. The pit, which is owned by Messrs M'Andrew & Co., is situated two miles to the east of the town, and at the time of the accident a new shaft was being constructed from the splint to the Virtuewell coal seam. The contract was let to Mr Jas. Williamson, Larkhall, who was conducting the operations by relays of workmen who were employed night and day. The night shift had finished at six o'clock on Tuesday morning, and the men down the pit - Edward Young and Nicholas Campbell, Wishaw; James Anderson, Larkhall; and Robt. Neely, Hamilton - were preparing to ascend. About half past six the four men who were to relive the night shift workers - John Short, Craigneuk; Edward Wheelan, Blantyre; Geo. Smith, Cambusnethan; and Edward Collins, Hamilton - proceeded to descend the pit. The shaft is 75 fathoms deep, and when the cage by which they were lowered had reached a distance of 25 fathoms it would appear that owing to some unforseen circumstances, the pinion came out of the gear of the spur wheel, which unloosed the tow-rope from the drum, with the result that the four men were thrown to the bottom of the shaft. Three of them - Wheelan, Smith and Short - were instantaneously killed, and the fourth - Collins - was very badly injured, and scalded all over the body by the bursting of the steam-pipes. One of the four who were at the bottom was struck by the falling debris, and had his haunchbone fractured, and is otherwise badly hurt. The manager, Mr A Faulds, was soon on the spot, and arranged for the removal of the bodies to the pithead, and the injured men were afterwards taken in the Hamilton ambulance waggon to Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Mr Ralph Moore, Government Inspector, was on the ground early in the day with a view to making his report regarding the melancholy occurrence. In Hamilton Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Sheriff Birnie presiding, Robert Leggate, enginekeeper, Glenview Cottages, Motherwell, was examined on a charge of culpable homicide or culpable neglect of duty in connection with the accident. After being formally committed pending enquiries, he was liberated on a bail bond of £30.

In the House of Commons on Thursday, Mr Mason asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he was aware that another fearful colliery accident had occurred in Lanarkshire, resulting in the loss of three lives, and seriously injuring others; and whether he would order an inquiry to be made into its cause? The Home Secretary replied that he had just received a report from the inspector of the district, who had already inquired into the accident. He found that the accident was due to the neglect of the engineman, who failed to put in a key, whereby the winding drum got disconnected from the engines, and the cage with the men in it, ran into the pit. The engineman was now in custody. [Hamilton Advertiser June 11 1887]

Pit Accident at Motherwell - Three Men Killed and Two Injured- A sad accident occurred yesterday morning at No. 2 Pit, Dalzell Collieries, occupied by Messrs M'Andrew & Co, whereby three men lost their lives and-two were severely injured. At six o'clock in the morning, four men, a pitheadman and three sinkers, were to have gone on duty to relieve a shift of men who had been working underground the previous night. The men stepped on the cage, which was lowered in safety to a depth of 25 fathoms, when the tow rope gave way, causing the cage to fall down the shaft a distance of 61 fathoms, instantly killing three of the occupants and dreadfully injuring the other, while a man who was working at the pit bottom narrowly escaped with his life. Four other men at the pit bottom miraculously got away unhurt. Mr Alexander Faulds, the manager of the colliery, had the dead bodies and the injured men removed to the pit-head, whence the latter were removed to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The killed are :-George Smith, sinker (38), married, residing at Cambusnethan; John Short, pitheadman (47), widower, residing at Craigneuk; and Edward Wheelan, sinker (40), married, and residing at Stonefield, Blantyre. The injured men are:- Edward Collins, sinker, Chapel Street, Hamilton; who was dreadfully scalded about the limbs through the bursting of a steam pipe, and who had his thigh bones had several ribs fractured; and Robert Neilly, sinker, Hamilton, who sustained a fracture of the right arm, and severe injuries to his feet and other parts of the body. The unfortunate accident is alleged to have taken place through the neglect of the engineman to properly fasten a pinion wheel, which with its connecting rod became loose, causing the tow rope to run with great rapidity off the winding drum down the shaft. Mr Ralph Moore, H.M. Inspector of Mines, visited the scene of the accident yesterday afternoon. [Scotsman 8 June 1887]

The Recent Colliery Accident – Another Death – Edward Collins, sinker, residing in Barrack Street, Hamilton, one of two men injured at M'Andrews's Pit, Dalziel, last Tuesday, has since died from the effects of the accident. The other injured man, Neely, is making progress towards recovery. [Wishaw Press June 18 1887]

Melancholy Accident at M'Andrew's Colliery- Three Men Killed – Two Injured - A painful sensation was created here on Tuesday by the report that a lamentable accident had occurred . at No 2 Pit,. Dalziel Colliery. The pit, which is owned by Messrs M'Andrew & Co., is situated two miles to the east of the town, and at, the time of , the accident a new shaft was being constructed from the splint to the Virtuewell coal seam. The contract was let to Mr James Williamson, Larkhall, who was conducting the operations by relays of workmen, who were employed night and day. The night shift had finished at six o'clock on Tuesday morning, and the men down the pit - Edward Young and Nicolas Campbell, Wishaw; James Anderson, Larkhall ; and Robert Neely, Hamilton - were preparing to ascend. About half-past six the four men who were to relieve the night-shift workers - John Short, Craigneuk; Edward Wheelan, Blantyre; George Smith, Cambusnethan; and Edward Collins, Hamilton, proceeded to descend the pit. The shaft is 75 fathoms deep, and when the cage by which they were lowered had reached a distance of 25 fathoms it would appear that owing to some unforeseen circumstance, the pinion came out of the gear of the spur wheel, which unloosed the tow-rope from the drum, with the result that four men were thrown to the bottom of the shaft: three of them - Wheelan, Smith, and Short - were instantaneously killed, and the fourth, Collins was very badly injured, and scalded all over the body by the bursting of the steam-pipe. Neely, one of the four who was at the bottom was struck by the falling debris, and had his haunchbone fractured, and is otherwise badly hurt. The manager, Mr A. Faulds was soon on the spot, and arranged for the removal of the bodies to the pithead, and the injured men (after being attended by Dr Fotheringham and his assistant) were taken in the Hamilton ambulance waggon to Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Mr Ralph Moore, Government Inspector, was on the ground early in the day with a view to making his report regarding the melancholy occurrence. The engineman, Robert Legatte, residing in Saffronhall Place, Motherwell, who is reported to be a steady and respectable man, was apprehended on a charge of culpable homicide, or culpable neglect of duty in connection with the accident. After being formally committed by the sheriff pending enquiries, he was liberated on a bail bond of £30. [Wishaw Press June 11 1887]

The Motherwell Colliery Accident – On Tuesday at a pleading diet of a Jury Court – Sheriff Birnie presiding – Robert Leggate, engine keeper, Glenview Cottage, parish of Bothwell, was charged with culpable homicide, and also culpable violation or neglect of duty, by having on June 7th last, while engaged as keeper of the engine of No 2 Pit, Dalzell Colliery, occupied by John M'Andrew & Co, not been careful to observe that the winding apparatus was retained in gear by the insertion of the key or gib in the plummer-block, in consequence of which it went out of gear, and the cage was precipitated to the pit bottom, and four men were killed and one injured. Accused, with whom was Mr W T Hay, writer, pleaded not guilty, and the case was adjourned for trial by Sheriff and jury. Several civil actions of damages have been raised against Messrs M'Andrew by the widows and representatives of the men who lost their lives in the occurrence. [Hamilton Advertiser 30 July 1887]