| Year | Month | Day | Hour | Colliery | Location | Owner | First name | Surname | Occupation | Age | Category | Hour of shift when accident occurred | Cause | Extra Info |
| 1894 | January | 12 | Whitehill (Greenfield) | Lanark | Archibald Russell | John | Gray | Miner | 55 | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Sudden death | |||
| 1894 | January | 17 | 8.30am | Auchenharvie No 5 | Stevenston | Glengarnock Iron & Steel Co | Samuel | Beattie | Brusher | 40 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of roof at brushing face | |
| 1894 | January | 20 | 11.30am | Dykehead | Lanark | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co | John | Barns | Miner | 59 | Falls of roof & sides | 7th | Fall of stone | Newspaper report - Dalserf pages |
| 1894 | January | 23 | 10am | Portland No 4 | Kilmarnock | Portland Colliery Co | Wm. | Miller | Miner | 49 | Falls of roof & sides | 4th | Fall of coal | |
| 1894 | January | 24 | 2.15pm | East Parkhead No 1 | Bellshill | Wilsons & Clyde Coal Co | Jas. | Liddell | Miner | 19 | In shafts | 1st | Fell down the shaft from a mid working From Main body of report: The first [fatal shaft accident] happened in No 2 Pit, East Parkhead, which has a new shaft in course of being sunk. The first work of the men on the shift during which it occurred was to clear away the debris caused by five gunpowder and two gelatine dynamite shots which had just been fired by the previous shift, and after firing other two powder and one gelatine shots, the deceased and the man who was injured seem to have been making use of an old shot hole, the bottom part of which still remained. The deceased held a jumper in the hole, and when his neighbour struck it with a hammer a violent explosion took place and caused the accident. Apparently the old shot hole contained an unexploded charge of explosive, unknown to anyone. | |
| 1894 | January | 25 | Longriggend | Lanark | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Margaret | Robertson | Not employed | 9 | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Hand crushed by waggons | |||
| 1894 | January | 30 | 2pm | Bothwell Castle No 4 | Bothwell | Wm Baird & Co | Alex. | Mackay | Sinker | 42 | In shafts | 8th | Struck by a piece of wood falling down shaft From Main body of report: The second [fatal shaft accident] also happened in a sinking pit, No. 4 Bothwell Castle, and was caused by the sinking kettle, apparently made to oscillate by a strong wind catching the wooden bars which formed the shaft fence at the ground level. These bars were torn out of position by the kettle being raised, and one of them fell down the shaft, a depth of 33 fathoms, and inflicted fatal injuries on one of the sinkers. | Bothwell accidents |
| 1894 | February | 6 | 10am | Drumpeller Nos 3 & 4 | Coatbridge | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co | Lindsay | Smith | Roadsman | 21 | Miscellaneous underground | 4th | Run over by a runaway hutch on a dook From Main body of report: Of these [miscellaneous fatal accidents underground], four were caused by runaway hutches on inclined roads, and another caused the death of a pony driver who was crushed between a hutch and the side of the road. | |
| 1894 | February | 12 | 4.30am | Broomhouse | Mount Vernon | Haughhead Coal Co | Jas. | McAdams | Bottomer | 60 | In shafts | 8th | While crossing the cage seat the cage came down on him From Main body of report: No fewer than three men, two bottomers and an oversman, lost their lives by the cage coming down on top of them while they were attempting to cross from one side of the pit bottom to the other through the cage seat. The bottomers were employed at Broomhouse and No 6 Pit, Govan, and a roadway round the shaft was provided in each case. | |
| 1894 | February | 14 | 3.30pm | Benhar | Lanark | Robert Addie & Sons Ltd | James | Doran | Miner | 34 | Falls of roof & sides | 9th | Fall of coal and stone | |
| 1894 | February | 14 | 8.30am | Westrigg | Lanark | James Wood Ltd | Peter | Saddler | Machineman | 47 | Falls of roof & sides | 2nd | Fall of roof From Main body of report: This accident occurred at the working face of a coal seam with a hard sandstone roof, worked long wall, and where the holing was effected by a Gillot and Copley coal cutting machine, driven by compressed air. The holing was usually done during the back shift, and the coal taken down and filled during the succeeding fore shift, but as the section had been standing for several months, and operations had only recently been resumed, the machine was set to work on the fore shift on the day of the accident in order to bring the face, which was 50 yards long, into a proper condition. When the machine began the cut the deceased were in front of it, arranging for its forward progress, and a third man, Neil McCready, was behind. Shortly after starting the machine the roof fell, and deceased were buried under the fall. McCready was struck on the head and stunned. When he recovered consciousness the machine was still working. He stopped it, and creeping forward found the deceased men beneath the fall, which was about 30 feet in length, 5 feet in breadth, and 1 foot 9 inches in thickness. Only about 7 feet of coal had been taken off the face since the recommencement of the the section. The roof had broken along the face for some distance over the coal while work was suspended, and, as is usual with a sandstone roof it broke along the face as each alternate cut of coal was taken off; the fall took place between these breaks. A very large quantity of water came off simultaneously with the fall, and the pressure of this water had probably something to do with the sudden burst. The noise made by the coal-cutting machine may have prevented the men hearing the " working" or cracking of the roof which usually precedes a fall of stone. | |
| Robert | Watson | Machineman | 47 | |||||||||||
| 1894 | February | 16 | 2pm | Canonbie | Canonbie | Duke of Buccleuch | Wm. | Dickson | Pony driver | 16 | In shafts | 8th | While placng a hutch on the cage, the cage was raised and the hutch fell back on him From Main body of report: A pony driver at Canonbie Colliery, without having the authority to do so, put a loaded hutch on the cage and signalled it away; but the hutch, not having been put properly on the cage, caught at the “door heads” and fell upon him, killing him instantaneously. | |
| 1894 | February | 16 | 8.20am | Bog | Lanark | Hamilton McCulloch & Co | Andrew | Frame | Pony driver | 17 | Miscellaneous underground | 3rd | Crushed by tubs From Main body of report: Deceased who was a pony driver, had come outbye with a loaded tub. On reaching the lye, in which three loaded tubs already stood, he stooped to unhook the tail chain, when his head was jammed between the moving and standing tubs. His skull and jaw bone were fractured. | |
| 1894 | February | 17 | 10.30am | Clydesdale | Lanark | Gavin Whitelaw | Walter | McDonald | Miner | 56 | Falls of roof & sides | 5th | Fall of coal | |
| 1894 | February | 23 | 10.45am | Milnwood | Bellshill | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | Bernard | Lynch | Labourer | 44 | Above ground | 4th | Run over by a locomotive From Main body of report: One man was run over by a locomotive engine while, as was supposed, under the influence of drink | |
| 1894 | February | 24 | 8.30am | Coltness | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | William | Hamilton | Pitheadman | 49 | Above ground | 4th | Caught by pump rod From Main body of report: This accident was caused by a pin in a moving pump rod crushing deceased while he was engaged claying the joints of the landing box. The shaft is divided into four compartments, two in the centre for cages, and those at the ends for pumps. In the dip end there are two plunger lifts, 15 inches diameter, forcing to the surface, and in the rise end one bucket lift, 15 inches diameter, raising to the surface. On the bucket rod, near the top, was an iron pin projecting 6 1/2 inches on each side, to which a sling chain was attached when lowering the rods for the purpose of changing the bucket. On the morning of the accident it was discovered that the landing box of the bucket lift was leaking, and deceased, together with the oversman of the pit, went into the "well" and commenced to clay up the parts which leaked, while the pump was in motion. While thus engaged the iron pin on the bucket rod caught deceased's head, during the down stroke, and crushed it against the side of the landing box, breaking the skull above the right eye. He succumbed to the injury 11 days after the accident. Deceased had been employed at the pit for many years, and was acquainted with all the details of the pumps and machinery on the surface. He was aware of the pin in the rod, but evidently in his anxiety to stop the leakage he had forgotten about it. | |
| 1894 | March | 1 | Westrigg | Lanark | James Wood Ltd | Robert | Sewell | Drawer | 17 | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Finger injured by fall of stone. Died from inflammation of kidneys | |||
| 1894 | March | 6 | 3.30pm | Greystonelea | Lanark | Hillhouserigg Coal Co Ltd | Harry | Kane | Drawer | 13 | Miscellaneous underground | 9th | Crushed by tub From Main body of report: No one saw this accident happen, but as the body of deceased was found lying across the rails in front of the loaded hutch he was bringing from the face to the shaft, one of the wheels of the hutch being against his neck, there can be no .doubt it was caused by the dangerous practice of drawing in front of the hutch, a practice which is now prohibited by one of the new Special Rules established last year, and which it is expected will put an end to this class of accident. The loaded hutch in this case weighed in all about 10 cwt., the inclination of the road at the place where deceased was found was slight, dipping about 1 in 40 to the shaft. There was no snibble in use. | |
| 1894 | March | 9 | 10pm | Denend | Fife | Denend Coal Co | James | Bissett | Engineman | 68 | Miscellaneous underground | 1st | Overcome by steam From Main body of report: A pump placed 130 yards down a dook extending from the upcast shaft was supplied with steam at a pressure of 65 to 70 lbs. per square inch, passing from the shaft bottom down the dook through wrought-iron pipes of 2 3/4 inches internal diameter. The ends of the steam pipes were fitted with cast-iron flanges, provided with four bolt holes, and with an india-rubber weaze formed the joints. A portion of one of the weazes was blown out at a joint about 80 yards down the dook, and allowed steam to escape. The dook was a return air-way, and consequently the escaping steam was carried to the shaft, and did not affect the engineman who was in attendance at the pump. He, however, found the pump was not getting steam, and he ascended the dook to discover the cause, which he found to be the burst joint; he was either unable to pass it, or did not think it prudent to attempt to do so, and returned to the pump. The pit was not at work at the time, and the escape of steam was not observed by any other person, although the boiler fireman on the surface noticed he had a difficulty in keeping up the steam. Deceased came to the pit to relieve the engineman at the pump, and was lowered down the shaft, but as his partner did not shortly afterwards signal to ascend, it was feared something was amiss, and the boiler fireman went down the pit and found steam coming up the dook. The under manager and others were sent for, the steam at the surface was shut off, and deceased was found dead about 30 yards down the dook. An oil can he carried was found further down, and it appeared that he had attempted to pass through the steam, but finding himself unable to do so, had retraced his steps. The pipes had been examined on the day of the accident by a competent person, and no defect observed. Had any means of signalling existed between the pump and the surface the engineman at the pump could have signalled for the steam to be cut off. Deceased, on finding steam escaping up the dook, should have returned to the surface and had the steam cut oft before attempting to descend the dook. There was a valve near the shaft bottom by which the steam might have been cut off, but it was not in working order. | |
| 1894 | March | 19 | 9.45am | Oakbank | Edinburgh | Oakbank Oil Co Ltd | Alexander | Young | Miner | 39 | Falls of roof & sides | 4th | Fall of midstone | |
| 1894 | March | 21 | 10.30am | Hassockrigg | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | Thomas | Edwards | Miner | 39 | Falls of roof & sides | 4th | Fall of roof | |
| 1894 | March | 23 | Ayr – Sundrum No 3 | Ayr | George Taylor & Co | Peter | O'Hara | Miner | 13 | Explosions of firedamp | 7th | Explosion of firedamp From Main body of report: The first of these [fatal explosions of firedamp] happened at No 3 Pit, Sundrum, Ayr Colliery, in a part of the splint seam where stooping was being carried on. Naked lights were in use, although firedamp had been found in the vicinity some time previously and although, owing to the fallen roof, there was a difficulty in getting an air current taken into the place. It appears that the miners had worked all day up till 1.30pm, when one of them went up to the edge of the waste where he had been at work half an hour previously. On reaching this point he ignited some firedamp and caused the explosion which injured him, together with his brother and a roadsman who with the fireman were at work 20 yards distant from the point of ignition. The miner who was beside the fireman died 4 days after receiving his injuries. In the circumstance safety lamps ought to have been used as a precaution, and after the explosion the manager agreed to use safety lamps in all sections where stoops were being taken out. | ||
| 1894 | March | 28 | 12.15pm | Mauricewood | Edinburgh | Shotts Iron Co | John | Bell | Miner | 32 | Falls of roof & sides | 6th | Fall of roof | |
| 1894 | March | 29 | Noon | Cameron | Fife | Bowman & Co | Andrew | Nicholson | Hanger on | 14 | Miscellaneous underground | 6th | Crushed by tub From Main body of report: Deceased was hanger-on at the foot of a cut chain brae, which was 40 yards in length, and had an average gradient of one in eight. He had hung on a tub on the left side road, had signalled it away, and stood leaning upon its right front corner in readiness to guide it from the plates on to the rails. When the loaded tub was pushed over at braehead, the empty one started somewhat suddenly, and deceased slipped and fell in front of it. It struck him upon the stomach and dragged him a short distance up the brae. He sustained severe internal injuries, and died about two hours afterwards. | |
| 1894 | March | 30 | 9.30pm | Coltness | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | Andrew | Doolan | Brusher | 21 | Falls of roof & sides | 5th | Fall of stone | |
| 1894 | April | 3 | 11.50am | Wishaw | Lanark | Glasgow Iron & Steel Co Ltd | Robert | Bell | Brusher | 50 | Falls of roof & sides | 6th | Fall of stone From Main body of report: In this case two experienced miners, both of whom had been officials, named Bell, who, however, were not related, were brushing a haulage road through stoops in the Splint Coal seam, and were engaged drilling a shot hole, when a mass of the rock roof, weighing about 1 1/2 tons, suddenly fell; one of them was killed on the spot, the other managed to crawl clear of the fall, but died soon after reaching the surface. | Newspaper report - Cambusnethan pages |
| Jacob | Bell | Brusher | 55 | |||||||||||
| 1894 | April | 5 | 8.20am | Craighead | Bothwell | Wm Baird & Co | Tobias | McGlinchey | Waggon shifter | 17 | Above ground | 2nd | Crushed between two waggons | Newspaper Report - Blantyre pages |
| 1894 | April | 7 | 9am | Blairhall | Fife | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | William | Harrower | Miner | 48 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of stone | |
| 1894 | April | 7 | Bathville | Linlithgow | James Wood Ltd | James | Duff | Miner | 32 | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Crushed by waggons on colliery sidings. Deceased was employed in the pit, but was not at work on day of accident. He had gone to the colliery for his pay From Main body of report: Death of a collier who, after receiving his wages, loitered about the colliery sidings and was crushed between two waggons | |||
| 1894 | April | 13 | 5.15pm | Westburn No 1 | Cambuslang | Westburn Colliery Co | George | Whitter | Miner | 18 | In shafts | 2nd | Fell down a blind pit From Main body of report: At Westburn Colliery, a young miner, whilst foolishly attempting to go down a blind pit used only for lowering coals, in some unexplained way lost his hold and fell to the bottom, a distance of 8 1/2 fathoms, and was killed. He had been warned against doing this, and a separate stair pit was provided for the ingress and egress of the workmen employed in this section of the workings. | Newspaper report |
| 1894 | April | 13 | 6.30pm | Hamilton Palace No 1 | Bothwell | Bent Colliery Co | Samuel | Warmington | Miner | 23 | Falls of roof & sides | 1st | Fall of roof at stoops while drawing props | |
| 1894 | April | 16 | 12.30am | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Gordon | Kerr | Stone miner | 43 | Miscellaneous underground | 3rd | Explosion of shot From Main body of report: Deceased was one of several miners who had contracted to drive a cross-cut mine 8 feet by 6 feet in height, with a rising gradient of 1 in 2 1/2. The only witness of the accident, a miner who was directly employed by deceased, stated that Kerr had placed a quantity of gunpowder in the shot hole, and was pushing in a paper wadding with a pick shaft, when the charge exploded. He was found laying about 5 yards back from the face of the mine ; the left side of his face had been smashed in, his left hand was shattered, and the head of a steel jumper was embedded in the inner side of his right thigh. He died about 20 minutes after the accident, without having regained consciousness. The shot which caused the accident was a "lifting" one, bored horizontally near the pavement, and close to the right side of the mine. From the manner in which it had done its work, it appeared to have been well stemmed. For some time prior to the accident, all the shot holes had been bored with a machine, charged with gunpowder made up into cartridges, and were usually fired by means of Bickford's patent fuse. The jumper referred to was 3 feet 4 inches in length, made of 1 inch octagonal steel. Its cutting edge did not appear to have been used against any hard, substance since it was last sharpened. From the work done by the shot, the nature of deceased's injuries, and the condition and relative positions in which the tools were found, Mr Johnstone, the inspector assisting, who investigated the accident, concluded that the statement of the witness referred to was inaccurate; that deceased had been kneeling on his right knee in front of the shot, and boring out the stemming with the jumper referred to, using it as a “churner,” when the charge exploded. The unramming of a shot is expressly forbidden by General Rule 12 (e). | |
| 1894 | April | 16 | 1pm | Gilbertfield No 2 | Cambuslang | Cambuslang Coal Co | John | Mullen | Miner | 35 | Falls of roof & sides | 7th | Fall of head coal while stooping | Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages |
| 1894 | April | 17 | 11.30am | Common No 11 | Cumnock | Wm Baird & Co | Thos | McSherrie | Miner | 40 | Falls of roof & sides | 5th | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1894 | April | 18 | 6pm | Portland No 5 | Kilmarnock | Portland Colliery Co | Jas. | Higgins | Miner | 35 | Explosions of firedamp | 5th | Explosion of firedamp From Main body of report: The second fatal explosion happened in No 5 Pit, Portland, or the Nursery Pit, Kilmarnock. The deceased and another miner worked together on the afternoon shift, and they were engaged splitting a stoop in a section of the pit where, according to the fireman's statement, firedamp had not been found for several years. They were finishing putting a four yard wide place through the stoop when some firedamp ignited at one of their naked lights. Both men were injured by the explosion and one of them subsequently died. At the time of the explosion the ventilation was deranged owing to an outburst of water having closed the ordinary airway, and it appears that no visit of a fireman had been made to this working place for 12 hours previous to the explosion, the fireman on the afternoon shift having become unwell and gone home. The day after the explosion I found firedamp in the waste workings, nine yards distant from where the men were at work, and if the fireman had made the statutory inspections the firedamp which ignited might have been detected. | Newspaper report - Ayrshire pages |
| 1894 | April | 19 | 1.30pm | Polton | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Martin | Rorke | Brusher | 28 | Falls of roof & sides | 8th | Fall of roof | |
| 1894 | April | 25 | 3.45pm | Brownlee | Lanark | Archibald Russell | Robert | Ruthven | Bottomer | 19 | In shafts | 9th | Fell from mid working From Main body of report: Deceased was bottomer at a mid-working situated 91 fathoms above the pit bottom. The output from this seam having increased considerably, the work became too heavy for one man, and on the day on which the accident took place another bottomer was sent to assist. They shared the work equally, pulling off the empty tubs or placing the loaded ones upon the cage in turn, or as might be most convenient, the man who loaded the cage always signalling it away. A cage bearing an empty tub had been set on the shuts at the mid-working. Deceased, who was then on the north side of the shaft, pushed aside the gate, and pulled off the empty tub, and, almost simultaneously, his assistant pushed on a loaded tub from the south side, and belled away the cage, which was at once raised towards the pit head. Deceased appeared to have momentarily forgotten the presence of the assistant, or not to have been aware that he meant to hang on, and probably following his previous custom, he turned the empty tub into the lye, brought forward a loaded one, and pushed it into the open shaft, falling with it to the pit bottom, where he was instantly killed. It was stated that deceased was the recognised bottomer at this seam. In this case the assistant should not have interfered with the signalling, and in permitting him to do so deceased contravened Special Rule 59. Such an accident would probably have been prevented by additional Special Rule 2, which was afterwards established. | Lanarkshire accidents |
| 1894 | April | 27 | 11am | Earnock | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | Peter | Divers | Chainer | 23 | Miscellaneous underground | 5th | Fell before rake From Main body of report: This accident occurred through deceased falling in front of a rake of 32 loaded tubs moving towards the shaft at a speed of about six miles an hour. The system of haulage was main and tail rope. Deceased, who was sitting on the first tub, was about to detach the main rope from the rake, by pulling out a pin and allowing the rope to go free. In stooping down to do so he overbalanced himself and fell in front of the moving tubs. | |
| 1894 | April | 27 | Noon | Gartsherrie No 8 | Coatbridge | Jas Nimmo & Co | Wm. | Bowman | Miner | 41 | Falls of roof & sides | 6th | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1894 | May | 2 | 7.20pm | Binniehill | Stirling | John Watson Ltd | Robert | Burt | Brusher | 33 | Miscellaneous underground | 4th | Explosion of gunpowder From Main body of report: This accident was caused by the accidental ignition of loose gunpowder with which a shot hole in the brushing of a long wall road was being charged. The mouth of the hole was about 5 feet from the pavement, and the hole was nearly level; it was 2 1/2 in. diameter and 2 ft. deep. Two men were in the place, one of whom was charging the hole by means of a scoot made of wood and zinc, while the other was laying aside the boring machine; the former was so injured by the explosion that he died two days after; the latter escaped with little injury. Neither of the men could say how the gunpowder was ignited; it appeared that the brusher charging the hole had his lighted open lamp on his bonnet at the time, although he had taken the precaution of trimming it before he commenced charging the hole, so as to avoid sparking. About 2 lbs. of gunpowder had been introduced into the hole. It seems probable that this gunpowder had been ignited by the flame of the lamp, or by a spark therefrom; the gunpowder remaining in the canister was not ignited. Deceased should not have had his lamp in his bonnet while charging a shot-hole, but should have placed it at a safe distance, and this is now made compulsory by one of the new Special Rules. | |
| 1894 | May | 7 | 10pm | Burntbroom | Mount Vernon | Dunn Brothers | Edward | Smith | Brusher | 55 | Falls of roof & sides | 4th | Fall of roof at road head | Newspaper report |
| 1894 | May | 7 | 9.30am | Barnsmuir | Stirling | Barnsmuir Coal Co Ltd | Thomas | Moore | Miner | 56 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of stone | |
| 1894 | May | 8 | 10.30am | Kelty | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Charles | Clark | Sinker | 38 | In shafts | 5th | Knocked off kettle while ascending shaft From Main body of report: This accident, involving the loss of three lives, took place in a pit in the course of sinking to a depth of about 200 fathoms. At the time of the accident the depth reached was 41 fathoms. The shaft was of unusually large dimensions, being 11 feet by 27 feet inside the barring or wood lining. The plan and sectional elevation on plate I give the necessary particulars for explaining the accident. Five shots were ready for lighting in the bottom of the pit, and all the workers had ascended to the surface except four, including the chargeman. After the usual signals made before firing shots had been given, the shots were lighted by the four men remaining in the bottom, who then got on to the kettle, standing on its rim and holding on to the chain. The chargeman signalled the kettle away and it was raised in the usual way, and ascended steadily for about 10 fathoms. The chargeman, who was the only one of the four who escaped death, stated that when about 10 fathoms up, one of the deceased men put his hand against one of the buntons and caused the kettle to oscillate, and it swung backwards and forwards several times, and the three deceased men were knocked off or fell off one after the other and fell to the bottom. The engineman observing that something was amiss stopped his engine. The chargeman who was clinging to the chain with both hands, after he had ineffectually tried to reach the signal wire, allowed the kettle to become steady, and then got hold of the wire and signalled and was drawn to the surface. In the meantime all the shots that had been lighted in the bottom exploded. A descent was made immediately, but the men were all dead. The immediate cause of the accident was the swinging of the kettle; had there been nothing for it to catch this might have led to no fatal result. One of two precautions might have been taken: first, cleading the the buntons with sliding deals, or, second, fitting the kettle with a rider sliding in guides. There is nothing in the Coal Mines Act rendering either of these courses obligatory. The space traversed by the kettle was unusually large, 7 feet 10 inches by 11 feet, as large as the full size of many shafts. Since the accident a rider has been added as shown on plate II. This rider is of somewhat different construction to that figured in my report for last year in connexion with two fatal accidents at Newbattle Colliery, one of which was caused by the rider sticking on the guides and then falling away. At Kelty the lugs are placed on the opposite sides of the rider so as to balance it better. Sinkers in Scotland when ascending and descending almost invariably stand on the rim of the kettle; this is not the safest position. | Newspaper report - Beath accidents |
| David | Graham | Sinker | 38 | |||||||||||
| Thomas | Wood | Sinker | 25 | |||||||||||
| 1894 | May | 8 | 8.30am | Darngavil | Lanark | Darngavil Coal Co Ltd | William | White | Repairer | 25 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of stone | |
| 1894 | May | 8 | 8am | Woodhall | Calderbank | Barr & Higgins | Alexr. | Auld | Under manager | 44 | Falls of roof & sides | 2nd | Fall of roof in a lye | Newspaper report |
| 1894 | May | 9 | 5.25am | Leven | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Robert | Hair | Brusher | 25 | Falls of roof & sides | 8th | Fall of roof | |
| 1894 | May | 19 | 10.20am | Riddochhill | Linlithgow | Gavin Paul & Sons | Alex. | Thomson | Miner | 53 | Falls of roof & sides | 4th | Fall of coal | |
| 1894 | May | 19 | 1pm | Tannochside No 1 | Uddingston | Calderbank Steel & Coal Co | Thos | Carr | Labourer | 50 | Above ground | 8th | Crushed between two railway waggons | |
| 1894 | May | 29 | 10.30pm | Milnwood No 2 | Bellshill | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | Wm. | Hamilton | Night overman | 40 | In shafts | 6th | Crushed by the cage while crossing the cage seat From Main body of report: No fewer than three men, two bottomers and an oversman, lost their lives by the cage coming down on top of them while they were attempting to cross from one side of the pit bottom to the other through the cage seat. The bottomers were employed at Broomhouse and No 6 Pit, Govan, and a roadway round the shaft was provided in each case. At Milnwood, No 2 Pit, where the oversman was killed, there was no roadway from one side of the shaft to the other, as there ought to be in every case, but the manager had given instructions that any person requiring to cross the shaft should do so through the cage when it was in the bottom. This the oversman failed to do. | |
| 1894 | May | 29 | 8.30am | Balquhatstone | Stirling | John Nimmo & Son | Alex. | McPherson | Miner | 29 | Falls of roof & sides | 2nd | Fall of stone | Newspaper report - Stirling pages |
| 1894 | May | 30 | 8.30pm | Govan No 6 | Glasgow | Wm Dixon Ltd | Peter | Reilly | Bottomer | 62 | In shafts | 3rd | Crushed by the cage while crossing the cage seat From Main body of report: No fewer than three men, two bottomers and an oversman, lost their lives by the cage coming down on top of them while they were attempting to cross from one side of the pit bottom to the other through the cage seat. The bottomers were employed at Broomhouse and No 6 Pit, Govan, and a roadway round the shaft was provided in each case. | |
| 1894 | June | 1 | Noon | Maxwood | Galston | Wm Baird & Co | Hugh | Johnstone | Waggon trimmer | 56 | Above ground | 5th | Crushed between two waggons | |
| 1894 | June | 7 | 9.30pm | Victoria | Nitshill | Wm Baird & Co | Jas. | Dougan | Stoker | 50 | Above ground | 4th | Fell off top of boiler From Main body of report: Another man supposed to have also been affected by drink fell off the top of a range of boilers into the stoke-hole and received fatal injuries. | |
| 1894 | June | 13 | 2pm | Mossband | Lanark | Linridge Coal Co | Wm. Y. | Kirkwood | Blacksmith | 48 | Above ground | 7th | Overwound From Main body of report: Deceased, who was a blacksmith at the colliery, was assisting to put on a cage at a pit where the winding apparatus had been out of use for some years. The cage having been connected to the rope was drawn in and raised until its bottom hung about two feet above a scaffold, which covered the mouth of the shaft. The engineman then shut the throttle valve, pinned down the brake lever, and went outside to render what assistance he could. Deceased went on the cage, and tried to spring the slides sufficiently to permit of the guides entering, but finding that the scaffold referred to prevented this, he suggested that the cage should be raised a short distance further. The engineman went in to do this, deceased meantime remaining on the cage. The engineman slightly opened the throttle valve, and eased the brake, when the engine at once started off, and before he could stop it the cage had been pulled up to the pulley, on striking which it swerved, lifted the rope out of the groove and fell to the ground behind the frame. Deceased jumped or fell from it, receiving severe internal injuries, from which he succumbed two days afterwards. The accident was probably due to the steam pipes and passages between the throttle valve and the pistons having become filled with steam at considerable pressure, the expansive force of which, on the removal of the brake, was sufficient to cause the engine to jerk the light cage up against the pulley. It might have been avoided had greater care been exercised in the admission of the steam, and the removal of the brake. | |
| 1894 | June | 13 | 4pm | Lochgelly | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | John | Thomson | Repairer | 26 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of roof From Main body of report: The deceased men, one of whom was an official, were engaged on the colliers' idle day in repairing the timber on a haulage road which at the point had a stoop of coal on one side and long wall waste on the other. The roof was composed of soft blaes, with occasional harder bands. The men started work at 2 p.m., and it was not known that any accident had happened until 10 p.m., when the next shift reached the place. Judging from the amount of tallow which had been consumed in the lamps used by the deceased men, the fall had taken place about 4 p.m. The roof over the stoop of coal, appeared to have come away and swung the timber. | Newspaper report - Auchterderran pages |
| William | Beveridge | Repairer | 48 | |||||||||||
| 1894 | June | 16 | Noon | Clackmannan | Clackmannan | Clackmannan Coal Co | James | Ferguson | Miner | 45 | Falls of roof & sides | 6th | Fall of roof | |
| 1894 | June | 18 | 7.40am | Auchlochan | Lanark | W C S Cunningham | Alexander | Graham | Miner | 46 | Falls of roof & sides | 1st | Fall of coal | |
| 1894 | June | 19 | 2.30pm | Longriggend | Lanark | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | James | Milligan | Miner | 53 | Falls of roof & sides | 8th | Fall of stone | |
| 1894 | June | 20 | 10.45am | Wellsgreen | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | David | Kay | Loco guard | 26 | Above ground | 5th | Run over by waggons From Main body of report: This accident was caused by using a pit prop 5 feet long to sprag a ballast waggon on the colliery sidings. It happened in the usual way as it has so frequently happened before; the prop not inserted far enough swung round and threw deceased under the wheels of the waggon following. The train consisted of 12 ballast waggons owned by the North British Railway Company, which after having being loaded with ashes at the pit, were being taken by the colliery locomotive to Wemyss Castle Station. They were being led over the line used for bringing the empty waggons forward to the pit. The brakes of six of these waggons were defective. The spokes of the wheels of the Fife Coal Company's waggons- are covered with a plate, so that spragging these waggons is not possible, and in any case spragging was ordinarily not required on the line of rails over which the train was passing. These facts may account for the want of proper sprags. The practice of using anything but a proper sprag for spragging railway waggons is now prohibited by one of the new Special Rules. | Newspaper report - Fife pages |
| 1894 | June | 20 | 11.15am | Bellsdyke | Lanark | Bellsdyke Coal Co | John | McAlpine | Miner | 48 | Falls of roof & sides | 5th | Fall of stone | |
| 1894 | June | 25 | 9.30am | Bog | Lanark | Hamilton McCulloch & Co | Charles | Laird | Miner | 27 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of stone | Newspaper report - Dalserf pages |
| 1894 | June | 27 | 9.20pm | Home Farm | Lanark | Hamilton McCulloch & Co | William | Stevenson | Shaftman | 22 | In shafts | 3rd | Scaffold fell in shaft owing to crane running amain From Main body of report: The deceased were engaged putting in and repairing slides in the lower portion of a shaft which had recently been extended to reach a lower seam. The operations were carried on during the night shift, the shaft being used during the day shift for raising coal from the upper seam. They descended in the dip cage to the Main Coal, where they transferred their tools, &c. to a scaffold which lay upon the plates, and which was attached to a crane rope which hung in the rise winding space, and was worked by a double powered crane situated on the pit bank. The crane was in charge of the night shift pit-headman, who, when working with it, was assisted by the winding engineman. Having prepared the scaffold, the shaftmen signalled to "heave the crane," which was then standing as shown on plate 3 in the single power. The cranemen took in the slack rope and raised the scaffold, which was swung into the shaft. The shaftmen appear then to have got upon the scaffold and to have signalled to have it raised a short distance further. The cranemen endeavoured to heave up, but, finding that the load was too heavy for the single power, they proceeded to shift the gearing into the double power. To do this, it was necessary to raise the keeper A B. which hinged on B., and to move the crank shaft laterally, so that the pinion C. might gear into the spur wheel D. One of the men held up the keeper while the other pulled the shaft towards him; but as the pinion and spur wheel entered into gear, the friction caused the shaft to stick. He shook the crank, when the pinion slipped through the spur wheel, thus throwing the crane entirely out of gear, and the load ran away. An ineffectual attempt was made to brake the crane with a piece of timber, which lay at hand. The scaffold with the three men upon it fell to the Virtuewell coal, a distance of 39 fathoms, and the wire rope was wrenched off the crane barrel and went down upon them. They appeared to have been killed instantaneously. The crane had been in use elsewhere for a considerable time, and only a week prior to the accident had been taken down and re-erected at this pit by the colliery engineer, who considered it was in good working order. The day shift pit-headman used it on the night before the accident; he examined it and thought it was in safe condition. The night shift pit-headman did not examine it, as he followed the day shift without any interval. Neither he nor the engineman had had much experience in crane work. The accident was directly due to their having attempted to shift the gearing while the load was on the crane. Had they had more experience in such work, they would not have done so without first locking the crane by spragging or otherwise. The crane, however, was seriously defective in construction, and should not have been used for raising or lowering men until altered so as to render such an accident impossible. This could readily have been done by fitting a collar upon the crank shaft - as shown in dotted lines at J3. - in such a position that it would bear against the left side frame of the crane before the pinion C. could pass out of gearing with D. | Newspaper report - Dalserf pages |
| Matthew | Corbett | Shaftman | 40 | |||||||||||
| Edward | Brannan | Shaftman | 36 | |||||||||||
| 1894 | July | 5 | James Shedden - see 1893 accidents reported in 1894 at top of page | |||||||||||
| 1894 | July | 10 | 8am | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Mungo | Pryde | Dookhead man | 23 | Miscellaneous underground | 2nd | Crushed by tub From Main body of report: Deceased was acting temporarily as a hanger-on at the head of an engine dook, which has a dip of 1 in 2, and on which the tubs are drawn by two endless ropes, to which they are attached singly at intervals of about 20 yards. One rope passes along each side of the tubs, and each tub is attached to the ropes by four horns, one at each of its corners. A tub loaded with bricks was being sent down the dook, and owing probably to the horn on one side catching the rope slightly in advance of that on the other, the tub went over on the dook with the left front horn twisted too far back. Deceased signalled to stop the engine, and going down after the tub for a distance of about 8 yards, he knocked the outer side of the horn forward with a brick. Observing that the right front horn had also become twisted, he crossed in front of the tub to put it right, and while doing so the ropes slipped through the horns and the tub ran away, driving him down the dook before it, and crushing him against the next tub. His back, left thigh, and several ribs were fractured, and he died in a few moments without having regained consciousness. The accident was evidently due to want of caution on the part of deceased. It was exceedingly rash to attempt to shift the grip of the horn which apparently was carrying most of the load, more especially while standing directly below the tub. | |
| 1894 | July | 11 | Noon | Bardykes No 1 | Cambuslang | Merry & Cunninghame | Wm. | Bell | Shaftsman | 35 | In shafts | 5th | Fell down shaft while passing into the cage from the top From Main body of report: At Bardykes Colliery, four men were engaged repairing the shaft and having gone down on the top of the cage a certain distance it was found necessary that one of them should go into the lower deck to guide the cage past a broken slide. While climbing down the buntons for this purpose the deceased, a shaftsman, missed his footing and fell to the bottom, a distance of 36 fathoms. | |
| 1894 | July | 24 | 8.30am | Kilgrammie | Dailly | David Robertson | Wm. | Davidson | Miner | 17 | Miscellaneous underground | 3rd | Run over by a loaded hutch on a “cuddie brae” through failure to put in a hook of chain From Main body of report: Of these [miscellaneous fatal accidents underground], four were caused by runaway hutches on inclined roads, and another caused the death of a pony driver who was crushed between a hutch and the side of the road. | |
| 1894 | July | 28 | 7.30am | Blair No 9 | Dalry | Wm Baird & Co | Jas. | Murray, jun | Miner | 16 | Falls of roof & sides | 2nd | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1894 | August | 1 | Gilmerton | Edinburgh | Gilmerton Gas Coal Co Ltd | Peter | French | Not employed | 11 | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Overcome by choke damp and fell down incline From Main body of report: Death of a schoolboy from suffocation by choke-damp in a steep incline from the surface, into which he had ventured by the ladders with which it was fitted - the colliery was in the hands of a liquidator and was not working, and no ventilation was kept up, the top of the incline was fenced, but not in such a manner as to offer any difficulty to any person getting on to the ladders; | |||
| 1894 | August | 2 | 8am | Ashieburn | Muirkirk | Wm. McKinlay | John | Greenwood | Miner | 36 | Falls of roof & sides | 1st | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1894 | August | 7 | Murieston | Edinburgh | Wm Cunningham & Son | George | Sneddon | Foreman | 66 | Miscellaneous underground | Fell over bench From Main body of report: Deceased met his death in a very simple manner. Feeling unwell he did not visit the mine until after breakfast. He entered the mine by a short incline extending from the surface and dipping 1 in 1. On arriving at No. 1 level he walked along it to visit two miners who were putting up an upset from the level below, but bearing too much to the right he fell over the bench to the lower level, a distance of 44 feet, and fractured ins skull, death being instantaneous. After descending the mine, deceased had probably gone forward before his eyes had become accustomed to the light of his lamp and so had missed his way. Had there been a fence across the opening it would have prevented the accident. The openings in the mine have since been fenced across. | |||
| 1894 | August | 21 | 8.30pm | Champfleurie | Linlithgow | Linlithgow Oil Co Ltd | Thomas | McGown | Miner | 32 | Falls of roof & sides | 1st | Fall of shale | |
| 1894 | August | 23 | Cleland (near) | Lanark | _____ | Robt. Andw. | McKinney | Schoolboy | 12 | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Fall of roof From Main body of report: Death of a schoolboy by a fall of roof in a small opening into the Ell Coal seam at the outcrop by miners on strike | Newspaper report | ||
| 1894 | September | 3 | 11.30am | Hill | Lanark | A & K Danks | James | Sommerville | Oversman | 27 | Falls of roof & sides | 5th | Fall of roof | |
| 1894 | September | 4 | 7am | Lanemark No 2 | New Cumnock | Lanemark Coal Co | Michael | Gordon | Haulage engineman | 46 | Above ground | 1st | Struck by a hutch falling down a hoist From Main body of report: An engineman was killed by a hutch falling down a hoist at the pithead, a labourer having pushed forward the hutch, expecting the cage to have been at the top when it happened to be at the bottom. | |
| 1894 | September | 5 | 4.40am | Dalbeath | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Andrew | Greig | reddsman | 66 | Falls of roof & sides | 7th | Fall of roof and sides | |
| 1894 | September | 6 | 7.30am | Sheardale | Clackmannan | Robert McAllister & Sons | William | Shepherd | Miner | 32 | Falls of roof & sides | 2nd | Fall of roof | |
| 1894 | September | 8 | 7.30am | Saline | Fife | Saline Valley Coal Co | James | Thomson | Miner | 28 | Falls of roof & sides | 2nd | Fall of coal | |
| 1894 | September | 13 | 8pm | Linlithgow | Linlithgow | Linlithgow Oil Co Ltd | John | McLaren | Drawer | 39 | Miscellaneous underground | 1st | Crushed by carriage From Main body of report: This accident was caused by an ascending empty carriage overtaking deceased while proceeding up a brake incline to his work. The incline was worked by a back balance and a carriage which ran on rails laid on the inclination of the seam, which varied from 1 in 2 to 1 in 6. The carriage held one tub, and weighed about 15 cwts. Repairs had been going on at a bench some distance up the incline, and the carriage was being raised from the foot of the incline to ascertain if the bench was properly adjusted, When the carriage began to move, deceased and another workman were a few yards up, and they attempted to reach the first manhole, but were caught by the rope, which, owing to the varying inclination of the seam, surged toward the roof, and the carriage overtook and passed partly over deceased. He died from the shock to his system eight hours after the accident. A distinct travelling way was provided, and was largely taken advantage of by the miners in the section, who, however, were not prevented using the incline (which was provided with manholes), although requested not to do so. | Newspaper report - Lothian pages |
| 1894 | September | 19 | 12.45pm | Bartonshill No 1 | Baillieston | Wm Baird & Co | Samuel | Fullerton | Stone picker | 13 | Above ground | 6th | Crushed between a waggon and the screen From Main body of report: A boy, 13 years of age, was killed while on the top of a waggon picking stones by a waggon shifter incautiously moving it forward beneath a gangway which caught his head. | |
| September 19 Malcolm Condie - see 1895 report | ||||||||||||||
| 1894 | September | 21 | 11am | Mainhill No 2 | Baillieston | Wm Baird & Co | Wm. | Robertson | Fireman | 32 | Falls of roof & sides | 6th | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1894 | September | 24 | 9.45am | Shawfield | Lanark | Wilsons & Clyde Coal Co | James | Littlejohn | Miner | 30 | Falls of roof & sides | 4th | Fall of coal | |
| 1894 | September | 25 | Bowden | Linlithgow | Bowden Lime Co Ltd | Alexander | Dales | Miner | 43 | Falls of ground | Fall of limestone From Main body of report: Deceased and another miner were engaged holing at the face of a room in a limestone seam, when a block of limestone weighing about two tons fell from the face and crushed deceased, killing him instantly; from my inspection of the place I formed the opinion that deceased, who was the leading man, had acted somewhat incautiously in venturing below the stone without first supporting it by a rance. | |||
| 1894 | October | 8 | 10am | Corby Craigs No 4 | Dalmellington | Dalmellington Iron Co | Wm. | Gordon | Pony driver | 55 | Miscellaneous underground | 3rd | Crushed between front hutch of “race” and roadside From Main body of report: Of these [miscellaneous fatal accidents underground], four were caused by runaway hutches on inclined roads, and another caused the death of a pony driver who was crushed between a hutch and the side of the road. | |
| 1894 | October | 10 | 12.10pm | Westrigg | Lanark | James Wood Ltd | Edward | Kyles | Bottomer | 59 | In shafts | 6th | Fell from mid working From Main body of report: This accident happened at a mid-working, 12 fathoms from the bottom of the shaft, and was caused by the cage being raised a few feet before any signal had been given, and before the loaded hutches had been placed on it. There was only one other person besides deceased at the shaft at the time, and he stated that deceased pushed the two empty hutches (which stood end to end on the single deck of the cage) through the cage, and then turned back to bring forward the full hutches, and as he was getting off the cage it slowly ascended as far as the door heads, and deceased was thrown off and. fell back into the shaft. The engineman did not dispute the fact of the cage moving away as it did without signal. He stated that he placed the cage at the mid-working, and kept it there with the steam shut off at the throttle valve, the brake on, and the engines in position for raising it to the surface. He thought some steam had passed the throttle valve and caused the cage to rise. The manager was of opinion that the engineman had left a little steam on to assist in keeping the cage steady, while the full hutches were being put on, and this steam had overcome the brake. There were no shuts in use at the mid-working, nor would I recommend their use in such situations. Deceased could have passed right through the cage after pushing off the empty hutches, and returned by a road at the side of the shaft. | |
| 1894 | October | 15 | 1.15pm | Shields | Motherwell | Glasgow Iron & Steel Co | John | Forrest | waggoner | 36 | Above ground | 7th | Run over by a waggon while improperly “spragging” it From Main body of report: At Shields Colliery a waggoner, while attempting to insert a 4-inch prop, 5 feet long, into the wheel of a railway waggon to arrest its motion, was struck by the end of the prop and knocked in front of the hinder wheel which ran over him. To prevent accidents of this nature which have repeatedly happened, a new Special Rule had been established four months previously, and providing that only pointed wooden sprags, not exceeding 3 feet in length, should be used for the spragging of railway waggon wheels where spragging is necessary. The deceased directly violated this rule. | |
| 1894 | October | 15 | 3.30am | Sheardale | Clackmannan | Robert McAllister & Sons | Thomas | Cowan | Brusher | 32 | Falls of roof & sides | 6th | Fall of stone | |
| 1894 | October | 15 | 4pm | Common No 10 | Cumnock | Wm Baird & Co | John | Blane | Miner | 40 | Explosions of firedamp | 9th | Explosion of firedamp by going into disused workings From Main body of report: The next fatal explosion happened in No 10 Pit, Common, Cumnock, and took place shortly after the close of the strike. It appears that after his day's work was over, the deceased went into a place where he had worked previous to the strike to look for a pick that he had left there. Owing to water having risen in these workings, which were to the dip, work had not been resumed in them, and consequently no inspection thereof had been made by the fireman. Without having made known his intention or ascertained whether or not these workings were safe to enter, he proceeded to his old working place, and having passed it, his naked light ignited some firedamp, and he was so severely injured that he subsequently died. | |
| 1894 | October | 17 | 3.30pm | Glenbuck, Galawhistle Pit | Muirkirk | Cairntable Gas Coal Co | Thos | Davidson, sen | Miner | 39 | Falls of roof & sides | 9th | Fall of coal at stoops | Newspaper Report - Muirkirk pages |
| 1894 | October | 17 | 7.15am | Ellismuir No 2 | Baillieston | Glasgow Iron & Steel Co | Edward | Thomas | Miner | 32 | Explosions of firedamp | 1st | Explosion of firedamp From Main body of report: The fourth fatal explosion happened in No 2 Pit, Ellismuir, Baillieston, in the Kiltongue seam. The deceased had just reached his working place to commence his day's work, and was passing along the working face when his naked light ignited some firedamp which, if the fireman's statement is correct, had accumulated since the latter made his inspection an hour previously. Owing to a fall of roof in the “cundie” between this wall and the adjoining one, there was practically no air current passing, and had this fall been cleared away, as it should have been, in all probability the explosion would not have happened. | |
| 1894 | October | 18 | 1pm | Haywood | Lanark | Haywood Gas Coal Co | David | McCombie | Labourer | 55 | Above ground | 6th | Caught by pulley From Main body of report: Deceased was engaged scraping and painting an auxiliary pithead frame, which carried a single pulley. He had been warned not to attempt to paint the portions near to the pulley while winding operations were being carried on; but, unobserved by anyone, he had climbed the right backstay and commenced to paint the top of the frame. Taking advantage of a momentary cessation of the winding, he was reaching through between the spokes of the pulley and painting the inner side of the left upright when the engineman, in obedience to a signal from pit bottom, lifted a loaded cage. The pulley in revolving caught deceased's head and shoulders, which were drawn in and severely crushed between the pulley spoke and the right upright. One of the pitheadmen observed him at the moment, the engineman was signalled to and stopped the engine at once, but the load causing it to ease slightly backwards deceased's head was relieved, and he fell, alighting on his back on the corner of a tub. He died three days afterwards. | |
| 1894 | October | 19 | 3pm | Maxwood No 1 | Galston | Wm Baird & Co | Geo. | Robertson | Miner | 38 | Falls of roof & sides | 9th | Fall of roof on road | Newspaper report |
| 1894 | October | 23 | 11am | Law | Lanark | Wilsons & Clyde Coal Co | William | Hamilton | Miner | 34 | Falls of roof & sides | 5th | Fall of roof | |
| 1894 | October | 24 | 8am | Mainhill No 2 | Baillieston | Wm Baird & Co | Alexr. | Robertson | Miner | 27 | Falls of roof & sides | 2nd | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1894 | October | 25 | 11pm | Blairhall | Fife | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | James | Haddow | Contractor brusher | 37 | Explosions of firedamp | 8th | Explosion of firedamp From Main body of report: Deceased, who was a contractor brusher, was sent with his younger brother to repair an air-course in the south side of No. 1 section of longwall workings in the Main Coal. Not having the necessary tools he went into an unoccupied face, the road leading to which was fenced off, to obtain them. At the termination of the shift he returned with the tools to the place from which he had obtained them, when gas was ignited at his open light, causing an explosion, whereby he was slightly burned on the face and arms. He died a week afterwards through the shock, acting on a weak constitution. The whole section had been standing during the strike, and the roof had fallen, more or less, in all the places, only some of which, had been won out again after the termination of the strike, and not to a sufficient extent to allow the air-current to properly ventilate the place of the accident. Before the strike gas had been observed in the place, but by keeping a hurdle-screen erected on the road near to the face it was kept clear. The fireman, when examining the place two days prior to the accident, found a small quantity of gas in it and in consequence fenced the place-off. On the morning of the day of the accident he also found a small quantity of gas at the face. Apparently gas had accumulated between the visits of deceased. It was an error on the part of deceased to cross the fence and go into a place known to give off gas in which the normal ventilating current was not circulating. It appeared he had made an examination of the section some shifts previous and found it clear of gas; and this may partly account for his conduct. This accident was not reported to me within twenty-four hours of its occurrence, as required by section 35 (1) of the Coal Mines Act, in fact I was first aware of it by seeing a notice of the man's death in the newspaper more than a week after the accident. For this neglect the manager was fined 3l. by the Sheriff. | |
| 1894 | October | 26 | 1.30pm | Donibristle | Fife | Donibristle Colliery Co | David | Paterson | Drawer | 23 | Miscellaneous underground | 7th | Crushed by tub From Main body of report: Deceased was struck by a runaway tub, on a cut chain brae 50 yards long and with an inclination of 1 in 1 1/2; there were three working benches on it. Deceased, who worked at the middle bench, missed his turn to run his tub, and the chainman prepared to run one from the top bench. All was ready, except that the chain required to be connected, when deceased came out to his bench, placed his tub in position on the incline, and asked the chainman to run it. The chainman agreed, and proceeded to remove the tub he had ready at the top bench, while doing so it caught against the rail on the opposite side and ran amain down the incline. Deceased was then on the incline at his bench, and the tub in its descent struck him, knocking him down to the next bench, a distance of 40 feet. | |
| 1894 | October | 26 | 9pm | Fairhill | Lanark | Archibald Russell | William | Jack | Miner | 44 | Falls of roof & sides | 14th | Fall of stone while drawing road | |
| 1894 | October | 27 | 6.30am | Maxwood No 1 | Galston | Wm Baird & Co | John | Cuthbert | Roadsman | 34 | Falls of roof & sides | 1st | Fall of roof on road while repairing it | |
| 1894 | October | 27 | 8am | Common No 14 | Cumnock | Wm Baird & Co | Frank | Harkness | Miner | 34 | Explosions of firedamp | 2nd | Explosion of firedamp From Main body of report: The fifth fatal explosion occurred in an ironstone pit, No 14 Pit Common, near Cumnock, and by it one man lost his life, and the under manager and other two workmen, were injured. During the strike of the colliers this pit was stopped for six weeks, and when work was resumed it was found that a very heavy fall of roof had taken place at the top of a self-acting incline, which was also an airway. The redding of the fall and renewing of the timbering occupied a week, and new timbering having been put up and some debris placed above it, deceased was on the top of the timbering when his naked light ignited some firedamp which, apparently unknown to anyone, had accumulated since the fireman made his inspection three hours before. Firedamp is frequently found in this pit, and this cavity in the roof was a very likely place in which it might accumulate, but safety lamps were not used, neither was the precaution taken to erect a hurdle screen and so cause the air current to pass above the timbering. Both of these precautions ought to have been taken, and thereby the explosion would have been prevented. | |
| 1894 | October | 29 | 1.30pm | Kames | Muirkirk | Wm Baird & Co | Hugh | Murdoch | Drawer | 58 | Miscellaneous underground | 8th | Struck by a runaway hutch on an incline From Main body of report: Of these [miscellaneous fatal accidents underground], four were caused by runaway hutches on inclined roads, and another caused the death of a pony driver who was crushed between a hutch and the side of the road. | |
| 1894 | November | 1 | 5pm | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | William | Borthwick | Miner | 55 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of coal | |
| 1894 | November | 5 | 6.30pm | Lassodie | Fife | Thomas Spowart & Co Ltd | Peter | Forbes | Oncostman | 34 | In shafts | 5th | Fell down shaft; rope broke From Main body of report: This fatality was caused by the breaking of a hemp rope 1 1/15 inch in diameter. Deceased and another man were repairing a coal drawing shaft, and were working from one of the cages; a fall took place from the sides of the shaft at the point where they were engaged and jammed the cage. Fearing a further fall they climbed up the shaft a few feet to a lodgment, where they were comparatively safe. When their situation was discovered, an old crane rope hanging in the winding engine house was taken down a mine extending from the surface, and by which the shaft could be reached at the Eight Feet seam, a point about 9 fathoms above the lodgement. The rope was lowered down the shaft from the Eight Feet seam and deceased got on to it, and several persons were prepared to haul him up, when it broke near the seam, and deceased fell about 18 fathoms to the bottom of the shaft. The engineman of the winding-engine, who may be said to have handed over the rope for use on this occasion, stated that it was brought to the pit in July 1892, but was not then a new rope, it was then used on a crane, and afterwards lay for some time in a cabin, until about 18 months before the accident, when he coiled it up and hung it on a screen in the engine-house. The rope was evidently unfit for use, and broke with a man's weight. The breaking strain, when new, would be about three tons. The manager of the colliery was unable to state the age of the rope, or the maker's name. | |
| 1894 | November | 5 | 8.45am | Lanemark No 2 | New Cumnock | Lanemark Coal Co | Charles | Crate | Miner | 54 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1894 | November | 15 | 2.30pm | Lanemark No 2 | New Cumnock | Lanemark Coal Co | Jas. | McInulty | Miner | 44 | Miscellaneous underground | 9th | Shock of electricity from electric cable From Main body of report: The other [miscellaneous accident underground] which ended fatally took place at No. 2 Pit, Lanemark, New Cumnock, and was caused by a shock of electricity, being the first fatality from an accident of this nature in the district. The haulage in a dook driven to the dip of the main haulage level and situated some 1,400 yards from the shaft is performed by electric motors placed at the top of the dook and connected with the dynamos on the surface by means of copper cables carried along the side of the haulage level. One cable of 19 wires of No. 16 Birmingham wire gauge, insulated by means of a rubber covering, and the whole enclosed in a lead tube, was used as a lead from the dynamos to the motors, while the return conductor consisted of two cables each of 19 wires of No. 18 B W G, insulated and covered with lead in the same manner. At the part of the haulage road where the accident happened the intake or lead cable was about 4 1/2 feet above the level of the rails, while the two return cables were 4 inches above the intake one. The rise side rail was a foot from the side of the road along which the cables were carried. It appears that the deceased and several other miners, after their work was over, were coming out the main haulage level and were riding on a "race" of hutches, contrary to regulations, which was being drawn by a horse. The "race" was stopped to put a hutch on the rails, and it seems that the deceased was stepping between it and the hutch in front when he stumbled, and his face coming in contact with the cables, he received a shock which proved fatal. Previous to this, several workmen and horses had received shocks by coming in contact with the cables, but apparently no bad effects had followed. After the accident, electrical experts tested the cables and found that owing to numerous breaks in the insulating medium, the current of 500 volts was being freely transmitted through the lead covering. A current of this intensity, according to skilled evidence, is not dangerous to a person in good health; but seeing that this accident had happened, I insisted upon the owners, as recommended by the experts, getting a new intake cable, and this, after a formal notice in terms of section 42 of the Coal Mines Act had been served upon them, they agreed to put in. | |
| 1894 | November | 15 | 8.30am | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | James | Quinn | Labourer | 27 | Above ground | 3rd | Crushed by bogie From Main body of report: Deceased was assisting a driver to empty some end-tipping waggons at the end of an embankment. As the tip had just been extended, the driver wished to run at his horse's head, in order to guide it past the point at which it had been accustomed to turn aside, and deceased was running alongside of the horse in order to detach the slip coupling behind the swingle-tree. When about to slip the coupling he tripped over a sleeper or slipped on the rail, and fell in front of the waggon. The driver at once turned the horse aside, and slipped the coupling, but before deceased could get clear the leading wheel of the waggon passed over both of his legs, and the rear wheel dragged him along for several yards. Amputation of both legs was found to be necessary. He succumbed two days afterwards. | |
| 1894 | November | 17 | 11am | Hallhill No 1 | Baillieston | Wm Baird & Co | Jas. | Reilly | Drawer | 30 | Miscellaneous underground | 5th | Struck by a runaway hutch on a dook From Main body of report: Of these [miscellaneous fatal accidents underground], four were caused by runaway hutches on inclined roads, and another caused the death of a pony driver who was crushed between a hutch and the side of the road. | |
| 1894 | November | 17 | 8.30am | Wilsontown | Lanark | William Dixon Ltd | John | Baird | Miner | 22 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of stone | |
| 1894 | November | 19 | Banknock, Gladstone Pit | Bonnybridge | John Young & Co | Edward | Millar | Engineman | 46 | Above ground | 8th | Caught by pumping engine connecting rod while attempting to pass below it From Main body of report: Another engineman was killed by being caught by the connecting rod of a pumping engine while foolishly attempting to pass beneath it when it was in motion. | ||
| 1894 | November | 28 | 8.45am | Cameron | Fife | Bowman & Co | Andrew | Moyes | Miner | 52 | Falls of roof & sides | 3rd | Fall of coal | |
| 1894 | November | 29 | Lumphinnans | Fife | Cowdenbeath Coal Co Ltd | James | Pow | Trapper | 14 | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Fell on spur wheels. Not employed at time From Main body of report: Death of a boy employed as a trapper underground, who, after his shift was over, was playing about the pit bank, and while crossing between the moving fly-wheel and spur-wheel of a small redd haulage engine slipped and fell on to the spur gearing and was instantly killed. | |||
| 1894 | December | 3 | 11.45am | Merryton | Lanark | Merryton Coal Co | Robert | Davidson | Engineman | 26 | Above ground | 6th | Crushed by waggons From Main body of report: Deceased was endeavouring to move forward a waggon loaded with dross by means of a pinch applied to one of its hind wheels, when a locomotive engine belonging to the Caledonian Railway Company, on whose system the colliery is situated, backed some waggons on the same line of rails and caused the waggon of dross to rim on to deceased. The guard of the Caledonian engine was standing on a waggon of coal directing operations, and he had not noticed that deceased was engaged on the line of rails on which the shunting was being performed. The line of rails was in connexion with a brick works owned by the colliery company, and deceased was usually employed working an engine that hauled bricks from the kilns to the brick screen, but as he was sometimes, employed on the colliery sidings moving trucks of coal, and as he was so employed when he met his death, I have included the case as a colliery accident. | |
| 1894 | December | 6 | 3.45pm | Wellshot No 1 | Cambuslang | D G Dunn | George | Canning | Manager | 47 | Above ground | 10th | Winding engine broke down, cage was carried over the pulley and fell on him From Main body of report: The last fatal accident that happened above ground caused the death of the manager of Wellshot Colliery. At No. 1 Pit, the winding engine is geared to the drum shaft by spur wheels, the drum and fly-wheel being each provided with a break. The manager happened to be in the engine-house talking to one of the overmen, and while the engineman was winding a hutch of stones in the dip cage the crank shaft of the engine broke. The engine-man shut off the steam and he and the overman ran out of the front door, while the manager ran out of the side door, passing on his way the handle of the drum break. The weight of the hutch of stones being greater than that of the empty hutch in the rise cage, the dip cage ran rapidly back to the bottom, and the momentum was sufficient to carry the rise cage over the pithead pulley, and it fell on the manager and killed him. If he had had the presence of mind to step and apply the drum break the accident would not have happened. It was not a proper thing for the manager to meet with his overman to talk over matters in the engine house, which is of very small dimensions, as the attention of the engineman might thereby have been diverted from his duties and a mistake made. | Newspaper report |
| 1894 | December | 10 | Noon | Kinneil | Linlithgow | Kinneil Cannel & Coking Coal Co Ltd | George | Hamilton | Miner | 61 | Falls of roof & sides | 6th | Fall of roof | |
| 1894 | December | 11 | 11am | Broomhouse | Broomhouse | Haughhead Coal Co | John | McDonnachie | Miner | 43 | Falls of roof & sides | 4th | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1894 | December | 13 | 11am | Bent | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co Ltd | Edward | Taylor | Runner | 25 | Above ground | 4th | Crushed by tub From Main body of report: This accident was caused by deceased falling along with a hutch full of coal from the level of the pithead to a travelling belt a few feet below. Deceased and another runner were about to empty the hutch of coal, one opening the door at one end of the hutch and the other inclining it on a tippler, but before the door was opened deceased had tipped up the hutch, and it fell off the tippler on to the belt below, dragging deceased with it, and he was found with one of the buffers of the hutch pressing on his breast. There were two devices for keeping the hutch on the tippler when it was inclined : (1) the ends of the rails were turned up, and (2) a hook caught the leading axle of the hutch ; the day before the accident this hook had been broken off, and it appeared that if the door was not opened the weight of coals added to the weight of the hutch dragged the hutch off the tippler, but with a little extra care there was no difficulty in emptying the hutch safely without the hook on the tippler. | |
| 1894 | December | 13 | 6.30am | Auchenharvie No 1 | Stevenston | Glengarnock Iron & Steel Co | Edward | Weir | Miner | 48 | Falls of roof & sides | 1st | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1894 | December | 18 | 7.15pm | Bank No 2 | New Cumnock | New Bank Coal Co | Wm. John | Millwood | Pony driver & bottomer | 16 | In shafts | 6th | Pushed a full hutch into an open shaft at a mid working and fell along with it to the bottom From Main body of report: The last of the fatal shaft accidents happened at No. 2 Pit Bank, New Cumnock, and by it a bottomer fell from a mid-working along with a loaded hutch. The dip cage alone was used at this mid-working, and there was a road from one side of the shaft only. The fence guarding the entrance to the shaft was, as required by a new special rule established throughout the district six months previously, connected with an indicator in the engine-house, and which showed to the engineman whether it was open or shut. It appears that the engineman, in response to the bottomer's signal, lowered the cage containing an empty hutch to the mid-working, and the bottomer, after opening the fence, took off the empty hutch. Shortly thereafter the signal “one” was given without the fence having been closed, and the engine-man thereupon slowly raised the cage until it reached the pithead empty, and the indicator all the time showing that the fence was open. The pitheadman then shouted down to the deceased, a distance of 17 fathoms, but getting no reply he went down in the cage and found the fence open, but no trace of the deceased, who alone had been at the mid-working, and whose body was afterwards found in the bottom of the shaft on the top of a hutch. The bottomer, evidently thinking that the cage was at the mid-working, pushed the loaded hutch into the open shaft and fell after it, but no one can tell why he gave the signal "one" to raise the cage after drawing off the empty hutch. This accident illustrates how accidents will happen even when the most carefully devised regulations are made to prevent them. By the new special rule referred to, the bottomer is forbidden to signal away the cage from a mid-working until after he has closed the gate fencing the shaft, and, as a check upon the bottomer, the engineman is forbidden to take the cage away from a mid-working unless the indicator shows that the gate has been closed. In this case both the engineman and the bottomer at the same time violated these regulations, and thus the accident happened. | |
| 1894 | December | 20 | 7.45am | Mauricewood | Edinburgh | Shotts Iron Co | Hutchison | Burt | Pony driver | 17 | Miscellaneous underground | 2nd | Crushed by tubs From Main body of report: Deceased, who was a pony driver, was coming outbye with a set of nine loaded tubs, on a horse road which had a slightly varying gradient. The last tub carried a snibble, and on reaching a point where the dip outbye increased somewhat, deceased jumped off the set, and inserted three others in the wheels of the first three tubs as they passed him. He had then passed alongside, or had climbed over the top of the tubs, and had reached the front of the set, when, owing possibly to his head having come in contact with a crown, he fell in front of the set. The back of his head came against a prop which stood at the left side of the road, and the set buffered against his chest. The accident was discovered very shortly afterwards. His left leg was broken, but death was reported to have been due to suffocation. | |
| 1894 | December | 21 | 3.45pm | Govan No 5 | Glasgow | Wm Dixon Ltd | Neilie | Anderson | Drawer | 17 | Falls of roof & sides | 9th | Fall of roof at working face | |
| December 25 Charles McKean - see 1895 accidents | ||||||||||||||
| 1894 | December | 26 | 10.45am | Cowdenbeath | Fife | Cowdenbeath Coal Co Ltd | Mary | Murray | Pithead worker | 15 | Above ground | 5th | Knocked down by waggons From Main body of report: Deceased, who was the only female that lost her life about the mines in the district during the year, was employed carrying prop wood from the wood yard to the shaft, and while so engaged she had to cross the main branch line and other lines .of rails in connexion with the screens. She and another girl had been engaged during the morning carrying wood, and when returning to the wood yard from the shaft were met by a train of empty waggons, which were being pushed forward by a locomotive engine just .as they emerged from under the pithead scaffold ; before they could get clear of the rails they were struck by the leading waggon and deceased was run over. The shunter, who was on the buffer of the leading waggon, saw the girls approach from under the scaffold and shouted to them, and at the same time gave the signal to the engine-driver to stop the train, but it was too late to avert the accident. The girls were absorbed in conversation, and not sufficiently on the alert, or they would have seen the train approaching. The system of conveying prop wood by means of carrying it across the lines of rails while work is in operation is objectionable. | Newspaper report - Beath pages |
| 1894 | December | 29 | 8.50pm | Haywood | Lanark | Haywood Gas Coal Co | James | Campbell | Assistant pitheadman | 23 | In shafts | 5th | Fell down shaft From Main body of report: This accident apparently arose through a mistake in signalling. Deceased removed a loaded hutch from the cage at the surface, and after moving it about 8 yards from the shaft, he pushed forward an empty hutch into the shaft expecting the cage was still there, but in the interval, the engineman had lowered the cage, and deceased and the empty hutch fell into the open shaft. No one saw the accident happen. The engineman stated that he got a signal from the pithead that all was right before he lowered the cage. The fence guarding the top of the shaft was a door, which was opened and shut by hand, There was no reason, however, why a cover worked by the cage should not have been in use and this would have prevented the accident. | Newspaper report |
| Additional Accidents reported by Mr J M Ronaldson for West of Scotland District Besides accidents comprised under the Coal Mines Regulation Act, I received notice of the death of a boy who, after working hours, had apparently been climbing up a pithead frame where he fell and received fatal injuries, also of another boy, not employed at the mine, who fell off a "race" of hutches on a surface haulage road and was run over. A miner died from natural causes in No. 1 Pit Calderbank. |