| Year | Month | Day | Mine | County | Owner or Company | First Name | Surname | Age | Occupation | Category | Cause of accident & remarks | Extra details |
| 1900 | July | 2 | Holytown No 5 Pit | Lanark | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Joseph | Brodie | 20 | Bottomer | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous | He signalled the cage to be raised a little in order to go into the cage seat to clean it. This was done, and while in the cage seat the cage was lowered upon him. He was alone at the time. The engineman alleged that he received the signal to lower the cage again. | |
| 1900 | July | 2 | Whitrigg | Linlithgow | R Forrester & Co | George | McCallum | 33 | Drawer | In shafts – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | Deceased was one of six men who worked on the night shift in a seam which was only being opened up. and in which no bottomer was employed. Having occasion to ascend the shaft, he rang the signal bell from the pit bottom. A witness near the pit bottom stated that the bell was rung three times, but he failed to observe whether any return signal was given. The engineman and three others on pithead stated that the bell only rang once. As the cage was being raised from pit bottom, in which it was standing at the time, deceased attempted to jump on. and was apparently caught and crushed against the door head, or side of the shaft. He was dragged up for some distance, and then fell back to the bottom. His heart and lungs had been crushed, and he had received a severe scalp wound. | |
| 1900 | July | 4 | Braidhurst No 2 Pit | Lanark | Summerlee and Mossend Iron and Steel Co Ltd | Robert | Davidson | 17 | Pony Driver | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | The fireman was redding a fall on a haulage road. The deceased was standing beside the fireman, when a stone fell from the roof and struck him. | |
| 1900 | July | 4 | Niddrie | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | James | Heriot | 55 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Side | Deceased was engaged breaking out his "cut," when the coal suddenly burst over the sprags. The injuries proved fatal about eight weeks afterwards. | |
| 1900 | July | 5 | Deans | Linlithgow | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | Alexander | Begbie | 32 | Pitheadman | In shafts – falling into shaft from surface | Some water was being drawn from the bottom of a pit sinking to the Houston Coal, in a barrel attached to the winding rope. As the barrel was raised from the bottom, its lip caught the lower edge of the barring, jerking the rope and causing it to oscillate somewhat violently in the shaft. Deceased, who was standing at the striking scaffold at pithead, put out his hand to steady the rope, but missed it, overbalanced, and fell to the bottom of the shaft, 108 feet below, striking the barrel in his descent. His skull was fractured. | |
| 1900 | July | 7 | Herbertshire No 2 Pit | Stirling | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Peter | McDermott | 18 | Drawer | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof at working place. | |
| 1900 | July | 7 | Lumphinnans | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Adam | Drylie | 44 | Contractor Brusher | Falls in Mines – Falls of Side | Deceased had fired a shot in the brushing which had not cleared away the stone at one side, and he was examining the stone preparatory to boring a hole to blast it down when it fell on him. | |
| 1900 | July | 18 | Skerrington No 20 Pit | Ayr | J & R Howie | Alexr. | Goldie | 40 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | He was firing a gunpowder shot, and either prematurely lit the gunpowder in the squib, or was returning to re-light the squib, thinking that it had gone out, when the shot went off. | |
| 1900 | July | 24 | Kelty | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Thomas | Paterson | 27 | Labourer | In shafts – ropes or chains breaking | Deceased's duty was to place empty hutches on the cages at the surface. A balance rope below the cages is in use. As one of the cages containing empty hutches was leaving the surface some empty hutches were being placed in position for putting on the same cage in its next descent. These hutches ran too far, and deceased attempted to hold them back by placing his back against them, but was overcome and forced into the descending cage, followed by one of the hutches, which jammed the cage and prevented its descent. The engineman had put on full steam to raise the loaded cage from the bottom, and the strain was communicated by the balance rope to the bottom of the cage at the surface, and it was pulled down, overcoming the resistance offered by the hutch, and eventually fell with a jerk, breaking the chain next the rope, and the cage and deceased fell to the bottom. | An accident at Kelty Colliery was indirectly caused by the use of a balance rope, and to avoid a similar accident the timbers below which the balance rope extends were, after the accident arranged so that they would give way on a slight strain being applied. |
| 1900 | July | 28 | Redford | Stirling | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Alexander | Ure | 51 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Side | Deceased was engaged taking down coal, and when the coal fell the roof fell with it and fatally crushed him. | |
| 1900 | August | 2 | Blantyre Ferme | Lanark | A G Moore & Co | John | Henderson | 32 | overman | Haulage – by ropes or chains breaking | While travelling up a "dook" behind a nice of hutches a coupling broke and the hutches ran back on him. | |
| 1900 | August | 6 | Allanton | Lanark | William Barr & Sons | James | Smith | 19 | brakesman | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased was running alongside some wagons to regulate their speed by the brake of the first one as they passed into a siding, when by some means he stumbled and fell, one of the wagons passing over him. The brake on the wagon by which the speed was being regulated was a patent one. | |
| 1900 | August | 6 | Greenside No 6 Pit | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Daniel | McMenemy | 53 | Sinker | Falls in Mines – Falls of Side | A stone, which apparently came off the side of the shaft in process of being sunk, fell upon him while working in the bottom. Another man was injured. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1900 | August | 7 | Bothwell Park No 1 Pit | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John | Petravage | 28 | Miner | Haulage – by trams and tubs | He went in front of a derailed hutch to lift it on the rails. In doing so, the snibbles fell out and the hutch ran over him. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1900 | August | 10 | Bardykes No 1 Pit | Lanark | Merry & Cunninghame Ltd | Robert | Watson | 45 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof at working place. | |
| 1900 | August | 12 | Tannochside No 3 Pit | Lanark | Archibald Russell | James | Murphy | 33 | Brusher | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | After receiving a safety lamp he illegally lighted an open light, and on entering his working place he ignited fire damp, which appears to have accumulated after the fireman's inspection. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1900 | August | 14 | Devon | Clackmannan | Alloa Coal Co | John | Mitchell | 65 | Repairer | Haulage – on inclined or engine planes | While a bogieman was riding in front of a set of loaded tubs on an engine dook 1,100 yards in length, he observed deceased standing on the right side of the road. Immediately after passing him he heard a cry, and at once jumped off the bogie and signalled to stop the set. His lamp having been extinguished, he went down the dook for a short distance to get a light, and on returning found deceased on the left side of dook about 10 yards above the point where he had passed him, and in the act of crawling from between the fourth and fifth tubs of the set. Deceased stated that while the set was passing him his foot slipped, and he fell against the electric signal wires, receiving a shock which caused him to recoil and fall between the tubs. From the relative positions of deceased, some pump pipes, a wire rope,and the signal wires, it appeared to be much more probable that he had been attempting to get upon the tubs or the couplings between them in order to ride up the dook, a practice which, although forbidden by the Special Rules, was evidently somewhat prevalent in the mine at the time. Deceased succumbed to his injuries nine days afterwards. | |
| 1900 | August | 15 | Nethercroy No 1 Pit | Dumbarton | Carron Co | John | Connolly | 64 | Pump Attendant | Haulage – on inclined or engine planes | Run over by a "race" of hutches on a dook. He stepped in front of it instead of to the side. | |
| 1900 | August | 16 | Orbiston No 2 Pit | Lanark | Summerlee and Mossend Iron and Steel Co Ltd | James | Cowden | 35 | Bottomer | Shaft accidents -things falling from part way down | While putting a hutch on the cage he was struck on the head by some unknown substance which fell down the shaft. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1900 | August | 17 | Cadder No 17 Pit | Lanark | Carron Co | Hugh | Harrigan | 47 | Miner | Haulage – on inclined or engine planes | While going up a self-acting incline he was run over by a runaway hutch. | |
| 1900 | August | 17 | Portland No 5 Pit | Ayr | Portland Colliery Co Ltd | John | Todd, jun | 34 | Oncost Worker | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | A section of dip workings sealed off by a brick stopping was being re-opened. Two shots of Nobel's blasting gelatine were fired in the stopping, 30 inches thick, blowing it down and causing an explosion of fire damp accumulated behind it. The men all retired nearer the shaft, and an hour afterwards a second explosion occurred, fatally injuring six of them and injuring other two. The cause of the second explosion has not been ascertained. |
The most serious explosion that happened during the year occurred
in No. 5 Pit, Portland Colliery, Ayrshire. This colliery, which
is close to Kilmarnock, belongs to the Portland Colliery Co.,
Ltd., Mr. Allan Gilmour being the managing-director, and Mr.
Daniel Gilmour the manager. No. 5 or Nursery Pit is the downcast
shaft, No. 4 or Wellington Pit, which is 1,100 yards distant,
being the upcast. The main coal seam in which the explosion happened
is 7 feet thick, and is worked on the "stoop and room"
system. The accompanying
plan No. 1, shows the Hurlford section of the workings. Owing
to a fire caused by spontaneous combustion some years ago the
section BB was shut off by building a stopping in each of the
two mines which formed the only means of access to this section.
One of these stoppings was in the Dook Mine at the point (d).
It appears that about a month previous to the explosion these
old workings were tapped at the point (f) when fire-damp was
given off. Thereafter a working place was driven as far as the
point (e) where John Higgins, Junr., and Boyd Cummock were working
with safety lamps, their place being ventilated by means of bratticing. It having been determined to open up the section BB from the Dook Mine also, on the 17th August, David Clark and John Todd were sent by the under-manager to blast out the stopping (d) by means of Nobel's blasting gelatine. This stopping consisted of a brick wall, 30 inches thick, built with cement. It seems that about 12.30 p.m., after having drilled and charged two shot-holes in the stopping, and lit the fuses, the men retired to a point between (c) and (h). First one and then the other shot went off, and the second was instantly followed by an explosion of fire-damp, which injured Alexr. Dunlop, who was working with James Brown at the point (a). There were 12 men in all in the section, and after the explosion they at once retired up the "Crosscut Dook." Four men went out to the pit bottom, while the others remained in the intake airway between the points AA', and while waiting there until the arrival of the under-manager the fireman and two of the miners took the safety lamps and went back to attempt to get their clothes, but encountered fire-damp when approaching the place (b), and had to retire. When Johnstone, the under-manager, arrived, he and the fireman and two miners went down the Crosscut Dook to explore, and having been met by fire-damp, which put out one of the two safety lamps, they had retired nearly to the top of the dook when a second explosion happened. About three-quarters of an hour afterwards the men were all found insensible by the manager and others between the points A and A1, the point A being some 260 yards distant from No. 5 shaft. The under-manager was found lying in the recess (g) with a safety lamp and his naked lamp beside him. The other safety lamp was found some distance nearer the pit bottom. Turnbull's (the fireman) safety lamp was afterwards found at the point (h), where he appears to have been at the time of the first explosion. The ventilating current comes from No. 5 Pit and down the Crosscut Dook in the direction indicated by the arrows, and was said to have been conducted by screens and bratticing to within 20 yards of the stopping (d), but as these erections were all blown away by the explosion a subsequent inspection could not show where they had been placed. On examining the stopping (d) after the explosion, it was found that the shots had made an opening 4 feet wide by 2 2/3 feet high right through. There seems to be no doubt that the first explosion was caused by the shots igniting firedamp accumulated on the lower side of the stopping. About an hour elapsed ere the second explosion occurred, but I have been unable to ascertain what was the cause of it. It seems evident that a body of firedamp accumulated behind the stopping, on being released by the shots, worked its way upwards until it came in contact with a naked light, and the explosion thus initiated was carried on and intensified by the coal dust, as these workings are both dry and dusty. There is evidence that the force of the blast radiated from the vicinity of the point (j), and this points to the possibility of the first explosion having set fire to some timbering or brattice cloth which kept burning until the body of firedamp reached it and became ignited. The investigation and subsequent inquiry into the cause of this explosion brought to light several contraventions of the regulations, and proceedings were taken against the manager as being responsible for three of these. After evidence was heard he was convicted in each case and fined £15. |
| James | Turnbull | 41 | Fireman | |||||||||
| Andrew | Johnstone | 35 | Under Manager | |||||||||
| John | Gemmell | 48 | Miner | |||||||||
| Boyd | Cumnock | 21 | Miner | |||||||||
| John | Gemmell, jun | 23 | Miner | |||||||||
| 1900 | August | 18 | Camps (Limestone) | Edinburgh | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | John Binnie | Hempseed | 46 | Oversman | Metalliferous mines | Deceased was engaged finishing off some limestone from a bench when a piece fell off the side of the stoop and struck him on the head. | Newspaper report |
| 1900 | August | 22 | Haughhead | Lanark | Haughhead Coal Co Ltd | Robert | M'Alpine | 35 | Bottomer | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous | He was alone at the pit bottom, and after signalling away the cage he was in some unknown manner caught by it, and when the cage reached the surface his body was found lying in it. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1900 | August | 30 | Gilmilnscroft No 3 Pit | Ayr | Gauchalland Coal Co | David | Mitchell | 19 | Miner | Shaft accidents -things falling from part way down | When about to draw an empty hutch off the cage he was struck on the head by a stone which fell down the shaft from some place unknown. | |
| 1900 | September | 3 | Kenmuirhill No 2 Pit | Lanark | Glasgow Coal Co Ltd | Thomas | Stirling | 37 | Fireman | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | While making his morning inspection, apparently with a naked light as well as with a safety lamp, he ignited fire damp, and was fatally injured by the explosion | No fewer than three firemen lost their lives while making their inspection, previous to the commencement of the shift, with a naked light instead of with a safety lamp……The second of these explosions happened in Kenmuirhill Colliery, and in this same colliery another fireman was injured five months previously while inspecting with a naked light. |
| 1900 | September | 3 | Kinneil | Linlithgow | Kinneil Cannel & Coking Coal Co Ltd | Robert | Archibald | 56 | Roadsman | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Deceased was engaged making repairs on a roadway when the roof fell upon him. | |
| 1900 | September | 5 | Cornsilloch | Lanark | Archibald Russell | Richard | Farrell | 20 | Chain Runner | Haulage – on inclined or engine planes | Deceased was employed as chain-runner at an inside haulage and had finished his shift and was on his way to the pit bottom. A rake of hutches drawn by engine power overtook him, and he got on to it and was crushed between the top of a water chest, which was on the rake, and the timber supporting the roof. | |
| 1900 | September | 5 | Newmains | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | James | Murray | 24 | Brusher | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Deceased and his father were engaged repairing a drawing road when a stone fell from the roof and crushed his neck against the end of an empty tub. Before he could be extricated he was suffocated. | |
| 1900 | September | 8 | Oakley | Fife | Oakley Collieries Ltd | Andrew | Cunningham | 29 | Bottomer | In shafts – falling from part way down | Deceased was bottomer at a mid-working, 11 fathoms above the bottom of the shaft. In putting the full hutch on to the cage at the mid-working the empty hutch was derailed while in the cage, and deceased was in the act of freeing it, when the cage was lifted and he fell to the shaft bottom. A full hutch had been allowed to run too far at the bottom level and had got into the cage seat, and the bottomer there, fearing that the cage might come down on it, signalled one to the engineman, who mistook this signal for one from the mid-working, although it was sounded on a different bell. In any case, the engineman should not have moved the cage from the mid-working until his indicator showed that the gate there was closed. | |
| 1900 | September | 10 | Boglesole No 4 Pit | Lanark | James Dunlop & Co Ltd | Thos. | Boyce | 13 | Stone Picker | On surface – on railways, sidings or tramways | While climbing upon a waggon to get a ride home the locomotive started, and the jerk causing him to fall he was run over by the waggon wheels. | |
| 1900 | September | 10 | Kirkhill | Lanark | Kirkhill Colliery Co | Robert | McKenzie | 60 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof in working place. | |
| 1900 | September | 11 | Allanton | Lanark | William Barr & Sons | Michael | Hailly | 30 | Wagon Trimmer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | While pinching forward an empty wagon he was crushed between it and one of two other wagons on the same line of rails which he had left behind him insufficiently secured. | |
| 1900 | September | 11 | Neilston No 3 Mine | Stirling | James Wood Ltd | Wm. | Barrons | 44 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof at working place. The stone fell from between a “lipe” and a fault. | |
| 1900 | September | 12 | Dalquharron-Drummochreen Mine | Ayr | John Campbell Kennedy | Alexr. | Haggerty | 28 | Drawer | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof in working place. | |
| 1900 | September | 12 | East Parkhead No 1 Pit | Lanark | Wilsons & Clyde Coal Co Ltd | Peter | Duncan | 62 | Miner | Shaft accidents – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | While descending the shaft, the engineman lost control of his engine, and the cage forcibly landed at the bottom. Injured on 12th September 1899, and died on 20th April 1900. Other 7 men were injured. | |
| 1900 | September | 13 | Castlecary (Fireclay mine) | Dumbarton | Castlecary Fireclay Co Ltd | Michael | Gribbon | 29 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | He lit the patent squib of a gunpowder shot, which appears to have gone off before he had time to escape. | |
| 1900 | September | 13 | Tannochside No 2 Pit | Lanark | Archd Russell | James | Patrick | 25 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | A blind pit was being put up from a lower seam to his working place. He was warned to retire while a shot of gelignite was about to be fired in the blind pit, but he returned before it went off. The shot blew through the intervening strata and struck him. | |
| 1900 | September | 18 | Drumsmudden No 2 Pit | Ayr | Dalmellington Iron Co Ltd | James | Ramage | 61 | Shaft repairer | Shaft accidents - falling from part way down | While standing on a scaffold in the upcast shaft it gave way, and he fell to the bottom, 17 fathoms below. | |
| 1900 | September | 21 | Daldowie | Lanark | Glasgow Coal Co Ltd | James | Tracey | 57 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof at working face where a coal cutting machine worked | |
| 1900 | September | 23 | Seafield | Lothian | John | Fairley | Thanks to Brian Mueller for supplying this date. Unfortunately our e-mail to Brian containing the newspaper report was undelivered Newspaper reports - Lothian accidents | |||||
| 1900 | September | 25 | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Thomas | Paxton | 24 | Dookfooter | Haulage – on inclined or engine planes | A rake of empty tubs descending the dook left the rails, and those in front up-ended against the roof. When the rake was drawn up the front tub uncoupled and, falling into position on the rails, descended the dook at a high speed, and at a bench 80 yards down it crashed into some tubs there, on one of which deceased sat, and fatally injured him. | |
| 1900 | September | 27 | Springbank | Lanark | Springbank Colliery Co Ltd | William John | Hunter | 23 | Brusher | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Deceased was engaged putting a building in the rise side of a wall, and left to go to the roadhead for oil to replenish his lamp, and just as he reached the roadhead the roof fell upon him. | |
| 1900 | October | 2 | Dumbreck No 2 Pit | Stirling | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | James | Clelland | 24 | Brusher | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof on horse road while redding a fall. | Newspaper report |
| 1900 | October | 3 | Broxburn (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Broxburn Oil Co Ltd | William | McLauchlan | 21 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Side | Deceased was working off some loose shale at the face of a five yard room in a 6 ft. seam, when about 14 cwts. of the shale came away unexpectedly from some lypes and struck him on the head, causing injuries which terminated fatally immediately afterwards. | Newspaper report |
| 1900 | October | 3 | Hattonrigg No 3 Pit | Lanark | Summerlee and Mossend Iron and Steel Co Ltd | Hugh | Tierney | 55 | Fireman | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | While inspecting, evidently with a naked light, a close mine from which the air current had been cut off he ignited fire damp | No fewer than three firemen lost their lives while making their inspection, previous to the commencement of the shift, with a naked light instead of with a safety lamp….. The third happened in Hattonrigg Colliery in a stone mine, rising 1 in 3, and in which the splint coal had just been reached. By an accident to the rhones used for conveying the ventilating current to the face of the mine the air had been cut off for 36 hours, and although the fireman could not fail to be aware of this, he went in with a naked light, and in consequence of his folly lost his life. |
| 1900 | October | 4 | Heatheryknowe No 3 Pit | Lanark | Kirkwood Coal Co. | Robert | Mitchell | 28 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Side | Fall of coal, owing to want of sprags | Newspaper report |
| 1900 | October | 9 | Overwood (Sandstone) | Lanark | Baird & Stevenson | George | Whitelaw | 69 | Watchman | Metalliferous mines | Deceased appears to have been refilling a naphtha lamp from a barrel while the lamp was burning, and an ignition of naphtha took place, burning him about the legs. He died 13 days afterwards. | |
| 1900 | October | 12 | Drumpeller No 4 Pit | Lanark | John Horn & Co | Archd. | Miller | 21 | Bottomer | Shaft accidents - falling from part way down | While in the shaft screwing up the pump valve cover, the engineman raised the cage, which caught him and caused him to fall to the bottom, a distance of 55 fathoms. The prescribed code of signals was not used when the deceased and the overman ascended to the pump, but the cage was raised from the pump without a signal having been given. | Newspaper report [NB Also known as Archibald Kane] |
| 1900 | October | 12 | Muiravonside | Stirling | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Malcolm | Baxter | 35 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Deceased had just commenced to hole when the roof suddenly fell and crushed him beneath it. The "vees" of a small hitch had been exposed prior to the fall, and stone came away from it and a face break. | |
| 1900 | October | 15 | Orbiston No 3 Pit | Lanark | Summerlee and Mossend Iron and Steel Co Ltd | James | McCourt | 60 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of “pot bottom” from the roof at a working face. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1900 | October | 23 | Portland No 4 Pit | Ayr | Portland Colliery Co | Henry | Morrison | 38 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Side | Fall of coal, owing to the want of sprags | |
| 1900 | October | 24 | Tannochside No 3 Pit | Lanark | Archd Russell | Joseph | Clow | 19 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof from “brushing face”. | |
| 1900 | October | 30 | Glencraig | Fife | Wilsons & Clyde Coal Co Ltd | James | Bannigan | 36 | Brusher | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Deceased and another workman were engaged putting in a building on dip side of a level when they heard the roof "working" as if about to fall, and both ran outbye, but he failed to get past a tub on the road, and was fatally crushed against it. The fall was calculated to weigh 40 tons. The roof broke right over the rise side "pillars." | Newspaper report - Ballingry pages |
| 1900 | October | 30 | Lochgelly | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | John | Adamson | 50 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Side | The seam lies at an angle of 45°, and to prevent the coal when worked off the face falling into the waste "batteries," consisting of props built against upright supports to roof, are erected. Deceased was engaged at this work when a piece of coal suddenly broke off the face over a sprag, and crushed him against the "battery." He subsequently died from the effects of his injuries. | |
| 1900 | November | 5 | Whitehill No 1 Pit | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Robert | Law | 45 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof at working face. | Newspaper report |
| 1900 | November | 7 | Hattonrigg No 4 Pit | Lanark | Summerlee and Mossend Iron and Steel Co Ltd | Gibson Reid | Lindsay | 24 | Bricklayer | Shaft accidents – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | While ascending in the kettle with other three men the kettle swung against a beam and he fell out. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1900 | November | 8 | Climpy | Andrew | Stevenson | Not listed in Inspectors report | Newspaper report | |||||
| 1900 | November | 8 | Highhouse No 2 Pit | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John | Richmond | 20 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof at working face. | Newspaper report |
| 1900 | November | 10 | Kingseat | Fife | Wallace Brothers | Alex. | Ferguson | 49 | Blacksmith | In shafts – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | Deceased descended the shaft to the lower bottom and put shoes on some horses, and afterwards he and a roadsman came to the mid-working, 53 fathoms above, and also shod horses there. After an interval they came back to the shaft to be raised. The usual signal was given, and the roadsman stepped on to the cage, and deceased followed and shut the gate behind. When on the cage the roadsman asked if the gate was shut, to which deceased replied ''Almost," and the cage was raised; the roadsman heard a slight noise, and on turning round saw deceased disappear down the shaft. From the marks it was evident that deceased was caught at the door heads and carried up a distance of 10 ft., and there forced over a "bunten " at end of the shaft. It is probable deceased had put his head outside the cage to see if the gate was properly shut when he was caught. | |
| 1900 | November | 16 | Orbiston No 3 Pit | Lanark | Summerlee and Mossend Iron and Steel Co Ltd | Hugh | Haley | 56 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof at working face. A prop which supported the stone which fell had been previously knocked out by his neighbour, because he (deceased) complained that it was in his way. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1900 | November | 23 | Bothwell Park No 2 Pit | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John | Leonard | 24 | Miner | Haulage – by trams and tubs | While travelling along a horse road he was crushed between the side and a "race" of hutches which he met. | |
| 1900 | November | 24 | Gilmilnscroft No 4 Pit | Ayr | Gauchalland Coal Co | James | McEwan | 14 | Drawer | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | He entered a road adjoining his working place, and on climbing over a fall his naked light ignited fire damp. The fireman stated that he had been redding the fall a short time before the explosion. The deceased ought not to have gone into the road. | |
| 1900 | November | 27 | Hattonrigg No 4 Pit | Lanark | Summerlee and Mossend Iron and Steel Co Ltd | James | Connor | 19 | Pit Sinker | Shaft accidents – overwinding | Having raised a “kettle” of debris to the surface and stopped it at the scaffold, the engineman, without reversing the lever, put on steam suddenly. The kettle was carried up to the pulley, and a coupling link giving way, it fell down the shaft in the bottom of which five men were working, and killed the deceased. This was the enginemans first shift at the pit. The engineman on duty the previous shift was beside him to see that he could work the engine properly. | Newspaper report- Bothwell pages |
| 1900 | November | 28 | Tranent | Haddington | James Waldie & Sons | Thomas | Porteous | 50 | Miner | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Deceased was taking a five yard cut off the inbye end of a stoop in a 5 ft. seam. He had holed through on the old drift adjoining, and appeared to have been crawling up into it in order to ascertain how much coal he had still to take out, when a large stone fell upon his head and shoulders, killing him instantly. | Newspaper report |
| 1900 | November | 30 | Dechmont No 1 Pit | Lanark | Archd Russell | Patrick | Milligan | 29 | Brusher | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | Explosion of fire damp, ignited by the tape fuse of a shot of Kynoch gelignite. The charge was illegally inserted in a break caused by a previous shot. The shot firer and another brusher were injured | The last of the fatal explosions was caused by the tape fuse of a shot of Kynoch gelignite being fired in a break caused by a previous shot, contrary to section 2 (a) of the Explosives in Coal Mines Order. The fuse ignited the firedamp which the shot-firer stated could not be detected before he lit the fuse. Gas had been reported in the place on several occasions within the preceding month. Newspaper reports - Lanarkshire accidents |
| 1900 | December | 3 | Stonelaw No 1 Pit | Lanark | Farme Coal Co Ltd | Wm. | Dunsmore | 25 | Bottomer | Shaft accidents - falling from part way down | He pushed a full hutch into the open shaft at a mid-working in a blind pit, and fell after it to the bottom. The cage was at the pit bottom, and he evidently thought it had been raised to the mid-working. | |
| 1900 | December | 5 | Glencraig | Fife | Wilsons & Clyde Coal Co Ltd | John | Muir | 22 | Drawer | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Deceased was proceeding outbye behind a loaded tub, and when about 35 ft. from the face the roof suddenly fell and completely buried him. The roof in falling carried the props and crowns with it. | |
| 1900 | December | 6 | Benarty | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Robert | Harrower | 40 | Drawing contractor | Haulage – by ropes or chains breaking | Deceased emerged from a bench to shift the points on the main dook road as the rake left to ascend to the top, and a coupling breaking, four tubs ran back on him and he was crushed internally; his injuries proved fatal three days afterwards. The coupling was made of iron, and the broken link appeared to be defective. | |
| 1900 | December | 6 | Cadder No 17 Pit | Lanark | Carron Co | John | Connelly | 22 | reddsman | Haulage – on inclined or engine planes | While turning a loaded hutch on the plates on a self-acting incline before clamping it to the rope, the hutch, owing to the block not being in position, got over the brow of the incline, carrying him in front of it. | |
| 1900 | December | 7 | Sanquhar Colliery, Gateside Pit | Dumfries | J I McConnel | Thomas | Stewart | 29 | Brusher | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof on horse road while engaged in “brushing” it. | |
| 1900 | December | 11 | Dumbreck No 2 Pit | Stirling | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Wm. | Lindsay | 30 | Drawer | Falls in Mines – Falls of Roof | Fall of roof on road while taking a full hutch down it. | Newspaper reports - Stirlingshire accidents |
| 1900 | December | 13 | Birkrigg | Lanark | Darngavil Coal Co Ltd | Thomas | McAllister | 29 | Labourer | In shafts – falling into shaft from surface | Deceased's duty was to take hutches loaded with ashes from the boiler fires and place them on one of the cages running in the shaft at the surface level, in order that they might be raised to the level of pithead, where they were taken off the cage and emptied over the dirt bing. He either was under the impression that the cage was at the required point at surface level when this was not the case, or while placing a hutch to be ready allowed it to go too far ; at any rate, he fell into the shaft with a hutch. | |
| 1900 | December | 13 | Monkland No 8 Pit | Lanark | James Dunlop & Co Ltd | George | Mitchell | 35 | Brusher | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | While carrying compressed gunpowder in his hand a spark from his naked light, illegally carried on his cap, caused it to explode. | |
| 1900 | December | 15 | Avondale | Lanark | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Hugh | Cairns | 34 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Deceased was making up a shot, when an explosion occurred, inflicting injuries which caused his death next day. No one saw the accident, but from the position in which deceased was found, and other circumstances surrounding the place of accident, it is very probable he had tied two cartridges of gelignite together and was unduly pressing the detonator into one of them for the primer, when the whole exploded. | Newspaper report - Dalserf pages |
| 1900 | December | 20 | Cadder No 15 Pit (Ironstone Mine) | Lanark | Carron Co | George | Wedlock | 32 | Drawer | Haulage – by trams and tubs | Struck by a rail lying in an empty hutch in a horse lye, the outgoing race of full hutches having caught the empty hutches owing to the lines of rails being too close to each other. | |
| 1900 | December | 26 | Lumphinnans | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Andrew | Graham | 30 | Shaftman | In shafts – miscellaneous | By a mistake on the part of the bottomer signalling before the tubs were properly fixed, the cage was raised and firmly held at the door-heads 12 ft. up. Deceased and two other workmen were sent to release it ; a "slide" was cut and the guides of the cage wore loosened, and he and one of the others went under the cage to ease it, when it slipped away suddenly on to cage seat and he was fatally crushed beneath it: the other man escaped injury. The rope did not appear to be taut. Only one cage was in use. The engineman stated the brake was not sufficiently powerful to keep the loaded cage in position when near the pit bottom. | |
| 1900 | December | 27 | Rosehall No 12 Pit | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Luke | Martin | 70 | Labourer | On surface – miscellaneous | A dross hopper in front of the boilers collapsed and fell upon him. | |
| 1900 | December | 27 | Seafield (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | John | Sanderson | 25 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Deceased had lighted a holing shot with white taped fuse which had evidently hung fire. He appeared to have returned to the place within 30 minutes, and to have been within three feet of the shot, when it exploded, killing him instantly. | |
| 1900 | December | 28 | Ross | Lanark | Thomas Barr's Trustees | William | Murphy | 56 | Fireman | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | Deceased was making his second visit of inspection, as usual with an open light, when he ignited some gas and caused an explosion. He examined the same place six hours before with a safety lamp, and found all clear; in the interval, the roof had broken up to the Pyotshaw coal, and gas was liberated. Gas was seen at the heading face, some distance above the place of ignition, eight days before, during a storm, when the barometer was exceptionally low. | At Ross Colliery a fireman had made his first inspection with a safety lamp and found all clear, and was proceeding with his second inspection using a naked light, when some gas which appears to have collected in the interval was ignited by his open light. |
| 1900 | December | 29 | Bent | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co Ltd | James | Muir | 22 | haulageman | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased coupled together two wagons while they were moving, and in coming from between them appears to have stumbled, and was run over. |
