| Date of Accident | Mine | County | Owner or Company | Name | Age | Occupation | Category | Cause of accident & remarks | Extra Information | ||
| 1903 | July | 2 | Lochore | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | David Rennie | 30 | Engineer | On surface – by machinery | Deceased and three other workmen were engaged getting a steam pump forward, to lower it into a sinking pit, when it tilted over and crushed him against an iron beam. | Newspaper report - Ballingry pages |
| 1903 | July | 6 | Rosehall No 3 | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Joseph Patrick Hannah | 21 | Drawer | Haulage – run over by tubs | Crushed by a full hutch when going up a self-acting incline, the prop to which the pulley was fixed having broken. | |
| 1903 | July | 8 | Muirbeath | Fife | Henry Ness & Co Ltd | John Whyte | 19 | Drawer | Haulage – ropes or chains breaking | Deceased was sitting at the foot of a cut chain brae dipping 1 in 3 ¾, while a loaded tub was being run down. The chain broke, owing to the rivet of a splicing link giving way, and the full tub struck deceased killing him instantly. | |
| 1903 | July | 9 | Leven | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James Halley | 14 | Pithead runner | On surface – by machinery | After the signal was given to the engine-keeper that all was ready, deceased thinking the guard to keep the tubs in position on the cage was not properly up put his right foot to the guard, and just then the cage left the surface and his leg was caught between the cage cover and side of shaft and completely severed at the thigh. He died four hours afterwards. | |
| 1903 | July | 13 | Bellfield No 4 | Lanark | Wm Barr & Sons | Robert Lockhart | 18 | Bencher | Haulage – run over or crushed by tubs | While riding on a bogie on a low part of a haulage road along with other men he got crushed against the roof. He died from his injuries on 25th February 1904. | |
| 1903 | July | 14 | Wellsgreen | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | William McCabe | 26 | Drawer | Other haulage accidents | Deceased was hanging on a tub at the foot of a short wheel brae, and before it had been completely hooked on shouted to the drawer at brae head to shove over. This was done more promptly than he expected; the end of the chain was jerked away and the full tub ran down, struck the corner of the empty one and drove it against deceased, causing injuries which resulted fatally two days afterwards. | |
| 1903 | July | 16 | Cadzow No 2 | Lanark | Cadzow Coal Co | James Docherty | 35 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal, owing to sprag giving way. | |
| 1903 | July | 17 | Lochore | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James Ogilvie | 34 | Pump attendant | Shaft accidents – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | Deceased was employed to attend a pump situated 25 fathoms from the surface and 16 fathoms from the then bottom of a sinking shaft. Several sinkers descended the shaft in the kettle, and at the pump a halt was made to set down deceased's neighbour, and to pick him up, and the kettle then proceeded to the bottom, and on arriving there all left the kettle, except deceased, who remained on to be raised to the surface. At the ''steadying" mark the kettle was pushed to one side to allow another pump attendant to board it, and he missed it and thus caused it to oscillate, and he having hold of the signal pulled it down as he fell, and the kettle was raised, and when about 5 fathoms up it caught on a "bunton" and deceased was thrown out. | |
| 1903 | July | 17 | Bogleshole No 4 | Lanark | James Dunlop & Co Ltd | John Boyd sen | 40 | Miner | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | Upon entering their working place to commence work after it was reported all clear by the foreman their naked lights ignited fire-damp and they were fatally injured by the explosion. Another man was injured. | The first fatal explosion took place in Bogleshole No. 4 Pit, Lanarkshire and resulted in the loss of two lives and the injury of another man. The fireman reported the miners' working place all clear, and on entering it to commence their day's work their naked lights ignited an accumulation of fire-damp. It seems that during the previous night an explosion had occurred in the same section of workings and it ignited some timbering and screens, and, in consequence, the air current had been diverted and shut off from the working places for some time. If the fireman made his inspection thoroughly it is difficult to understand how he failed to detect the presence of gas. Safety lamps have since the explosion been used in these workings. |
| Joseph Hunter | 32 | Miner | |||||||||
| 1903 | July | 20 | Ayr-Drumley No 1 | Ayr | George Taylor & Co | Robert Davidson | 17 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1903 | July | 23 | Castlehill | Lanark | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | James Mitchell | 37 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was holing, when a part of the coal fell away from an unseen lype. | |
| 1903 | July | 23 | Holytown No 8 | Lanark | James Nimmo & Co Ltd | Wm Cunningham | 29 | Coal cutter | Miscellaneous underground – by machinery | While a Hurd bar cutting machine, with bar in motion and exposed, was traversing the coal face the cutters caught his clothing and drew him in. | One man lost his life in Holytown Colliery, Lanarkshire, by a Hurd's bar coal-cutting machine driven by electricity. At the time of the accident the machine was travelling along the coal face and not cutting coal, and during this operation the cutter-bar was revolving and quite exposed. The deceased was lifting the rails at the rear of the machine close to the cutter-bar, and while stooping down his loose vest was caught by the revolving cutters. The consequence was that he was drawn in and so severely lacerated that he succumbed to his injuries. The cutter-bar ought to have had a covering to securely fence it as required by General Rule 31 when the machine was in operation and not cutting coal, or the machine should have been so constructed that the cutter-bar would be out of gear when it was exposed. |
| 1903 | July | 24 | Garriongill | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | John Louden | 69 | Oversman | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | See report |
A close place was driven to a "want" in the Kiltongue
coal seam and stopped. It was proposed to re-start the heading
part and extend it for a haulage way to a section at work to
the rise, and it is probable that deceased was examining the
roadway to see what repairs were necessary, when his naked light
ignited some gas, causing an explosion and injuring him so seriously
that he succumbed two days afterwards. A part of the heading was the main return airway, and beyond this part the brattice, which had been in use when the road was being driven, stood, to allow a current of air to circulate to keep it clear, but this brattice had got damaged and air had short circuited and gas accumulated. The quantity of gas appeared to be small, as no damage was done to the roadway. The roadway was part of the ventilating district, and as such should have been inspected in terms of Section 5 (1) of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1896. This had not been done by the fireman, and evidently deceased had not insisted on it. At no time previous to the accident had gas been seen in the seam, and deceased thought he was quite safe in going into the roadway with an open light, a mistake which cost him his life. |
| 1903 | July | 27 | Quarter No 7 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | George Crossley | 32 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1903 | July | 29 | Afton | Ayr | Lanemark Coal Co Ltd | Charles Hammond | 24 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof in working place. It is doubtful that the propping regulations were observed. Another man was injured. | Newspaper report |
| Jas Glendinning | 38 | Miner | |||||||||
| 1903 | July | 30 | Dumbreck | Stirling | NK | Archibald Macphie | NK | Miner | Not listed | Not listed | Newspaper report NB We cannot locate a death certificate for Archibald Macphie |
| 1903 | August | 4 | Carfin No 3 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Peter Brannan | 24 | Brusher | Falls of roof | While knocking out props at road head to facilitate his work the roof fell on him | |
| 1903 | August | 7 | Blairadam | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | William Scott | 16 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased and his father were about to fill a tub with coal, when the roof suddenly collapsed. The roof was composed of a strong thick post of sandstone, and took periodical breaks across the faces ; it was one of such breaks which caused the accident. | Newspaper report - Beath pages |
| 1903 | August | 7 | Devon | Clackmannan | Alloa Coal Co Ltd | Adam Dunsmore | 23 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was holing at the face, when the fireclay roof above suddenly fell on him, causing instant death. The fall came away from a keen lype. | |
| 1903 | August | 10 | Blackhill No 9 (Ironstone) | Lanark | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co | Patrick McLaughlan | 35 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road while enlarging it for an airway. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | August | 10 | Carfin No 1 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | Joseph Beelavicke | 21 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of clay from working face. | |
| 1903 | August | 17 | Bowhill | Fife | Bowhill Coal Co Ltd | David Nairn | 40 | Fireman | Haulage – run over by trams & tubs | Deceased had just finished repairing a guide rail at the foot of a slope, when two loaded tubs, which had become detached from the rope, ran down and struck him. The rope drew out of the hose while the tubs were in motion. | |
| 1903 | August | 18 | Banknock-Broomrigg | Stirling | Banknock Colliery Co Ltd | John Crawford | 49 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1903 | August | 19 | Glenbuck – Galawhistle | Ayr | Cairntable Gas Coal Co Ltd | Robert Overand | 32 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof in working place which was not propped as required by the regulations. | |
| 1903 | August | 20 | Highhouse | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Terence McPortland | 65 | Gate keeper | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | When attempting to open crossing gates he was run over by a Railway Co.'s runaway van. | |
| 1903 | August | 20 | Blackhill No 9 (Ironstone) | Lanark | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co | Edward O'Neil | 35 | Assistant bottomer | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous | When stepping forward to put down guards of lower deck of cage he fell | |
| 1903 | August | 20 | Leadhills (Lead ore) | Lanark | Leadhills Co Ltd | Andrew Harkness | 17 | Trammer | Metalliferous mines | Deceased's duties were to tram the ore in tubs from the working places and empty the contents down a hopper or staple to a level below, where it was again re-filled into tubs and conveyed to the winding shaft. The hopper opening was in the centre of roadway and tub was usually couped end up. Over part of the opening were two pieces of wood laid across loosely, and it appears while deceased was standing on the covering to put his tub on the rails after it was emptied the wood slipped out of position and fell away and he was precipitated to the level below. For some reason deceased had turned his tub on its mouth to empty it. | |
| 1903 | August | 21 | Garriongill | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | Samuel Graham | 33 | Bottomer | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous | Deceased was crossing the cage seat while cage was running in the shaft, when it came down and crushed him. | |
| 1903 | August | 24 | Lightshaw No 4 | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | John Ferguson | 25 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of head coal beneath which he went after the props were withdrawn. | |
| 1903 | August | 26 | Busbiehead No 2 | Ayr | J & R Howie | Samuel Howie | 15 | Labourer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Crushed between two waggons while attempting to couple them. | A boy 15 years of age was evidently assisting to move railway waggons illegally, and while attempting to couple them got crushed between two of them. The pitheadman who was moving the waggons alleged that he did not know that the boy was there, but it is doubtful if this statement can be accepted as correct. |
| 1903 | August | 27 | Craighead No 1 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Gavin Cook | 20 | Repairer | Falls of roof | While knocking out a prop to allow a brick wall to be built the roof and side gave way. | |
| 1903 | August | 28 | Ellismuir No 2 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | George Reynolds | 24 | Haulage man | Haulage – run over by tubs | Crushed in some unexplained manner by his bogie when bringing a "race" of hutches out to the pit bottom. | |
| 1903 | August | 31 | Gilbertfield No2 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Jas Goudie | 24 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal. Caused by failure to set sprags in terms of the regulations. | |
| 1903 | September | 4 | Dechmont | Lanark | Archd. Russell | Daniel Marrs | 74 | Stone picker | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | When crossing the rails at the screen he was run into by the Railway Co.'s locomotive. | |
| 1903 | September | 10 | Olive Bank | Edinburgh | Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co Ltd | William Johnstone | 37 | Sinker | Shaft accidents -things falling from part way down | While the kettle was descending empty and when about 20 fathoms down it left the rope, and falling straight down, struck deceased in the bottom of a sinking shaft. There were eight sinkers in the bottom, and all ran to the pipe side, except deceased, who ran right in the way of the descending kettle. The pin which connected muzzle on kettle to winding rope came out apparently by vibration while kettle was running in the shaft. | |
| 1903 | September | 10 | Carronhall | Stirling | Carron Co | Cornelius Hotchkiss | 38 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased had fired a cut shot close to one side of his place, and, immediately after, was picking some dirt from amongst the fallen coal, when a mass of sandstone, relieved by the shot, fell upon him, killing him almost instantaneously. | |
| 1903 | September | 11 | Rosehall No 5 | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Robert Bell | 45 | Miner | Sundries | Coming in contact with signal wires which had accidentally been charged with electricity from the power cables. |
In Rosehall, No. 5 Pit, Lanarkshire, an accident occurred by
which two men lost their lives by an electric shock. Near the
pit mouth there is a steam engine driving an electric generator
which is used to supply power to underground pumps. The dynamo
was made by the British Thomson-Houston Company, Limited, and
is a three-phase alternating current generator of 550 volts and
52 1/2 amperes at a speed of 1,000 revolutions per minute. Three
cables are taken down one end of the shaft from the dynamo, and
from the shaft bottom shown on the accompanying plan they are
conveyed along a haulage road to the point D where a motor is
placed [see
diagram]. This motor drives a pump, but it also actuates
a dynamo of the continuous current type with a voltage of 237.
From this latter dynamo two power cables are taken by E past
F to the point G where there is a motor driving another pump.
A second pair of power cables goes from the same dynamo down
the road H to a motor for driving a third pump at J. Another
motor placed near the bottom of the shaft drives a pump which
raises water to the Ironstone mid-working. In the haulage engine-house
near the pit head there is placed an electric battery of 16 Leclanche
cells and a signal bell. From the battery two galvanized iron
signal wires are taken down the end of the shaft alongside the
electric power cables, but separated from them by a space of
about 18 inches. The signal wires are carried on porcelain insulators
to the point E, and from that point, a pair of wires goes to
the point G and another pair goes to the point H. The shaft is 173 fathoms deep, and both the power cables and the signal wires were fixed in the shaft at some 30 different points to porcelain insulators placed at irregular distances apart. Each power cable between the generator and the pit bottom consisted of a single copper wire covered with a thin woven material which, however, did not insulate the wire, and at several points the covering was stripped from the wire. From the pit bottom to the motor at the point D each power cable consisted of a strand of 19 copper wires of No. 16 gauge, and was properly insulated. For the greater part of the distance between the pit bottom and the point D the signal wires and the power cables were fixed on the same side of the road, and at several points the signal wires touched the insulating covering of the cables. From the shaft to the point F the haulage road is level. From F to G it dips at an inclination of 1 in 6. The coal is drawn to the shaft by the "main and tail rope" system of haulage, and the haulage rope is taken down the pumping end of the shaft in a wooden rhone. Signals to the engineman are made by the haulage man making contact between the two signal wires which are about 2 1/2 inches apart. It appears that about 3.30 p.m. on the day of the accident the haulage man was about to take a "race" of full hutches out to the shaft from the Kiltongue Coal level at the point L, and he gave the usual signal to the engineman. When the race started it was stopped after it had proceeded only a few yards. Thereupon he took hold of the signal wires with his hand to repeat the signal, and on doing so got so severe a shock that he could not let go. Two miners happened to be present, and seeing that something was wrong, one of them took hold of the haulage man by the wrist, and he too got a shock. Thereupon the other miner struck the signal wires with a hammer and the haulageman fell down insensible, and remained so for some 10 minutes. The engineman stated that after he started the ''race" in obedience to the signal he had only drawn it forward a few yards when the signal bell began to ring, and he at once stopped his engine, but the bell continued ringing. About a minute after stopping the engine, while standing on the dry wooden floor, he took hold of the wire attached to the zinc rod of one of the battery cells and got a distinct shock. He thereupon lifted out the zinc rod with two pieces of wood, and on putting it back in its place shortly after, the bell was silent. The bottomer at the Ironstone mid-working, 43 fathoms above the bottom of the shaft, stated that about 3.30 p.m. he had occasion to make a signal to the pit bottom, and the moment his hand touched the signal lever K (see Section of Pit) he got a severe shock. About the same time that these occurrences took place three miners were proceeding from their working places to the pit bottom, and were walking in Indian file up the haulage road at the point M when, apparently about the same instant, the first and the last man suddenly fell dead. At the point M the top of the rails are covered to a depth of 1 1/2 inches with hard caked dirt which is dry, but not electrically so, and a person walking past is not able to touch the rails with his foot. The signal wires are at a height of 3 1/2 feet above the rails and only 6 inches beyond the perpendicular of the rail. While walking towards the shaft a man's right arm or hand could therefore readily come in contact with the signal wires at this point. The doctor who examined the bodies of the deceased as soon as they were taken to the surface reported that the body of one of the men was soiled all over with coal dust, and that on the upper part of the right arm the dust was in the form of streaks radiating from a centre, which indicated that he had received an electrical shock there. He found on the back of a finger of the right hand of the other man's body an abrasion, but said that he could not infer from that that the man had come in contact with a live electric wire. In investigating this accident I was much indebted to Mr. Gilbert Scott Ram, Electrical Inspector of Factories, who made a careful examination of the electrical installation at the colliery and also gave evidence at the Fatal Accident Inquiry as an electrical expert. We were unable to find any signs of burning on the signal wires or any point of leakage in the insulated portion of the power cables at which the signal wires could have been abnormally charged with electricity. The shaft is damp, and at one point both the power cables and the signal wires were touching the wet wood lining of the shaft, and all were embedded in wet coal dust or dirt. Thereafter Mr. Ram, as an experiment, reproduced at the Board of Trade a similar state of matters, and found that there was sufficient leakage of current through the wet coal dust to charge the signal wires to an extent that would give a fatal shock if touched. But as the signal wires were abnormally charged for only a short period, any leakage at the point just described could not have anything to do with the accident. At various points in the shaft I found that by exerting a pressure of not more than 3 or 4 lbs. the power cables could be made to touch the signal wires, and as one of the cages runs up and down within a foot of the cables, in the absence of definite information I came to the conclusion that the most probable cause of the accident was a piece of coal falling from a hutch in the cage and resting on a bunton where it pressed a power cable against the signal wires which became charged. When the cage again passed the piece of coal may have been dislodged, leaving no evidence of what had occurred. I could, however, get no evidence that at this time anything had fallen down the shaft. Mr. Ram is of opinion that either in this manner or by some metal tool falling across the wires and forming contact the signal wires got charged from the power cables in the shaft, and I think that there can be no doubt that the non-insulated condition of the power cables in the shaft was the cause of the signal wires being abnormally charged. The man who was walking between the men who were killed was unable to tell whether or not either of them touched the signal wires, but it is evident that either inadvertently or otherwise both, of them came in contact with them when highly charged and got the shock which killed them. |
| Jas Scullion | 24 | Miner | |||||||||
| 1903 | September | 12 | Portland No 5 | Ayr | Portland Colliery Co Ltd | Robert Hay | 25 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof (coal and stone) in working place. | |
| 1903 | September | 14 | Stane | Lanark | Turners Ltd | George Whitefield | 55 | Bottomer | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous | Deceased was on the cage pulling a loaded tub towards him, when it was suddenly raised and he was crushed at the door heads. The engine-keeper had apparently raised the cage without receiving a signal to do so. | |
| 1903 | September | 15 | Gateside | Lanark | Flemington Coal Co | Wm Ryan | 19 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal and " fallen'' | |
| 1903 | September | 15 | Aitken | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James McCabe | 45 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was taking down coal at a longwall face, when a large stone fell from between two keen lypes, converging upwards, and killed him almost instantly. | |
| 1903 | September | 16 | Wallyford | Edinburgh | Edinburgh Collieries Ltd | John Brown McNeil | 39 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased had withdrawn a prop to "drop" the head coal, when the coal suddenly fell upon him. | |
| 1903 | September | 16 | Upper Darnley Mine (fireclay) | Renfrew | Allan Kirkwood | Jas Wilson | 35 | Drawer | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road. | |
| 1903 | September | 17 | Dalbeath | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Thomas Stewart | 42 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased had taken a sprag out to enable him to out down his coal, but as he failed to bring it down he began to ''mend" the holing, when the coal fell over and crushed him. He died on 30th May, 1904.. | |
| 1903 | September | 21 | Greenfield, Threestonehill No 8 Pit | Lanark | Greenfield Coal & Brick Co Ltd | Walter Neilson | 58 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal and " fallen." | |
| 1903 | September | 28 | Rosehall No 13 | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Thos Cunningham | 39 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1903 | September | 29 | Knownoblehill | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | James Wilson | 57 | Sinker | Falls of side | Deceased was working at the bottom of a sinking pit 53 fathoms in depth, only three-fifths of which depth was barred. A wedge-shaped piece of stone fell from an unascertained place in the shaft, and struck him, causing injuries which terminated fatally an hour afterwards. | |
| 1903 | October | 1 | Kenmuirhill | Lanark | Glasgow Coal Co | Jas McGeachan | 30 | Drawer | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Struck by the flame, &c, from a shot of 2 ½ lbs. of compressed gunpowder which blew through another shot-hole. | |
| 1903 | October | 5 | Westburn No 2 | Lanark | Westburn Colliery Co | Wm Finlayson | 26 | Roadsman | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | An outburst of water filled up some dip workings from which the water was being pumped. The lowering of the water restored the ventilation and brought out gas which evidently ignited at his naked light although he had been instructed to use a safety lump. | The second fatal explosion took place in Westburn Colliery, Lanarkshire. An outburst of water had filled up some dip workings and the water was being pumped out. The air current having been cut off and the pumps being in the return airway, the deceased, who was attending to the pump, was instructed to use a safety lamp alone. It seems, however, that he had a naked light as well as a safety lamp, and the consequence was that, when the level of the water was lowered and the ventilation restored, an accumulation of gas forced out by the current ignited at his naked light and his rashness cost him his life. |
| 1903 | October | 7 | Michael | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co Ltd | Forbes Moodie | 42 | Roadsman | Other haulage accidents | Deceased had visited a section to the rise and was proceeding down the incline when a loaded tub ran away from the top, and before it had gone very far it left the rails and the contents were showered down the roadway, and a piece of coal struck him on the head ; when found he was 24 feet below the tub. The injury was thought to be slight, but he subsequently died from the effect on 26th January, 1904. A good set of blocks was provided at the top, but it appears the wheeler had either neglected to put it in or had insufficiently fixed it, and on bringing the tub forward it ran over the brae. | |
| 1903 | October | 8 | Monkland No 11 | Lanark | James Dunlop & Co Ltd | John McDonald jun | 25 | Miner | Falls of roof | Full of roof at working place. | |
| John McDonald sen | 45 | Miner | |||||||||
| 1903 | October | 8 | Sunnybraes | Fife | West of Fife Coal Co Ltd | Samuel Ramage | 45 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was holing his coal, when a part of the top coal fell away, and killed him instantaneously. A sprag which was up to the face was thrown out when the coal fell. | |
| 1903 | October | 8 | Monkland No 11 | Lanark | James Dunlop & Co Ltd | Phillip Jarvie | 43 | Miner | Falls of roof | Full of roof at working place. | |
| 1903 | October | 9 | Hill of Beath | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | David Hunter | 16 | Hanger-on | Other haulage accidents | A rake of full tubs was pushed over at the top of an incline, before the empty rake was attached to the rope, and on hearing the tubs coming the man who assisted shouted to the deceased to get into a manhole close by while he ran outbye. Deceased evidently thought he would be safer to run outbye also, but was overtaken by the runaway tubs and was caught just as he was passing through a trap door. The wheeler at the top mistook the signal. The method of signalling was defective. | |
| 1903 | October | 11 | Parkhead | Lanark | Glasgow Iron & Steel Co Ltd | Robert Ramsay | 41 | Engine keeper | On surface – miscellaneous | Deceased was blowing off a boiler under a steam pressure of 100 lbs. He prematurely opened an auxiliary valve which was only used for washing-out purposes, became enveloped in steam and was so severely scalded that he succumbed nine hours afterwards. | |
| 1903 | October | 15 | Allanton | Lanark | Wm Barr & Sons | David Hughes | 37 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on haulage road while repairing it. | |
| 1903 | October | 16 | Castlehill | Fife | Shotts Iron Co Ltd | William Aitken | 64 | Labourer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased was bringing forward two empty waggons for dross at cart screen when he was fatally crushed between an upright post and second waggon. The space between the post and side of waggon was 4 ½inches. | |
| 1903 | October | 17 | Auchincruive- Mossblown No 1 | Ayr | Auchincruive Coal Co | John McDonald | 35 | overman | Miscellaneous underground – suffocation by natural gases | When clearing out fire-damp from a heading he was overcome by the gas. | An overman in Auchincruive Colliery, Ayrshire, lost his life by being suffocated in an accumulation of fire-damp which he was endeavouring to dislodge. The gas was collected in a narrow heading ventilated by a sheet iron tube. He had other two men with him, and being unable to reach the inner end of the air tube with a safety lamp on account of the gas, he took one of the men with him and foolishly attempted to go forward in the dark. The consequence was that they were both overcome. Fortunately, the third man was able to save the fireman who accompanied the overman, but several hours elapsed ere the dead body of the latter was reached. |
| 1903 | October | 19 | Balbardie | Linlithgow | Balbardie Colliery Co Ltd | James Glen | 30 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Deceased and his brother were firing two holing shots at the face of a stone mine. Gutta percha covered fuse was used. Deceased's fuse did not burn properly, so they decided to extinguish it by rubbing with their fingers. When the other shot exploded deceased returned almost immediately to relight his one ; but when he was still 20 yards from the face the shot exploded, and a fragment of rock struck him on the head causing injuries which terminated fatally an hour afterwards. | |
| 1903 | October | 19 | Carberry | Edinburgh | Edinburgh Collieries Ltd | Robert Ritchie | 24 | Pitheadman | On surface – miscellaneous | Deceased ran a loaded tub of debris from the shaft to the waggon tip, and by some means was thrown over the scaffold to the railway below, a distance of 14 ft. The tub was found off the rails, and it is supposed that it had struck him as it came back after being emptied. The tip was a side one. | |
| 1903 | October | 19 | Comedie No 5 | Lanark | Hugh Bain & Sons | Francis McCrory | 38 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road while sitting near the pit bottom. | |
| 1903 | October | 20 | Lochore | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James Brown | 50 | Sinker | Shaft accidents – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | Deceased descended on the edge of a kettle, inside of which was a plank of wood and a muzzle, and over the side was a sling chain. At a point 80 ft. from the bottom he stopped to discharge these articles, which were to be used to fix a tank to prevent it falling on the sinkers during sinking operations ; he put off the plank and sling chain, and as he was about to descend he jumped into the kettle to lay off the muzzle, when the kettle turned over and he was precipitated to the bottom. In lifting off the sling chain it is thought he had inadvertently pulled out the pin which fixes the bow to the body of the kettle. | |
| 1903 | October | 20 | Rosie | Fife | Bowman & Co | Alexander Allan | 17 | Miner | Haulage – run over by trams & tubs | Deceased apparently had attempted to get on the rope in front of the first tub to ride up a dook and was thrown in front of the rake and dragged some distance. | |
| 1903 | November | 3 | Carronhall | Stirling | Carron Co | James Easton | 31 | Brusher | Falls of side | Deceased and another had fired a brushing shot and were forming a roadside building with the debris. To give easier access to the building, he had taken out some "breaking trees" at roadside, thereby apparently relieving a large overhanging stone, which fell upon and instantly killed him. | |
| 1903 | November | 6 | Arniston | Edinburgh | Arniston Coal Co Ltd | Henry Brotherstone | 32 | Labourer | On surface – miscellaneous | Deceased was in a dross hopper clearing dross from the shoot leading into the hopper, and instead of standing on a plank provided for the purpose he stood on the dross. The man in charge of the waggons put a waggon under the hopper and opened the valve to allow the dross to fall into the waggon, when deceased's legs were seen protruding. Before he was rescued he had been suffocated. | |
| 1903 | November | 6 | Dumbreck No 2 | Stirling | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Gilbert Anderson | 50 | Miner | Falls of roof | When standing at the foot of an incline the roof fell on him. Another man was injured. | Newspaper report |
| 1903 | November | 7 | Lochgelly | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | Donald Laird | 27 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was holing, when a piece of coal fell from the face upon him. On one side of the place a lype was visible, and it was from this lype that the coal fell. | |
| 1903 | November | 9 | Blairenbathie | Kinross | Fife Coal Co Ltd | William Black | 41 | Miner | Falls of roof | The roof had fallen across the face, and deceased and his neighbour were employed to "win" it out, and while clearing the debris from the roadhead a stone fell and struck him on the head. The injury was slight, but he was unable to work much afterwards and died on 2nd August, 1904. A post-mortem examination was made, and at the fatal accident inquiry medical evidence was given that the death was due to the accident. | |
| 1903 | November | 9 | Greenfield No 1 | Lanark | Archd. Russell | James Brown | 16 | Pony driver | Other haulage accidents | When taking out tail chain his pony started and his head was crushed between hutches. (Died on 7th February, 1904.) | |
| 1903 | November | 11 | Inkermann-Douglas No 3 (ironstone) | Renfrew | Merry & Cunninghame Ltd | Wm McEwan | 45 | Bottomer | Haulage – run over by tubs | Apparently he was knocked into the cage seat and crushed by a full hutch which ran forward by gravitation. | |
| 1903 | November | 11 | Lochgelly | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | John Anderson | 40 | Locomotive driver | On surface – miscellaneous | The waggons are hauled between the principal siding and two of the pits by means of a self-acting incline. Deceased for some reason unknown caught hold of one of the ropes just as the rake started, and was suddenly raised to a height of 20 ft, and letting go his hold he fell to the ground. | |
| 1903 | November | 12 | Glenboig (Fireclay) | Lanark | Glenboig Union Fireclay Co Ltd | Peter Uski (Pole) | 48 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was stamping a hole for a shot in the bottom of the seam, when a stone fell from the roof and killed him instantaneously. | |
| 1903 | November | 13 | Michael | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co Ltd | John Welsh | 14 | Drawer | Other haulage accidents | A fall took place on a cut chain brae, and while it was being cleared deceased and some other drawers were sent up the brae to be out of harm's way. At the top were two loaded tubs, one on the left-hand side near the heading face and one on the right-hand side at the top branch to which the chain was attached. To clear the fall, three miners, who worked in the section, hauled up an empty tub from the foot of the brae with the chain attached; when the tub was filled they put snibbles in the wheels, to lower it down, but it overpowered them, and when it reached the bottom the sudden jerk on the chain caused the wheel tree at top to break and it struck the tub on left-hand side causing it to run away, which struck deceased as it passed him. The tub which ran away had its top wheels over the rail ends, but no snibbles were in the wheels, nor was there a rance behind. The brae was 116 yards long with an average gradient of 1 in 5. | |
| 1903 | November | 16 | Banknock, Cannerton | Stirling | Young's Collieries Ltd | Jas Mortimer | 40 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof in working place. | |
| 1903 | November | 17 | Wemyss | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co | John Penman | 42 | Miner | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased with several other workmen was proceeding to his work, and was riding on the waggon next the locomotive engine, when the engine left the rails and he was thrown and crushed between the waggon and engine buffer. The engine left the rails at points leading to a new road in course of construction, and on investigation it was discovered that the points had been tampered with. | |
| 1903 | November | 19 | Lanemark No 2 | Ayr | Lanemark Coal Co Ltd | Wm Armstrong | 50 | Bricklayer | Falls of roof | Fall of roof while building a dam. It had not been properly inspected. | |
| 1903 | November | 20 | Begg | Fife | Walter Herd & Son Ltd | Andrew Herd | 21 | Drawer | Other haulage accidents | While a rake was being run on a short brae a coupling by some means unknown came out, and three empty tubs ran back, and deceased was crushed against the frame of the wheel for a longer brae. | |
| 1903 | November | 26 | Cowdenbeath No 10 | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James Syme | 36 | Fireman | Other haulage accidents | Deceased placed a 10-f t. timber bar on the empty tubs of a rake running on a wheel brae to take it to a part where roof required repairing, and while the rake moved up he walked alongside to keep the bar in position ; at a low part of the roof the bar caught and it was thrown off the tubs on top of him. He died on 4th January, 1904. | |
| 1903 | November | 30 | Oakley | Fife | Oakley Collieries Ltd | Alexander McDonald | 55 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Deceasedwas engaged withdrawing props from under the roof to be brushed, when a stone fell and killed him instantaneously. He was partly under the brushing when stone fell. | |
| 1903 | November | 30 | Bothwell Castle No 4 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Patrick McDade | 30 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1903 | December | 1 | Fordell | Fife | Countess of Buckinghamshire | John Heckie jun | 14 | Hanger-on | Falling from part way down | To obviate the necessity of a mid-working at winding shaft a drop pit is in use to lower the coal from the Five-feet seam to the Dunfermline Splint seam. The pit is 68 feet deep, and is worked in the usual way. The top is fenced by sliding gates with back balance weights so that slight pressure has to be applied by the hand to raise or lower them. Deceased was employed as a hanger-on at a brae foot close by the drop pit, and was in the habit of putting load tubs on and taking empty tubs off the cages without let or hindrance. The lad in charge of the pit was hurriedly called away to assist to re rail some tubs, and had apparently forgotten to lower the gate of the side on which a load tub had descended, and deceased coming forward shortly thereafter pushed a loaded tub into the open side and he and it fell to the bottom. | |
| 1903 | December | 1 | Kirkwood No 1 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Robert Pirrie | 20 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. Props were not set within the specified distance. | |
| 1903 | December | 2 | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co | James Liddle | 15 | Pithead runner | Falling into shaft from surface | Deceased attempted to take an empty tub off the cage at the ''laigh" scaffold before it had rested on the shuts, the result was that one end of the tub was on the cage and the other end on the ground. The engine-keeper got the order to lower, but instead he raised the cage, and the tub fell into the shaft and he with it, falling a distance of 60 fathoms. | |
| 1903 | December | 2 | Rosehall No 13 | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Thos Trainer | 26 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road while taking his breakfast. Another man was injured. | |
| 1903 | December | 3 | Poneil No 1 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Joseph Dixon | 22 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of top coal and clay which were not supported as required by the regulations. | |
| 1903 | December | 4 | Ross No 1 | Lanark | Thos Barr's Trustees | John Martin | 28 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal. It was not spragged in terms of the regulations. | |
| 1903 | December | 11 | North Motherwell | Lanark | Merry & Cunninghame Ltd | William Henderson | 55 | Joiner | On surface – by machinery | Deceased who was about to execute some repairs on a revolving screen, had the machinery stopped for this purpose. The engine, which was fitted with a single eccentric, came to rest at the dead point, and as it was difficult to restart it from this position, the engineman disconnected the valve-rod to alter the set. Meantime deceased had stepped upon the pinion wheel to commence operations, and as the engine reversed his foot was caught and crushed by the spur wheel. He succumbed to his injuries three months afterwards. | |
| 1903 | December | 11 | Braidhurst | Lanark | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co | James Thomson | 15 | Miner | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | See report | This accident occurred in the Ell coal seam. The seam is worked stoop and room. Gas had never been seen in the section, and naked lights were used. The deceased worked in an ordinary, close place, Burns being in charge, and employing the boy Thomson. The two nearest rooms on the outbye side had been stopped on a reserved area a few days prior to the accident, and had been fenced off. In the outer of the two, which was about 82 yards outbye from the working face, the fence was placed 10 yards in from the corner of the stoop, and the rails were lifted out to this point, the entrance to the place being reserved as a lye or siding. Immediately inside of the fence the place had passed over an upthrow hitch of about 2 feet, causing a rise in the road at this point. The fireman in making his daily inspections did not pass beyond the fence, but regularly tested for gas there. The deceased stated that they had left their working place shortly before the close of their shift; that on their way outbye they had turned into the outer of the two abandoned drifts for a private purpose, and at a point immediately outside of the fence they had ignited fire-damp, which burned both severely. Thomson, who was without his coat, was more severely burned, and he succumbed to his injuries three days afterwards, and Burns on 18th January, 1904. The tubs of coal were usually drawn from their working place in sets of three, and on the night of the accident it appears they were three tubs short of their usual output. On examination, it was found that loose coal sufficient to fill about two tubs had been left lying at their working face ; that no additional coal was holed, or ready to be taken down, and that all the picks and the shovel used for filling the coal, had been removed from the place. These were found at the entrance to the drift in which the explosion took place ; the shaft of one pick was broken off close to the head, and that of the other had been spilt to an extent sufficient to render it useless for holing purposes. A lamp and cap were found respectively 3 feet and 9 feet outbye from where the fence had stood, and another lamp was found 26 feet in beyond the position of the fence. About three hours after the explosion, the drift was found to be clear of fire-damp, but partially fouled with after-damp. A pony driver subsequently admitted that, since the adjacent abandoned drift, between the working place and the locus of the accident, had been stopped and fenced off, he had lifted a tub of coal from its entrance, and the officials agree that some coal appeared to have been filled off the stoop side just outside of the fence. |
| Michael Burns | 28 | Miner | |||||||||
| 1903 | December | 16 | Gilbertfield No2 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Jas McMenemy | 46 | Repairer | Falls of side | Fall from side of road while enlarging it. | |
| 1903 | December | 17 | Quarter | Stirling | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Thos McPake | 32 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof in working place. | |
| 1903 | December | 18 | Dechmont No 1 | Lanark | Archd. Russell | Brone Sawries | 25 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof from "brushing" face. | |
| 1903 | December | 19 | Leven | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Alexander Petrie | 65 | Gate keeper | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased had opened a level crossing gate to permit a locomotive to push a train of 21 empty trucks through. As the train approached the gate three trucks near the centre became derailed, were jerked outwards, and struck deceased, killing him instantly. | |
| 1903 | December | 22 | Kinneil | Linlithgow | Kinneil Cannel & Coking Coal Co Ltd | Janet Maxwell | 14 | Stone picker | On surface – by machinery | Deceased was employed to pick dirt from amongst the coal on a travelling band 30 ft. by 4 ft., which conveyed it from the screen to the truck, and which was driven by a horizontal shaft, parallel to and 3 ft. 9 ins. distant from it. She was standing with her back towards the shaft when her clothing was apparently caught by the head of a pinching pin in a thrust collar on the shaft, and she was carried round several times with it, receiving injuries which terminated fatally on the following day. | |
| 1903 | December | 25 | Udston No 2 | Lanark | Udston Colliery Co Ltd | George Boyd | 16 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road while passing with a hutch. | |
| 1903 | December | 26 | Pumpherston (Oil Shale) | Edinburgh | Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd | John Murdoch | 27 | Miner | Falls of side | A mass of shale fell away from a vertical joint at the corner of a stoop, in a working 8 ft. 6 ins. in height and dipping 1 in 5. Part of it fell upon deceased, killing him instantly. | |
| 1903 | December | 26 | Gateside No 1 | Lanark | Flemington Coal Co | Malcolm Paterson | 48 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal and fireclay from working face | |
| 1903 | December | 28 | Dundonald | Fife | Dundonald Coal Co | Michael Brien | 33 | Labourer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased was engaged about the sidings, and was discovered dead between two waggons. No one saw the accident, but it appears that a loaded waggon was run out from the screen and had moved down and collided with another, and evidently deceased had been crushed between them. | |
| 1903 | December | 29 | Sitehill No 13 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | William Law | 24 | Bottomer | Falling from part way down | In some way unexplained he fell down the shaft from a mid-working which was not fenced. | Three of the fatal accidents happened at mid-workings to bottomers who fell down the shaft……….. The third of these accidents happened at Sitehill Colliery. The deceased bottomer was alone at the time, and it is not known how he fell down the shaft from the mid-working. One side of the shaft was not fenced as required by General Rule 19, while the gate fencing the other side was not connected to an indicator in the engine-house in terms of the Special Rules. Proceedings are being taken against the manager for his neglect of the regulations………. Probably none of these three accidents would have happened if the regulations had been observed. |
| 1903 | December | 31 | Portland No 4 | Ayr | Portland Colliery Co Ltd | Robert Bowman | 21 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof in working place. | |
