| Date of Accident | Mine | County | Owner or Company | Name | Age | Occupation | Category | Cause of accident & remarks | Extra Information | ||
| 1904 | July | 2 | Little Raith | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | James Frail | 55 | Roadsman | Falls of roof | Deceased had set a new wheel tree at the face of a short heading, and was lengthening the chain to suit the altered conditions when the roof, which consisted of a thick sandstone, suddenly burst out above him killing him instantly. Several bars and a prop were broken or swung out by the falling rock. | |
| 1904 | July | 2 | Herbertshire No 3 | Stirling | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Joseph Melvin | 19 | Drawer | Haulage – ropes or chains breaking | As he was walking up a dook behind a full ''race" of hutches a drawbar broke and the hutches ran down on him. | |
| 1904 | July | 4 | Whiterigg | Linlithgow | R Forrester & Co Ltd | James O'Donnell | 30 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was holing when part of the face fell out from an unseen lype between two props. The part which fell was fireclay above the coal which is usually propped up for some distance. | |
| 1904 | July | 5 | Milnwood No 2 | Lanark | Coltness Iron Co Ltd | John Swan | 33 | Contractor brusher | Falls of side | Fall of side of brushing at road head. | |
| 1904 | July | 7 | Wallyford | Edinburgh | Edinburgh Collieries Co Ltd | John Thain | 17 | Store keeper | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Deceased had examined a waggon at the screens to ascertain if any stores had been left in it, and stepped out to the main line and was run down by the locomotive. The noise made by the coal cleaning and separating plant prevented him hearing the approach of the engine. | |
| 1904 | July | 8 | Fordell | Fife | Countess of Buckinghamshire | John Pearson | 43 | Repairer | Falls of roof | Deceased was enlarging a horse road for the purpose of converting it into a mechanical haulage roadway, and had put up some crowns to support the roof; under one crown he had a centre prop and when he had the crown secured he knocked out this prop, when the crown swung and part of the roof fell. | Newspaper report |
| 1904 | July | 14 | Darngavil | Lanark | Darngavil Coal Co Ltd | Francis O'Neil | 34 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was taking down the upper portion of the seam when the bottom coal, which he had shortly before holed, fell over on him. | |
| 1904 | July | 16 | Maxwood | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | David Beggs | 52 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | When taking a gunpowder cartridge out of his canister it exploded, having apparently being ignited by a spark from his lamp or his pipe. | |
| 1904 | July | 18 | Buckhaven | Fife | Bowman & Co | John Foster | 29 | Engine cleaner | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Deceased was the worse of drink, and wandered on to the main line of the colliery, and fell across the rails, and being unable to rise lay there until a train passed over him. | |
| 1904 | July | 25 | Drumbow | Lanark | Darngavil Coal Co Ltd | David Butler | 45 | Fireman | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | See report |
Occurred at Drumbow Colliery, Lanarkshire, in the lower section
of Coxrod or Lower Drumgray coal seam. The shaft was re-sunk
from the lower Splint coal, and as there was no second outlet
between the seams the air-current passed down from the surface
behind a midwall, or fenced off part of the shaft, to the lower
Coxrod, and returned back on opposite side of midwall to the
lower Splint coal level and after ventilating other workings
passed on to the upcast shaft, at the top of which was a fan.
Operations at the colliery ceased for the holiday and on the
afternoon of the last working day the manager gave instructions
that the fan was to be stopped and re-started on the night prior
to the colliery being opened to resume work. On the morning when
work was to be resumed the fireman arrived at the pit about six
a.m. to make his inspection, and while preparing to go below,
he was informed by the engineman on duty that the fan had not
been started and to be careful ; he descended the shaft with
a Davy lamp lighted in one hand, and a naked light on his cap,
and after inspecting a portion of workings in an upper seam he
was lowered to the bottom and soon after an explosion was heard.
The Davy lamp carried by deceased was found a short distance
inbye from the shaft in good condition, and near to it was found
his open lamp. The explosion was very violent and much damage
was done to the roadway and shaft. Gas had not been seen in the seam prior to the accident, but it appeared to be given off freely near some "troubles" and was not allowed to accumulate while work was in progress owing to the good current of air passing around the bratticing. The cause of the accumulation was the stopping of the fan which was contrary to the provisions of Section 49, General Rule 1. Deceased had undoubtedly carried his naked light into the gas, thinking it was safe to do so, and he was evidently misled by the fact that gas had not been seen previously. |
| 1904 | July | 29 | Lumphinnans | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Andrew Innes | 31 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was shovelling some coals down to his roadhead when a stone, 19 ft. long by 2 ft. in width, dropped from between two lypes converging upwards and close to coal face. Part of it fell upon him causing injuries which resulted fatally about an hour afterwards. | |
| 1904 | July | 30 | Law | Lanark | Wilson's & Clyde Coal Co Ltd | James Campbell | 31 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Deceased was shovelling redd down along a longwall face to a neighbour who was topping out a building when a stone suddenly fell upon him killing him instantly. It had probably been shaken by the brushing shot. | |
| 1904 | August | 3 | Blantyre No 4 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | John Shearer | 58 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of stone from working face. Accident was not reported until after his death on 29th December | |
| 1904 | August | 3 | Polton | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | James Gibb | 48 | Screen attendant | On surface – by machinery | Deceased had apparently been taking a near cut to reach the picking table and to do so had to cross a revolving shaft which caught his clothes, and he became entangled in the machinery. There was no occasion for him to be near the place where he was found. | |
| 1904 | August | 4 | Blantyre No 1 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | John King | 53 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal | |
| 1904 | August | 4 | Tannochside No 1 | Lanark | Archd. Russell | Wm Neil | 35 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal. Another man was injured. | |
| 1904 | August | 11 | Govan No 5 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | Jas Moyse | 65 | Waggoner | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | When drawing forward waggons to the pit he was met by the locomotive on the adjoining line of rails. The horse took fright, sprang in front of the engine, and both man and horse were killed. | |
| 1904 | August | 15 | Craighead No 2 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Michael Savage | 38 | Miner | Shaft accidents – falling into shaft from surface | When ascending the shaft a wooden prop fell from the surface, struck him and knocked him out of the cage. | The next fatal accident caused the death of a miner who was ascending in the cage, he having been struck by a wooden prop which a pit head worker let slip out of her hands and roll into the shaft. |
| 1904 | August | 18 | Broomrigg-Bonnyrigg No 2 | Stirling | Banknock Colliery Co Ltd | Robert Rutherford | 50 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | A shot of gunpowder from an adjacent place blew through on him. he having failed to stand clear after being warned to do so. | |
| 1904 | August | 18 | Monkland | Lanark | James Dunlop & Co (1900) Ltd | William Allan | 35 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was either holing or taking off coal when the roof suddenly fell away from between lypes and a hitch. | Newspaper report |
| 1904 | August | 18 | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Charles Briggs | 62 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased took down a piece of head coal at face and released a lype which was unseen, causing a stone to fall from the roof upon him. He died 18 days afterwards. | |
| 1904 | August | 25 | Rosehall No 5 | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Andrew Morgan | 26 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1904 | August | 26 | Eddlewood No 3 | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | Michael McGuire | 27 | Pony Driver | Haulage – run over or crushed by tubs | He was crushed in some unexplained manner between hutches and the roof. | Newspaper Report - Hamilton pages |
| 1904 | August | 27 | Lochore | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James Mitchell | 34 | Sinker | Falls of side | Deceased and ten others were at work in the bottom of a rectangular shaft, 29 ft. by 11 ft. 6 in. inside dimensions. The last 36 fathoms of the sinking had been in whinstone, which had been blasted with gelignite. The barring through the whinstone consisted of pitch pine 3 in. in thickness, and extended practically to pit bottom. The lowest bunton was 36 ft. above the bottom of the barring, it having been considered necessary to keep the shaft clear for this distance to protect the buntons from the shots, and to allow of the slinging in and turning of the planks used for side bars. A large mass of whinstone suddenly slipped away from an irregular back on one side of the pit bursting through the lower 12 ft. of the barring. Deceased was killed and six others were more or less seriously injured. |
This was a very unusual accident and was caused by a slip of
whinstone from the side of the shaft. The shaft is 29' 0'' by 11' 6" internal dimensions, and is being sunk to the Dunfermline Splint coal lying at a depth of 700 yards. At the time of the accident 296 yards had been sunk, the last 72 yards in whinstone. The sides and ends were barred and had the usual wall-plate and buntons, and when the slip took place the barring was within a few feet of the bottom. The work was carried on by three shifts daily with an aggregate of 54 persons, divided in about equal numbers on each shift. Owing to the hard nature of the metals, Ingersoll drilling machines were in operation, and the blasting was heavy as many as 24 shots, charged with Gelignite, being fired in one round. On the afternoon shift 11 men were in the shaft bottom, and were preparing to stop work for the week end, when suddenly the shaft collapsed, and all were more or less covered with the debris. The cause of the collapse was due to a fracture in the east side of the shaft, which was unseen, and in the course of sinking the principal support at the bottom end of the fracture had been taken away ; the vibration caused by the heavy blasting tended to separate the mass at the fracture from the main body. The last bunton was some distance above the top end of the fracture, but it is very doubtful if the buntons put in at the usual intervals would have prevented the mass from slipping. Whinstone is a very hard substance, and it is not usual to bar it when it is met with in the course of sinking. |
| 1904 | August | 28 | Melgund | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | William Gray | 29 | Repairer | Miscellaneous underground – by underground fires | See report |
This accident was caused by deceased and a fellow workman being
overcome by foul gas, the result of an underground fire, while
making their way to a shaft to re-kindle a furnace used for ventilation
purposes. The seams worked were the Lochgelly Splint and Parrot
coals, the former lying 27 feet above the latter. The top portion
of the Splint coal is "left on," and while it is known
to give off black damp very largely, it is also liable to spontaneous
combustion. The Melgund or winding shaft and Lochend Air shaft were, up to about nine months prior to the accident, downcast, and the Jenny Gray shaft was upcast, at top of which was a Guibal fan 20' x 6' extracting the air. At the time mentioned prior to the accident the workings in Lochend section of Splint coal were much troubled with black damp, and in order to have an adequate supply of air the ventilating system was altered. A furnace was put at the bottom of Lochend shaft while the fan was kept operating at Jenny Gray pit. Melgund shaft then became the downcast common to both upcasts, and the air current split at a junction 209 yards inbye from the downcast shaft, each split ventilating the workings on the way to the respective upcast shafts : this was the system in operation when the accident took place except that while the fan was kept constantly going, the furnace at Lochend shaft was allowed to go out on Saturdays by the instruction of the manager. On the night of the accident deceased and his neighbour descended the Melgund shaft at six o'clock, for the purpose of re-kindling the furnace at the bottom of Lochend shaft, and also to make the usual inspection under General Rule 4 (i) previous to the back shift beginning work at 10 o'clock. About 15 minutes afterwards both returned to the surface and stated that the "air was bad," and after supplying themselves with a "torch" lamp they again descended. At 10 o'clock, when the signal from the firemen was usually given for the shift to descend, the men of the back shift became anxious, and several went down the shaft and proceeded inbye on the haulage road, and on reaching the junction foul gas was met which extinguished the ordinary small lamps carried by them, and after sending a message for assistance some of the party bravely rushed along the roadway and discovered both men about 140 yards inbye from the junction, and with assistance they were brought out and conveyed to the surface. The area from Lochend shaft up to the junction was filled with foul gas, and the horses in the stables had succumbed. At the inquiry held under the Fatal Accident Inquiry Act it was stated that the person in charge of the horses was at the stables at nine a.m. as usual to give the horses a feed, and he did not then observe any foul gas. After making inquiry into all the circumstances I suspected that there was a fire in the vicinity of the Lochend shaft, and that the gases which filled the area between the points named were resultant gases from combustion, and although the management denied at the inquiry that such was possible, a few days later my suspicion was confirmed as a fire was discovered close by the Lochend shaft, and the miners in the section were withdrawn. When the furnace at Lochend shaft was allowed to go out, the fan at Jenny Gray pit pulled from said shaft, and this was proved from the fact that the gases came out to the junction, and on reaching that junction they met a strong current of air passing in from Melgund shaft on its way to the fan shaft, and they were rendered harmless. |
| 1904 | September | 1 | Roman Camp (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Broxburn Oil Co Ltd | Patrick Keavney | 28 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased had fired a shot and was pinching off the shale when a part of the "vees" of a hitch fell over on him. | |
| 1904 | September | 1 | Blantyre Ferme | Lanark | A G Moore & Co | Wm Gallacher | 25 | Miner | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | The seam is worked with safety lamps. but as two tobacco pipes, a box of matches, and a burnt match were afterwards found at the point where the explosion happened, it is evident that the gas was ignited while the deceased and his neigh hour were smoking. His neighbour was injured. | The third fatal explosion took place in Blantyreferme Colliery, and by it one man was killed and another injured. These men worked with safety lamps in a narrow bratticed place in the Virgin seam in which a coal-cutting machine was being used. It was stated at the Inquiry by the injured man that they found an accumulation of gas at the face of the brushing, and instead of retiring and reporting this to the officials, they directed the compressed air hose upon the gas and then retired to a distance of 30 yards in the return airway to take their supper. While they were sitting in the return air the explosion occurred. At this point two tobacco pipes, a box of matches, and a burnt match were afterwards found. The deceased miner before his death admitted that one of these pipes shewn to him was his. The other man denied all knowledge of either pipes or matches, but it is evident that they had sat down to smoke and the air current carried the dislodged gas to them, and a match or their pipes ignited it. |
| 1904 | September | 5 | Bent No 3 | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co Ltd | George Fleck | 28 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal while knocking out sprags | |
| 1904 | September | 6 | Broomhouse | Lanark | Haughhead Coal Co Ltd | Patrick McGinnes | 40 | Brusher | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | When entering a place to commence work his naked light ignited fire-damp. Another man was injured | The deceased brusher and his neighbour were entering a working place to commence work, two hours after it had been inspected by the fireman and reported to be all clear, when their naked lights ignited fire-damp. A strong feeder of gas was afterwards found issuing from a break in the roof. |
| 1904 | September | 6 | Dalmeny (Oil shale) | Linlithgow | Dalmeny Oil Co Ltd | William Harper | 60 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – sundries | Deceased was assisting to repair a roadway, and while raising an iron girder to the roof it slipped and one end fell on him causing injuries to which he succumbed on 2nd April, 1905. | |
| 1904 | September | 7 | Lochore | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Thomas Smith | 38 | Miner | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Deceased was ill, and was being attended by a doctor. He had been visited as usual and as soon as the doctor left he went from his house direct to the sinking pit and threw himself down. The men at work in the pit bottom had a narrow escape. | |
| 1904 | September | 8 | Earnock No 1 | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | Robert Bolton | 23 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | The shot-firer fired by electricity a shot of roburite, but failed to first see whether or not the deceased had retired from his working place. | The shot-firer got the miner, contrary to instructions, to connect the firing cable to the fuze, and taking it for granted that the latter had retired behind the bratticing he fired the shot and killed him. |
| 1904 | September | 8 | Kenmuir | Lanark | J Dunn & Stephen Ltd | John Keenan | 32 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof in working place. The part of the working place in which the accident happened was not propped as required by the regulations. | |
| 1904 | September | 8 | Aitken | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Andrew Rumgay | 36 | Brusher | Falls of roof | While preparing to measure the breadth of the roadway for crowns the roof suddenly fell upon him. | |
| 1904 | September | 9 | Lochgelly | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | Patrick Bolan | 49 | Sinker | Shaft accidents – whilst ascending or descending by machinery | A circular shaft, formerly in use, was re-opened, and to do the necessary repairs a scaffold two feet less in diameter than the shaft was requisitioned. The scaffold was suspended with chains at corners, and two winding parallel ropes were used, and while travelling in the shaft four guide ropes kept it in position. The material, &c., was conveyed in tubs fixed on the suspension chain. Deceased and another workman were being raised at the end of their shift, along with a tub, which they did not fix, and on the way up the tub began to move, and deceased in endeavouring to steady it went too near the edge, which caused the scaffold to "cant," and he and tub were precipitated to the bottom, a distance of about 40 fathoms. | |
| 1904 | September | 12 | Michael | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co Ltd | Arthur Morgan | 60 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – sundries | When fetching some boring drills from an adjoining working place, deceased slipped on the pavement which had an inclination of 1 in 4. His head struck the corner of a building, causing a slight fracture at the base of the skull, which resulted fatally half-an-hour afterwards. | |
| 1904 | September | 15 | Clydeside | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Patrick Mckenna | 23 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Fall of roof from brushing face. | |
| 1904 | September | 16 | Cowdenbeath | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | Alex Currie | 52 | ---- | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Deceased was the worse of drink and wandered on to the sidings, where he was run over by a waggon. | |
| 1904 | September | 19 | Wester Gartshore No 1 | Dumbarton | J & A F Wallace | Wm Hawkie | 45 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face. | |
| 1904 | September | 19 | Begg | Fife | Walter Herd & Son Ltd | John Mackie | 37 | Miner | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Was injured by a fall of roof, and died from his injury on 15th Nov., 1905 | |
| 1904 | September | 21 | Boydsburn | Stirling | H & G Graham | David O'Donnell | 46 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | When charging a shot hole in limestone with saxonite the charge exploded. Apparently the cartridges were not properly thawed. | |
| 1904 | September | 24 | Quarter No 8 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Wm Ramage | 41 | shaftsman | Shaft accidents -things falling from part way down | When repairing the shaft he overbalanced himself and fell out of the cage. He was under the influence of drink. | The fourth fatal accident took place at Quarter Colliery, Lanarkshire. Two shaftsmen were engaged working in the shaft. The deceased was in the cage handing out a plank to the other man when he overbalanced himself and fell off the cage. He was under the influence of drink at the time, and this was known to the surface foreman and the pitheadman, who in terms of Special Rule 106 ought not to have allowed him to enter the cage. |
| 1904 | September | 26 | Rosehall No 14 | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Michael Curran | 45 | Fireman | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | He stated that when making his morning inspection his safety lamp went out, and that on striking a match to relight it fire-damp ignited. He appears to have also been carrying a naked lamp. | The fifth fatal explosion happened in Rosehall No. 14 Pit, Lanarkshire. It happened to a fireman when making his morning inspection. His statement was to the effect that when putting up a screen, which he found torn down, his light went out, and on striking a match to re-light it the explosion happened. He had in his possession at the time a naked lamp as well as a safety lamp, and, whether his statement is correct or not, it is evicted that he lost his life by violating the regulations. |
| 1904 | September | 26 | Arniston | Edinburgh | Arniston Coal Co Ltd | John Anthony | 42 | Farm servant | Deaths not comprised under Mines Act | Deceased was at the depot for coal with two carts, and while the locomotive was shunting he by some unknown means got between the waggons and was fatally crushed. | |
| 1904 | September | 28 | Prestongrange | Haddington | Summerlee & Mossend Iron & Steel Co Ltd | Joseph Stafford | 24 | Brusher | Falls of roof | While engaged cutting " needle " holes in the side walls for crows the roof suddenly fell on him. | |
| 1904 | September | 28 | Lassodie Mill | Fife | Rosewell Gas Coal Co Ltd | John Cumming | 42 | Miner | Other haulage accidents | Deceased and three other workmen arrived at the Dunfermline Splint coal dook to be lowered to their work by the engine. The rake consisted of five tubs, and when the dook rope was attached to the last tub the men boarded the rake, when the tubs were pushed over, four of them ran amain and all managed to get out but deceased who was in the fourth, at 112 yards down they came to a standstill, through some leaving the rails, and the fourth had struck a prop which carried away tho body and threw deceased into a man-hole. The tubs had not been coupled. Had the management provided a safety chain this accident could not have happened. | |
| 1904 | September | 30 | Quarter No 7 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | John Robson | 45 | Miner | Falls of roof | When drawing props at the stoops the roof gave way and caught him. | Newspaper Report - Hamilton pages |
| 1904 | October | 1 | Leven | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | James Smith | 26 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was engaged taking down a piece of stone immediately above the bottom portion of the seam when another piece fell and fractured his left leg. He died from hie injury on 16th August, 1905. | |
| 1904 | October | 2 | Swinhill No 2 | Lanark | Darngavil Coal Co Ltd | Alexr Melvin | 23 | Miner | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | He went into a section of working not examined by the fireman and from which the ventilation had been cut off, and his naked light ignited fire-damp. | The deceased, without authority to do so, left the section of workings in which he was employed to get a pick in another ventilating district not examined by the fireman from which the ventilation had been cut off, and his naked light ignited fire-damp. This explosion happened on a Sunday, and the place in which it happened was ventilated by compressed air. The air compressor had been stopped for some time previous to the explosion, consequently adequate ventilation was not constantly produced as required by General Rule 1. Mine owners should clearly understand that they are not at liberty to stop their fans or other ventilating power while the mine is not being worked if by doing so accumulations of fire-damp or black damp are likely to collect. |
| 1904 | October | 7 | Cowdenbeath No 10 | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | John Gorman | 28 | Drawer | Haulage – ropes or chains breaking | As soon as the loaded tub had been pushed over the top of a short brae the chain broke and the tub ran down and struck the empty driving it against the side wall and crushed deceased, who died from his injuries 16 days afterwards. | |
| 1904 | October | 14 | Kenmuirhill No 2 | Lanark | Glasgow Coal Co Ltd | Robert Galloway | 24 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | He went back to a shot of compressed gunpowder when it went off. It was stated that he waited fifteen minutes after lighting the fuse, and until he had heard what he thought was the shot going off. | |
| 1904 | October | 15 | Little Raith | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | James Russell | 25 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased and two other workmen were preparing to put up a crown to a bad part of the roof when a large stone suddenly fell upon him. | |
| 1904 | October | 19 | Queensberry, North Glencrieff Mine (Lead Mine) | Dumfries | Duke of Buccleuch | James Wilson | 72 | Pump attendant | Shaft accidents - falling from part way down | In some unexplained manner he seems to have fallen down a ladder. | |
| 1904 | October | 20 | Hamilton Palace | Lanark | Bent Colliery Co Ltd | Wm Meeke | 22 | Oncost man | Miscellaneous underground – sundries | Collapse of a brick arch in course of being built. Apparently the centres gave way. | Newspaper report - Bothwellhaugh pages |
| 1904 | October | 22 | Broomhouse | Lanark | Glasgow Coal Co Ltd | Jas Forsyth | 43 | Under manager | On surface – sundries | The floor of the winding engine-house gave way and he fell through the opening, getting two of his ribs broken. The accident was not reported until after his death on 6th January, 1905. | |
| 1904 | October | 25 | Westfield (Limestone) | Edinburgh | William Baird & Co Ltd | John Ferrier | 16 | Drawer | Metalliferous mines | Deceased was riding up the dook on the loaded rake, standing; on the coupling between the first and second tuba, at a low part of the roof he was caught and thrown off to the side crushed. | |
| 1904 | November | 8 | Hallside | Lanark | Jas Dunlop & Co Ltd | Patrick Mellon | 50 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Full of roof at working face when preparing to put in a building. Apparently he was knocking out props and in consequence the roof was not propped in terms of the Special Rules. | |
| 1904 | November | 9 | Blantyre No 2 | Lanark | Wm Dixon Ltd | John Wright | 46 | Picking table foreman | On surface – by machinery | While oiling the machinery in motion he got caught by the shafting. | |
| 1904 | November | 9 | Cadzow No 2 | Lanark | Cadzow Coal Co Ltd | Jas Canaway | 45 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1904 | November | 10 | Tannochside No 2 | Lanark | Archd. Russell Ltd | Patrick O'Neil | 28 | Brusher | Falls of side | Fall from side of road while enlarging it. | |
| 1904 | November | 11 | Lochhead | Fife | Wemyss Coal Co Ltd | James Storrar | 60 | Jigger engineman | On surface – by machinery | Deceased was found dead in the jigger engine-house, and the floor beside the fly-wheel was torn up. He had duties to perform in the engine-house and it is thought he had been caught by the fly-wheel of the engine and thrown over and brought round under the floor. The fly-wheel was unfenced. | |
| 1904 | November | 11 | Drumshangie | Lanark | Drumshangie Coal Co | James Cairns | 44 | Miner | Falls of roof | A hitch had been crossed, and deceased was ripping the pavement to make the road have an easy grade; the debris made was thrown into the space above the timbers. A crown broke and the debris fell on deceased while he was boring a hole for a shot. The crown, which was a plank 9 ins. by 3 ins. with 8 ft. span, appeared to be fresh, but there was an old bolt hole at the part where rupture took place. | |
| 1904 | November | 14 | Minto | Fife | Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co Ltd | James Penman | 23 | Sinker | Shaft accidents – falling into shaft from surface | The sinking had been completed, and a temporary set of pumps in use in one of the winding spaces was being withdrawn, and at the time of the accident about 12 fathoms of pipes and rods had been raised to the surface. Owing to the length of the rods, 40 ft., they had to be hoisted up through the top scaffold of pithead to enable them to be taken off at the bottom scaffold, and for that purpose a hole 3 ft. 5 ins. by 3 ft. 2 ins, was made. Deceased was about to begin his work with the others, and had occasion to go to the top scaffold, when he inadvertently stepped into the hole and fell to the bottom scaffold, 30 ft., arid from thence he passed through a space of about 2 ft. into the shaft. He was found 12 fathoms down across the oollarings and pipes. | Newspaper report - Auchterderran pages |
| 1904 | November | 17 | Glencraig | Fife | Wilson's & Clyde Coal Co Ltd | William Murray | 34 | Miner | Falls of roof | Deceased was building some debris, which had fallen from the face of the brushing, in the dip side of his working place when the roof suddenly fell upon him. | Newspaper report - Ballingry pages |
| 1904 | November | 18 | Herbertshire No 3 | Stirling | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | John Foy | 28 | Pit bottomer | Miscellaneous underground – sundries | Shock of electricity from leakage in a power cable. | The electric power plant is a duplicate of that in use at Rosehall No. 5 Pit in which two men lost their lives by electric shock the previous year, the dynamo being a three-phase alternatin current generator working up to 550 volts. From the bottom of the shaft the three cables are carried overhead at a height of about 6 feet 4 inches above the iron plates on the pavement. For a short distance from the shaft bottom each cable consisted of a strand of 19 copper wires of No. 16 gauge, and insulated. The deceased was a bottomer, and had been in the habit of standing on the plates and taking hold of one of these cables at a point about 6 feet distant from the shaft with one hand and touching the ear and face of fellow workmen with the other hand in order to give them a shock of electricity, there apparently having been a slight fault in the insulating material surrounding the cable at this point. The deceased had just descended the shaft with other workman, when he took hold of the cable with his right hand in the manner described, and got a charge of electricity which killed him instantaneously. It was afterwards found that the insulating material of the cable where his hand had touched it was burnt through. The deceased bottomer had been forbidden by the overman to touch the cables the day previous to the accident. |
| 1904 | November | 19 | Rosehall No 13 | Lanark | R Addie & Sons Collieries Ltd | Archd Johnston | 18 | Waggon trimmer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | Crushed in some unknown manner between two waggons. | |
| 1904 | November | 21 | Aitkenhead No 2 | Lanark | George Crookston & Son | Robert Laird | 37 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal, due to want of sprags. | |
| 1904 | November | 21 | Wellsgreen | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | William Anderson | 21 | Labourer | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | The dirt from the picking tables is thrown into a hopper and falls into a tub on the surface level and within a few feet of the main line of railway to the colliery. The tubs are hauled across the line of rails to and from a hoist and the loaded tubs are raised and debris deposited on dirt bing. Deceased was about to pull a loaded tub from under hopper when the front of a train of empty waggons caught him and fatally crushed him. The locomotive was behind pushing the waggons in front, and the brakesman was beside the driver instead of on the leading waggon. The driver whistled as he approached the screens, but apparently by reason of the noise made by the coal cleaning machinery, deceased did not hear the whistle. The arrangement for crossing the line of rails with the tubs was a bad one. | |
| 1904 | November | 21 | Neilsland No 1 | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | Angus Mathieson | 23 | Brusher | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at road head while brushing it. | |
| 1904 | November | 24 | Quarter No 7 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | John Baird | 41 | Brusher | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Struck by a stone projected by a shot of arkite ; having failed to take proper shelter. | Caused by the deceased brusher failing to take proper shelter, when he was struck by a projected stone. |
| 1904 | December | 1 | Eddlewood No 3 | Lanark | John Watson Ltd | Wm Shapotch | 37 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal and stone, due to want of sprags. | |
| 1904 | December | 7 | Cleland Townhead No 40 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | David Pearson | 59 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal, due to the want of a sprag. | |
| 1904 | December | 8 | Fordell | Fife | Countess of Buckinghamshire | John Lockhart jun | 17 | Miner | Falls of side | Deceased was filling coal into a tub when a part of the head coal fell and striking him he was killed instantly. | |
| 1904 | December | 9 | Newbattle | Edinburgh | Lothian Coal Co Ltd | Walter Pearce | 32 | Pit bottomer | Shaft accidents – miscellaneoussurface | Deceased stepped forward to cage to adjust some of the tubs when a piece of parrot coal weighing 12 lbs. struck the cage cover and rebounding off it came with terrific force on his head. The coal came off a tub which had just reached the surface and fell a distance of 1,650 feet. | |
| 1904 | December | 13 | Greenfield | Lanark | Archd. Russell Ltd | George Glen | 36 | Roadsman | On surface – railways, sidings or tramways | When crossing a siding he was run over by two waggons which the waggoner was shunting. | |
| 1904 | December | 13 | Common No 15 (ironstone) | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | James Steel | 16 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of stone from working face. Apparently he was working below it without sprags. | |
| 1904 | December | 13 | Dysart | Fife | Earl of Rosslyn's Collieries Ltd | Richard Grubb | 33 | shaftsman | Falls of side | Deceased and another workman were ascending the shaft on the cage cover after doing some necessary work about a pump, when a stone fell from the side of the shaft, about 20 fathoms .above, and striking him he was knocked off the cage and fell into the shaft at the bottom of which were 20 fathoms of water. The part of shaft from whence stone fell was not lined. | |
| 1904 | December | 17 | Dunnikier | Fife | Walter Herd & Son Ltd | William Dickson | 30 | Drawer | Other haulage accidents | Deceased was assisting another to run a rake of three loaded tubs on a brae dipping 1 in 8. As the tubs went over he ran back to the wheel to apply the brake, and in passing the brake ring his trousers caught a projecting bolt and he was drawn in, and had his leg fractured. He died from his injury on 20th January, 1905. | |
| 1904 | December | 17 | Blantyre Ferme | Lanark | A G Moore & Co | David Currie | 25 | Blacksmith | Shaft accidents – miscellaneous | When attempting to enter the cage at the pithead after it started he got caught and fell to the low scaffold. | The last fatal accident happened at Blantyreferme Colliery to a blacksmith, who in a most reckless manner attempted to jump into an empty hutch in the cage at the pithead after it had commenced to descend. He got caught, and his body fell to the low scaffold. |
| 1904 | December | 19 | Calderbank | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Jas Davidson | 25 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of stone from working face. | |
| 1904 | December | 20 | Berryhill No 3 (ironstone) | Ayr | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Chas McAuslane | 45 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof on road while laying rails. | |
| 1904 | December | 21 | Sundrum | Ayr | Dalmellington Iron Co Ltd | Jas Connelly | 54 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at working face | |
| 1904 | December | 28 | Craighead No 2 | Lanark | Wm Baird & Co Ltd | Wm Couldliskie | 26 | Miner | Falls of roof | Fall of roof at stoops. Other two men were injured. The roof was not propped in terms of the Special Rules | |
| 1904 | December | 29 | Aitken | Fife | Fife Coal Co Ltd | John Stirling | 28 | Miner | Miscellaneous underground – by explosives | Deceased worked in a mine cross cutting the metals, and he bored a hole in the side to take off a small “bouting”. In putting in the first cartridge of gelignite with a copper stemmer it exploded. Apparently the explosive was being too hard pressed. | |
| 1904 | December | 29 | Quarter No 7 | Lanark | United Collieries Ltd | Wm Perrie | 20 | Miner | Falls of side | Fall of coal while holing. It fell between two sprags set ten feet apart. | |
| 1904 | December | 31 | Bowhill | Fife | Bowhill Coal Co Ltd | Robert Brand | 21 | Miner | Explosions of fire damp or coal dust | See report | This accident occurred in a road recently abandoned in the west section of the Five feet coal seam. The air-current, to ventilate the section, passed in almost direct from the downcast shaft to the working places, and after traversing the faces returned to the upcast shaft, at the top of which was an exhausting fan. Several places, to the left of the place where deceased worked, had been stopped on a "hitch " and to keep the abandoned part clear, the air passed up the first of the roads stopped, and adjoining deceased's place, and to do this, screens were placed on the level between it and the next road. Sometime after a fall took place at one of the old faces, and the fireman in charge of the shift took off the screens, allowing the air to pass direct by the level, and cutting it off the abandoned portion. The alteration was made without consulting anyone or informing the officials above him. Deceased apparently had occasion to go into the road for a private purpose, and when up about 20 yards his naked light ignited some gas causing an explosion whereby he was severely burned and died from the injuries two days afterwards. The quantity of gas appeared to be small as the explosion was slight, and no damage was done. The gas was ignited at a place where there was a small lype in the roof, and a small quantity had been seen five weeks before. It was the duty of the fireman on observing the fall in the air-way to report to his superiors in terms of Special Rule 42, and upon him was also placed the responsibility of fencing the roadway, as required by General Rule 6. |