Dechmont Colliery

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Alisneviez, Vladizlov, 04 Sep 1913, aged 24, Miner, Deceased, who had been out at the roadhead, was returning to the working face, and when close to it a fall of roof took place at unknown and invisible lypes and caught and killed him

Anderson, Robert, 23 Oct 1907, aged 17, Miner, When travelling down a self-acting incline he was overtaken by the full race and run over

Boyle, James, 10 Feb 1912, aged 15, Gummer, Deceased was removing the holing dirt from the cut close behind a Coal Cutting Machine, which was at work on a gradient of 1 in 3, and while doing so it suddenly slipped back, and before he got clear he was caught by the disc and fatally injured. The cause of the machine slipping was due to the chain attached to the haulage rope pulley, and fixed around a prop, working itself out at the pavement at bottom of prop, thus releasing the cutter and appliances. The pavement was very soft at the place, and its condition was unknown to deceased, and his neighbour who erected it

Burns, Christopher, 15 Jan 1924, 1.30 a.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 35, Machineman, Killed by an explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

Crow, Neil, 16 Oct 1911, (accident: 10 Oct 1911, 3.30 p.m.), aged 27, Strapper, A fireman improperly took two men into a section of the Upper Ell Coal Seam before he had inspected it. On arriving within a 100 yards of the face, he left the men behind and commenced to inspect the roadway and working faces, but found, owing to gas being present in the right-hand side of the section, the men could not get in. He tightened up the canvas doors, which caused a portion of the face to be cleared. In the meantime two other men had come into the section and joined those already there. The fireman left these four men where they were and went out of the pit. An explosion afterwards occurred, but what was the cause of it is not quite clear. All the men had safety lamps, and the glass of one was afterwards found broken, but whether this had occurred before the ignition of the gas, or it was broken by the force of the explosion, is doubtful. If the broken glass was not the cause, a match must have been struck by one of the men. Crow died on 16th at 1.20 a.m.

Dedrenski, William, 02 Jul 1906, aged 23, Miner, Fall of roof in working place

Docherty, Daniel, 22 Jul 1901, aged 28, Drawer, While taking a hutch down a "cuddie" brae the rope broke and the "cuddie" ran down upon him

Donachie, John, 24 Sep 1912, aged 57, Assistant Coal Cutter Machineman, Deceased was buried by a fall of roof whilst timbering the face after a coal cutter had passed. Several settings of timber were knocked out by the fall, which fell away from between two lypes

Edgar, Robert, 21 Apr 1911, aged 33, Overman, He attempted to reach a screen in order to open it to allow air to pass to clear out accumulated gas, and was overcome with the gas. To do so he had to penetrate through, at least, 40 ft. of the gas on a rising grade of 1 in 2. Brave attempts were made by the manager and others to reach deceased, but all failed, and only when air was led up for part of the way did a workman reach the body. It was very foolhardy on the part of deceased to do as he did, but he was anxious to get the gas cleared out and thought the quickest way was to get the screen opened

George, David, 18 May 1914, aged 40, Assistant Coal Cutter Machineman, The deceased was instantly killed by a large fall of roof from between two lypes. He was attempting at the time to secure the roof at this point

Griffin, Alexander, 19 Jan 1905, aged 19, Miner, Fall of roof at brushing face while holing. Apparently the propping regulations were not complied with

Henrietta, Peter, 24 Jul 1891, aged 50, Miner, Explosion of compressed powder while forcing it into the shot hole with a jumper

Marrs, Daniel, 04 Sep 1903, aged 74, Stone picker, When crossing the rails at the screens he was run into by the Railway Co.'s locomotive

Mathieson, John, 28 Dec 1897, aged 40, Miner, Fall of roof at working face

McAllister, John, 03 May 1901, aged 26, Repairer, The rope came off the pithead pulley just as the cage with eight men in it reached the pithead. When the cage dropped the deceased either jumped off or fell from the cage down the shaft. A gland clamped to the rope with a small pulley attached, left on by inadvertence by men working in the shaft, was the cause of the rope coming out of the groove of the pulley

McCann, Peter, 17 May 1899, aged 52, Miner, While travelling up a dook with a hutch attached by a tail chain to a "race" he got crushed against the side of the road

McGoldrick, John, 02 Mar 1905, aged 23, Miner, Going up a "cuddie brae" with a hutch the rope broke, and the "cuddie" or balance bogie ran down and caught him

McGuigan, Hugh, 16 Dec 1910, aged 18, Miner, He was filling a hutch at the face when a piece of stone fell from the side and killed him

McInally, James, 29 Sep 1909, aged 40, Brusher, Overcome by fumes of arkite after 3 shots in a blind pit

McMenemay, John, 10 Jun 1898, aged 17, Drawer, Fall of roof on drawing road while passing along it with an empty hutch

McVey, Edward, 19 Dec 1924, 10.0 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 55, Roadsman, Deceased and a fellow workman had completed some repairs to the track on a self acting incline having an inclination of 1 in 3, and they called to the "hooker-on" at the bottom of the incline to give the signal to start. The signal was given, but the "bencher" at the incline top, while preparing to start, allowed a tub to run wild and it careered down the incline, striking deceased and killing him instantly. The workman who was with deceased had a marvellous escape. Had both men left the incline or entered a refuge hole before the haulage started, the accident would not have occurred

Millar, Andrew, 29 Sep 1897, aged 25, Chain runner, Crushed against the roof while riding up dook on front of "race"

Milligan, Patrick, 30 Nov 1900, aged 29, Brusher, 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

Murray, Patrick, 28 Jul 1905, aged 37, Brusher, Fall of side in working place while putting in a building

Pollack, John, 25 Mar 1914, aged 50, Miner, The deceased was working at the coal face when a fall of roof occurred. Between the pieces of timber a bad lype was discovered which could not be seen before the stone fell

Sawries, Brone, 18 Dec 1903, aged 25, Miner, Fall of roof from "brushing" face

Shearer, William, 12 Mar 1908, (accident: 04 Mar 1908), aged 20, Pony Driver, When assisting to clear away a fall on a road he was slightly injured by a stone falling from the side and striking his arm. Tetanus set in, and he died eight days after the accident occurred

Sim, James, 11 Feb 1909, aged 42, Miner, Fall of roof at face of stone mine on knocking out props set for drilling machines

Tait, Thomas, 12 Dec 1901, aged 36, Miner, While taking a hutch down a "cuddie" brae the chain broke and the "cuddie" ran down upon him

Wallace, John, 08 Dec 1909, aged 39, Miner, Shock from electrical lighting lamp or cable

Wilson, William, 07 Jun 1900, aged 45, Miner, Fall of roof at "brushing" face