Newcraighall Colliery

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Aitken, James, 02 Apr 1906, aged 25, Drawer, Deceased's duties were to put on and take off tubs at the foot of a self-acting incline 270 feet long. A full tub was standing on the blocks at the top, and the blocks, which had not been properly set, slipped and the tub ran away, and on reaching the bottom struck deceased causing injuries to which he succumbed an hour later

Anderson, John, 22 Apr 1909, aged 55, Labourer, Deceased was cleaning up the dross on the roadway, behind some loaded waggons, when some empty waggons were let down and ran too fast colliding with stationary waggon under the screen, causing it to move forward, deceased tried to escape but was crushed between moving waggon and stationary waggon beside him

Arthur, John, 07 Jul 1914, (accident: 06 Jul 1914), aged 40, Miner, He was working at the face of a room which was stripping a pillar to the rise of a fallen waste, when, without warning, a piece of the roof stone, which must have been loose and concealed by the rubbish in the waste, fell and struck him on the thigh, causing injuries from which he died the following morning

Boyd, Hugh, 11 Oct 1909, aged 37, Sinker, Deceased and another sinker were descending in the kettle, and when 8 fathoms from the bottom, the kettle struck a beam causing him to be thrown out into the shaft

Boyle, Joseph, 17 Mar 1924, 9.30 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 28, Miner, The seam is 5 ft. 3 ins. thick and has a mid parting of 9 ins. of dirt. Boyle had taken up some of the bottom coal and was holing in the dirt parting when a sprag slipped out. About 13 cwts. of coal came away and he was crushed to the pavement. The sprag was badly shaped, having its lower end cut at an angle of about 45 degrees. It could not have been set tightly and there was no indication that it had been let into the pavement. The maximum spragging distance had also been exceeded by about 1ݡ ft. The fireman was through the place half an hour before the accident occurred and considered it safe. Boyle died about 7 hours later

Campbell, Alexander, 07 May 1934, aged 50, Miner, Killed by a fall of roof

Campbell, James, 26 Feb 1911, aged 17, Driver, When driving in with a tub, upon which props and bars were piled up, the tub seemingly left the rails, the props then caught the side and loosened it, causing a stone to fall upon Campbell, who was evidently riding upon the top of the props

Daly, John, 26 May 1899, aged 27, Sinker, Deceased was standing under a scaffold in a sinking incline, when the roof suddenly fell. Two shots, fired immediately before, had been bored into the roof and had broken it. The seam inclined 75°

Downie, James, 21 May 1907, aged 32, Drawer, Deceased worked in a heading and the tubs were hauled on the self acting incline principle ; the usual custom was for the drawer to follow up the ascending empty tub, and on meeting the descending load tub to take hold of it and go down the heading ; deceased as usual met the loaded tub and followed behind, when it ran away and at the terminus it crashed into the side throwing out some timber, causing the roof to fall, and he was buried beneath it

Dudgeon, P., 11 Aug 1935, Packman, killed by a fall of roof

Ferguson, John, 24 Feb 1914, (accident: 17 Feb 1914), aged 42, Miner, The deceased was holing in the rise side of his place below a large projecting piece of coal, when it suddenly, and without any warning, fell, swinging out a sprag set underneath it, and caught and so severely injured him that he died on the 24th. The coal fell from a natural "back" or parting that had been opened by a previous shot. The seam is highly inclined, and, under the circumstances, it was dangerous to take out the coal he was holing, it should have been removed by a shot in the upper part of the seam

Kay, William, 02 Apr 1913, aged 31, Drawer, Deceased was engaged in pushing a loaded hutch from the working face out to the wheel brae when a fall of stone came away and killed him. The place was timbered, but the trees swung out of position ; possibly had distance pieces been inserted between the trees the accident might have been prevented

Leslie, William, 07 May 1904, aged 45, Roadsman, Deceased was drawing timber when a stone from the roof to the rise fell, and in its descent toward the level it struck a prop, knocking it out and propelling it with great force, it struck his head. The seam is highly inclined

Methven, Colin, 04 Mar 1933, aged 70, Collier, He was knocked down by a passing hutch

Minors, James, 30 Sep 1907, aged 27, Drawer, Deceased and his neighbour were putting up timber, to secure a bad part of the roof, when it suddenly fell upon them

Murray, Henry, 12 Dec 1914, aged 38, Assistant Banksman, After deceased had placed two empty tubs on the cage and the banksman had signalled it away, he was in the act of turning himself to get to the other cage space when some empty tubs coming down to a Hadfield Controller ran through it, and pushed him against the cage which was just moving away. He was carried into the shaft, fell to the bottom, and was killed instantly. The cause of the failure of the controller was not discovered as it worked all right immediately afterwards. Possibly a small piece of coal prevented its proper action, or deceased himself had unwittingly held the handle too long open after the previous tubs had passed through

Pinkerton, John, 10 Jun 1907, aged 21, Bencher, Deceased's duties were to attend to the tubs at an incline top and run them by means of a wheel with brake attached. A rake was set in motion, and on the roadway the descending loaded tubs collided with the ascending empty tubs, the result being that the wheel and apparatus connected with it were thrown out and deceased was struck with wheel tree, and instantly killed

Quin, William, 29 Jul 1907, aged 35, roadsman, Deceased was repairing a roadway and while passing under an unrepaired part the roof suddenly fell upon him, and he was killed instantly

Ramsay, Robert, 08 Nov 1932, aged 45, Miner, Struck by a runaway hutch

Tagg, Robert, 18 Feb 1901, (accident: 07 Feb 1901), aged 30, Engineer, Deceased was engaged with several others erecting a pump underground, and when placing a cylinder in position the support on which it hung slipped from its place, and, in falling, struck him on the head. He died from his injury 11 days afterwards

Waterson, William, 21 Jun 1902, aged 45, Locomotive driver, Deceased was fatally crushed while standing on the foot-plate of his engine as it passed a wall close on side of railway line