Philpstoun (Oil Shale)

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Barnes, Robert, 24 Dec 1902, aged 50, Miner, Three shots were prepared, one in the bottom charged with 1½ lbs. of gunpowder, one in the top charged with 1 lb. of gunpowder, and one in the centre, as a "yankee" or holing shot charged with about 2 lbs. of gunpowder. Deceased apparently ignited the bottom shot first, and in lighting the centre shot he was delayed as the fuse was difficult to catch : in lighting the fuse of the top shot, which was immediately above the bottom one, the latter exploded and he was thrown down the upset, a distance of about 40 feet. He was alone in the section at the time, he having sent his drawer home, and with his body badly injured and a fractured leg, he crawled in the dark a distance of 150 feet, the greater part rising 1 in 4, until he attracted the attention of some workmen passing in to their work. He died twenty hours afterwards. Deceased, and the miners generally in the mine, were of opinion that the black tape fuse in use, ran one foot per minute, whereas by experiment it runs two feet per minute

Dickson, Magnus, 16 Apr 1901, aged 24, Miner, The mine dips from the surface, with an inclination averaging 1 in 3¾. An empty tub had been placed on the level scaffold at mine mouth, close to a block set to guard the incline. The block was 2 ins. thick, and crossed one rail only. Three other empties were pushed forward, and buffered against the one referred to, driving it over the block, and sending it down the incline. Deceased was at the moment travelling up the incline, and was struck by the runaway tub while he was endeavouring to reach a manhole, receiving injuries which terminated fatally fifteen minutes afterwards

Donnelly, James, 29 Jan 1907, aged 22, Miner, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

Duff, William, 26 Nov 1926, Deputy, Killed by an explosion [More information ...]

Fleming, Alexander, jun., 29 Jan 1907, aged 21, Miner, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

Lindsay, David, 29 Jan 1907, aged 19, Miner, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

McIndoe, John, 23 Oct 1914, aged 34, Miners' Drawer, Deceased was taking an empty tub towards the face when a loaded tub, which had run away on the road he was going, collided with his empty tub and killed him. Deceased partly contributed to the accident, as he failed to shut a stop block on the road as he came out with his own loaded tub a short time previously. This stop block would have prevented the runaway reaching him

Mitchell, George, 04 Feb 1922, (accident: 20 Jan 1922, 10.30 a.m., 4th hour of shift), aged 43, Miner, He was at work with four other miners and the under manager assisting to clear gas from a working place in the Broxburn Shale Seam. An explosion occurred and he was burned on the arms and face. He died 14 days later from the effects of shock. The other five men were more or less burned at the same time. The explosion was said to have been caused by sparks which were emitted from the point of a pick one the men was using, but it is more likely a naked light which was outside the bratticing ignited the gas.

Murray, Peter, 17 Feb 1904, aged 42, Miner, Deceased prepared three shots, two in top portions of seam and one in the bottom and it appears he had intended lighting all the shots and for some reason he had been delayed, and on realising his danger he attempted to get away to a place of safety, but failed to get out of harms way and was struck by the flying debris projected by the shots. The bottom shot did not fire

Nailon, John, 11 Dec 1908, aged 20, Drawer, A roadway was being driven in the shale, about 18 ft. below the surface, when a fall occurred right to the surface, and deceased and his neighbour were buried beneath it. They lay for some time under the fall until discovered by the fireman, and eight hours elapsed before deceased's body was got out

O'Donnell, Thomas, 17 Sep 1914, (accident: 09 Jun 1914), aged 29, Drawer, He was accompanying a loaded tub up a short dook when he fell in front of the tub, and was so severely injured that he died on 17th September. He was either walking up in front of the tub and slipped and was run over, or was riding on the tub or chain, or attempting to get on to one or other of them, when he slipped and fell

Russell, Thomas, snr., 20 Feb 1911, aged 44, Miner, He was stooping and when finishing the first cut on a stoop preparatory to getting the timber withdrawn some of the roof collapsed and fell and jammed his neck between two props