Woodmuir Colliery

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Bowman, David, 13 Dec 1911, aged 27, Miner, While he was shovelling coal, a stone from between two cutters or breaks in the roof, fell on to his head. The cutters were probably invisible owing to a thin layer of clay adhering to the roof. The place was generally well timbered, but three props were displaced by the fall

Crookstone, Alexander, 24 Jul 1879, aged 15, Drawer, Met by a runaway hutch on a rise road

Doyle, Edward, 22 Jun 1904, aged 14, Greaser, Two loaded trucks were being run forward from the screens to the weighing table. Deceased was observed passing in the opposite direction, but immediately afterwards, as the shunter was about to insert a snibble in the wheel of the leading truck, he observed the trucks were slowing down, and on looking back saw deceased lying between the wheels of the rear truck. The shunter tried to stop them, but failed ; and the rear wheel passed over deceased's thighs, causing injuries which resulted fatally four hours after. A number of pit props were lying about as well as some pointed snibbles, but although several of the officials were on the spot within a few minutes no effort appeared to have been made to ascertain what deceased had been doing, or to preserve the props and snibbles for inspection

Frazer, James, 29 Oct 1891, 10 p.m., aged 53, Brusher, Explosion of shot

Graham, David, 21 Nov 1879, aged 35, Pitheadman, While "striking" the kettle he overbalanced himself

Greenwood, Thomas, 18 May 1859, Collier, By suffocated by chokedamp while engaged clearing out an old pit [More information ...]

Murray, George, 10 Dec 1924, 10.25 a.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 19, Miner's Drawer, He was preparing to take a loaded tub down a cuddy brae which had an inclination of 1 in 4. The tub was held by a locker in each wheel and a sprag set between the end of the tub and a sleeper. Half a yard of slack rope required to be taken up the tub having been pushed up for convenience in filling. The miner was holding back at the top end of the tub whilst the drawer at the low end knocked out the sprag and tried to hold back the tub. When the rope tightened with a jerk the prop holding the pulley broke, the tub ran away and he was pushed to the foot of the brae, a distance of 112 ft. and was killed. The drawer should not have been in front of the tub. The work could have been done in safety from the top end

Thornton, William, 18 May 1859, Collier, By suffocated by chokedamp while engaged clearing out an old pit [More information ...]

Thornton, William, 12 Dec 1907, aged 15, Dirt-picker, This boy crossed a fence, and his clothing got caught by the shaft of the coal cleaning machinery, and he was fatally injured

Waddle, James, 24 Dec 1879, aged 16, Collier, Fall of coal. At face while holing. Long wall