Wallyford Colliery

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Aithie, George, 24 May 1911, aged 43, Miner, When getting coal at the working face, a piece of stone about 5 feet by 2 feet 6 inches by 9 inches thick fell from the roof and killed him instantly. There were two weight breakers, one on each side of it, and a slippery "lype" at one of the other ends, and when the accident occurred, the other end was a loose one ; there was also a smooth parting above it, so the only support the stone had was the coal, which he was extracting, and as soon as he weakened this sufficiently the stone fell with little or no warning, and brought some coal with it. One of the weight breaks was distinctly visible, and the stone should, therefore, have been supported

Baker, Percy, 19 Apr 1905, (accident: 18 Apr 1905), aged 21, Miner, Deceased was shovelling coal at the roadhead, when a stone weighing 2 lbs. fell from the roof and struck him on the back of the neck. He died next day from the injury

Bourhill, George, 28 Aug 1909, aged 17, Winch engineman, Deceased worked a crab winch used to haul debris to the redd bing. It appears that the engine "centred," and he got up on top to move the drum and inadvertently put his foot on throttle valve lever allowing full steam to cylinders, and causing the drum to revolve whereby he was thrown over it to the other side and fatally injured

Craig, James, 05 Jun 1911, aged 16, Pithead Boy, He went to the top of an elevator in connection with a coal washer, and was caught by one of the buckets as he was leaning over a tank. The machinery should have been stopped before the boy was allowed to go to the top of the elevator. The management were not aware that he was allowed to go at all, but the man at the bottom appears to have allowed him to do so to oil the machinery

Dickson, John, 27 May 1908, aged 39, Miner, Irruptions of Water [More information ...]

Drylie, David, 02 Oct 1924, 11.30 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 68, Repairer, He was repairing and enlarging a road when a fall of roof took place, swung out the cross bar he was securing and buried him just before he was able to get clear. When extricated he was found to be dead from suffocation and shock. Debris taken down and left lying at his feet might have obstructed him, and perhaps a younger man would have been more agile and got clear of what was an ordinary fall in repair work of this kind

Fyfe, Charles, 15 Dec 1859, Collier, By fall of coal at face of working

Gilroy, Thomas, 30 Apr 1907, aged 14, Dirt-picker, Deceased, unknown to anyone, left his work at the picking table and crossed the lines of rails, and on coming back he crossed under the waggons at the screens just as the trimmer was moving his waggons, and he was crushed

Gordon, Robert, 07 May 1897, aged 18, Pony driver, Deceased was taking a set of empty tubs inbye along a level road, when a fall of roof took place at a point where the road was barred and poled, the distance between the poling and the roof being about 3 feet. A large flat stone broke one pole, displaced some others, and fell upon deceased, killing him instantly

Hamilton, William, 21 Jan 1901, aged 37, Sinker, Deceased and other sinkers were enlarging a shaft and a few fathoms below them was a scaffold on which the debris fell. The enlargement was proceeding at a point a short distance below the Great Seam and where a crosscut mine left the shaft to cut the seam. The previous shift had left their work fearing a fall and the contractor and others were in the shaft for the purpose of making it secure when a large quantity of stone fell away above the crosscut, and the two deceased fell with it on to the scaffold below, the contractor and others escaping with difficulty [More information ...]

Hooligan, Patrick, 21 Jan 1901, aged 47, Sinker, Deceased and other sinkers were enlarging a shaft and a few fathoms below them was a scaffold on which the debris fell. The enlargement was proceeding at a point a short distance below the Great Seam and where a crosscut mine left the shaft to cut the seam. The previous shift had left their work fearing a fall and the contractor and others were in the shaft for the purpose of making it secure when a large quantity of stone fell away above the crosscut, and the two deceased fell with it on to the scaffold below, the contractor and others escaping with difficulty [More information ...]

Hughes, John, 04 Oct 1890, 10.00 a.m., aged 39, Sinker, Suffocated by chokedamp

Losh, James, 31 Aug 1857, Collier, Falling down pit by a crane rope not being securely attached to the crane [More information ...]

McCutcheon, John, 20 Dec 1906, aged 16, Drawer, Deceased and another drawer were proceeding to the top of an incline with a loaded tub, when it was stopped by some debris, and he was making his way round the tub to clear the obstruction, when a stone fell away from the high side and crushed him against the side of the tub. The stone came away at a part of the road where a "hitch" was crossed

McEwan, Robert, 27 Apr 1903, aged 14, Stone picker, Deceased was walking on the picking table in the opposite direction to that in which it was travelling, when he stumbled and fell among the driving wheels and was fatally crushed between the spur wheel and a beam

McGhee, John, 02 Dec 1905, aged 51, Miner, Deceased was "shearing" in the right-hand side of a close place to relieve his coal when it suddenly fell away, and in trying to clear himself he slipped on the pavement in front of it, and was killed instantaneously

McKinlay, William, 10 Dec 1906, aged 23, Miner, Deceased was holing in the bottom coal, when the head coal suddenly burst and a part fell upon him

McNeil, David, 03 Mar 1904, aged 65, Miner, Deceased stepped on to a cut chain brae from his drawing road, and was about to proceed down when he was overtaken by a loaded tub running on the brae

McNeil, John Brown, 16 Sep 1903, aged 39, Miner, Deceased had withdrawn a prop to "drop" the head coal, when the coal suddenly fell upon him

McNeill, Adam, 17 Jan 1896, aged 34, Oncostman, Deceased and another workman were crossing the dook road carrying a trap door after the loaded rake had passed up, when the rope broke and the tubs in coming back struck him and threw him down the dook

McNeill, William, 26 May 1909, aged 45, Brusher, Deceased and two other brushers were about to set timber to a part of the roof just brushed, when a stone fell upon him and he was killed

Millar, James, 16 Jul 1906, aged 22, Labourer, In stocking coal on the "bing" an incline plane was in use, the loaded tub in descending pulling up the empty ; a loaded tub was ready to descend, and it was pushed away without the hook of the rope being attached, the result being that it ran away, and on reaching the bottom of incline it struck an electric pole, throwing it down, and in its fall it struck deceased

Neill, John, 11 Apr 1860, Collier, By fall of coal at face of working

Queen, Joseph, 19 Feb 1896, aged 17, Dirt picker, In crossing the travelling table to reach a dross waggon, his clothes were caught between the plates and he was drawn under and strangled. He went through the fence put up for protection

Rutherford, Andrew, 23 Dec 1907, (accident: 06 Mar 1907), aged 37, Miner, Deceased was breaking up a projecting stone in the side of a self-acting incline, when the timber supporting the roof gave way, and the roof fell upon him ; he died from his injuries on 23rd December, 1907

Sandilands, Thomas, 24 Jul 1911, aged 51, Haulage Roadsman, Owing to a broken endless rope on the dook, he was probably caught by the runaway tubs when trying to signal the engineman to stop. On steep inclines, which require watching, it is desirable to have two wires into likely refuge holes, to prevent a haulage roadsman having to leave a place of safety to "stop." In this case, however, there is no evidence that deceased was in any refuge hole

Scott, George, 27 May 1908, aged 26, Miner, Irruptions of Water [More information ...]

Skirving, Robert, 23 Oct 1891, 2.15 p.m., aged 24, Collier, Fell from cage

Swan, Thomas, 22 Feb 1902, aged 37, Miner, To enable the air vessels for a pump to be placed in the shaft, deceased and some other workmen were removing coal and stone, when a piece of blaes fell

Thain, John, 07 Jul 1904, aged 17, Store keeper, 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

Walker, James, 08 Jan 1913, aged 43, Chief Mechanical Engineer, He had only been employed at the Colliery five weeks, and was engaged with the Under Manager in obtaining dimensions of the pumping plant in the shaft when he was caught by the descending "hanging-boards" attached to the pump rods, and so severely crushed that he died the same night

Watters, William, 11 Jul 1860, Collier, By fall of coal at face of workings