UDSTON. Hamilton, Lanarkshire. 28th. May, 1887.

The colliery was on a farm in the Parish of Hamilton, Lanarkshire and the royalties extended over 150 acres and was close to the Blantyre, Earnock and Greenfield Collieries. They were owned by the Udston Coal Company, Limited with Mr. William Turner as Chairman and Mr. John Morton as Secretary. The Udston Colliery was managed by Mr. Gavin who was 35 years of age and had worked in collieries since he was 14 years old when he started work as a miner with the Dalmellington Iron and Coal Company in Ayrshire. He obtained qualifications and became a manager of a colliery in the north of England where he continued until he took up the post at Udston in February 1885. The mines under his control all gave off firedamp but this was the first explosion that had occurred under his management.

Mr. Gavin lived at Hamilton about 2 to 3 miles from the colliery and was at the colliery regularly to perform his duties which frequently took him underground into the workings. He visited the Splint seam about three times a week when he was accompanied by the overseer of the seam but he went alone on some occasions.

Three seams were worked at the colliery, the Ell at 125 fathoms, the Main at 140 fathoms and the Split at 150 fathoms. There was an oversman under the manager for each of the seams and in addition, one fireman in the Main coal and two firemen and a roadsman, who was in effect an assistant fireman, in the splint coal. The oversman in the Ell coal acted as fireman there. The appointment of these officials was made by the manager or if he was satisfied that the person proposed was suitably qualified.

There were two shafts at the colliery, 45 yards apart and the No.1 was the upcast and was used for winding coal from the Main seam. The No.2 was the downcast and wound coal from the Ell and Splint seams. Both the shafts were oblong and were fitted with wooden conductors for the cages. There were two cages in each shaft. Two hutches, each containing two hundredweight of coal were wound on each cage in the No.2 shaft and one n each cage of the No.1 shaft. The downcast shaft was 18 feet by 6 feet but at the buntons which were 6 feet apart, the size was seventeen and a half feet by six feet. The cages were grated at the bottom, with 18 spaces, each space being four feet long by one and three-eighths wide, but the overhead cover to each cage was close, each being 6 feet 10 inches long by 4 feet 4 inches wide. The upcast shaft was 15 feet by 6 feet, each cage bottom being closed and 5 feet long by three and a half feet wide, the overhead cover being three and a half feet long by three feet wide.

The system of working was known as “stoop and room” in Scotland which was pillar and bord workings. The Main seam was worked out to about half its extent and the remaining half was about two-thirds cut into stoops and rooms. In the Splint coal where the explosion took place, the rooms were on average 8 feet wide by 4 feet 11 inches high and the stoops 22 yards square. There were four larger stoops or pillars near the shafts an at one place in the workings there was a stoop which was 40 yards square which was in the course of being formed. In the first driving, the top bed of coal was not worked and was taken only when the stoops were worked. The Splint seam was reached in 1883-4.

The strata dipped to the northeast and the inclination of the upper part near a main dyke upthrow of 200 fathoms was 1 in 6 which flattened to 1 in 8 at the shafts, 1 in 12 lower down and less than that at the lowest point.

The ventilation of the mine was effected by a Guibal fan, 20 feet in diameter which was driven by a horizontal steam engine at 56 r.p.m. A spare engine was kept in readiness and the change from one engine to another could be effected in 4 to 5 minutes. The fan was placed near the top of the upcast shaft and was connected to it by a fan drift with a semicircular top and an area of over 79 square feet. The head of the upcast shaft was fitted with a cover to separate the air that came from the fan race from any air that might escape down the shaft mouth. 18,000 cubic feet of air per minute went to the Ell coal, 23,000 to the Main coal and 24,000 to the Splint coal.

The firemen went down the mine at 4.30 a.m. which was before the men and they went down an hour earlier on Saturdays. There were 46 men and boys employed in the Ell coal, 66 in the Main and 73 in the Splint coal. Open lights were used near the downcast shaft from which the Ell and Splint coal was raised but not at the upcast from which the Main coal was raised.

The explosion took place at about 9.15 a.m. and a total of 73 lives were lost. Of these, one man was killed in the downcast shaft, four in the Main coal near the shaft and the remainder in the Split coal. Work seemed to have been going on as usual without any known problem when a cloud of dust and smoke shot out of the downcast shaft and a second or two after a large volume of flame came up the upcast shaft setting the wooden shed at the pit top on fire. The water hose was at once applied and in about 10 minutes the fire was got under control. Flame came almost halfway up the downcast shaft also slightly burnt the oversman who was in the shaft at the time. The fan was not damaged and continued to run but the covers which prevented the air entering the roof the upcast shaft were blown away. These covers were replaced as soon as the fire was extinguished and the air went down the shaft as usual. Large volumes of afterdamp came up the upcast shaft. One was cage stuck in the downcast shaft but the other was free and was brought to the surface in about an hour. An oversman of the Split coal, and assistant pit-bottomer named McGuirk together with an oversman and an assistant from the Ell coal were in the cage. McGuirk was found to be dead.

The rope of the cage that was stuck was a disconnected from the engine and the other cage used. James Gilchrist of Earnock Colliery, William Watson, oversman, Daniel McPhail, James Gavin, manager and others descended and brought up some of the men who had climbed up the buntons and slides. One of these said that the slides a short distance below were damaged. Robertson the joiner and two men, McBride and Bowie, and oversman from Blantyre went in the cage and repaired the shaft after which the other men were brought out of the Ell coal. The joiner and his party went down again and repaired the shaft to the Main coal where four people were found suffocated near the shaft but all the others in that seam were brought out alive.

About this time Ralph Moore the Inspector arrived at the colliery and it was decided that the shaft below the Main coal was so badly damaged that it was impossible for the cage to pass. A chain and an iron bucket or kettle was lowered below the cage. In the kettle there were three miners, Daniel McPhail, John McBride and Boyd. They made their way passed the displaced guides and reached fallen debris at the shaft bottom. Here the entrance to the workings was found to be half-closed with only a low space over the top over which the crept. They explored a little but found no survivors and saw that the blast had opened a connection to the upcast shaft which allowed air to escape that way. They went up and reported what they had found.

James Gilchrist, James Hastie and Robert Beith, managers from neighbouring collieries then went down in the kettle and were followed by the manager and others and the exploration commenced. In a short time McLean, a pony driver was found alive in the lamp cabin along with a dead body. James Lang, the bottomer, was also found alive at the third opening on the low side of the west level. These two men and the oversman were the only survivors of the men who entered the Splint coal that morning. All the rest were found dead afterwards as well as all the horses in the seam.

The kettle was used for some time until the shaft was repaired and made passable for one cage. Work was continued until 31st May when all the bodies were recovered except three, which were subsequently found buried under falls.

There are 67 listed in Mr. Moore’s report but with the three that were found under falls give the official death toll as 73.

Those found in the Blantyre Section:

  • James Crichton aged 31 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • William John Boyce aged 23 years, suffocated and found with a lamp key.
  • Thomas Berry aged 25 years, suffocated.
  • John McDade aged 21 years, suffocated.
  • James Nelson aged 16 years, suffocated.
  • James Spiers aged 40 years, suffocated.
  • William Berry aged 22 years, miner, burning and suffocation.
  • Hugh Auchterlonie aged 41 years, miner, suffocated. Key for opening safety lamp attached to the bottom hole of drawers.
  • George Parker or Harkness aged 30 years, miner, suffocated.
  • William Boyce aged 22 years, suffocated.
  • Gavin Malcolm aged 15 years, miner, burning and suffocation.
  • John Reid aged 24 years, miner.
  • Christopher Boyce aged 22 years, miner, suffocated.

Those found in the Rise Section:

  • Thomas Denniston aged 18 years, miner, burning and suffocation, large wound on his back.
  • William Denniston aged 23 years, miner, burning and suffocation.
  • Michael Quin aged 21 years, miner, severely burned and suffocated.
  • Alexander McLean aged 48 years, miner, severely burned and suffocated.
  • John Dodds aged 14 years, miner, burning and suffocation.
  • James McCulloch aged 15 years, miner, burning and suffocation. Both arms fractured.
  • James McCulloch aged 36 years, miner, burning and suffocation. Father of James.
  • David Shanks aged 45 years, miner, burning and suffocation.
  • David Shanks Jnr. aged 15 years, miner, slightly burned and suffocated. Right leg broken. Key for opening safety lamp, nail and lemonade wire found in trouser pocket. Son of David.
  • Walter Winters aged 22 years, miner, burned and suffocated. Legs broken.

Those found in the Horse Road Section:

  • John Harkness aged 24 years, miner, suffocated. Key for opening safety lamp found in trouser pocket.
  • William Murdoch aged 26 years, miner, severely burned and suffocated.
  • Allan Stirling aged 22 years, miner, severely burned on the head and suffocated. Nail for opening lamp found in trouser pocket.
  • David Flaming aged 27 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • Joseph Neilson aged 22 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • John Wilson aged 20 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • George Davies or Davis aged 26 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • James Kane aged 14 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • John Smith aged 26 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • William Babes aged 41 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • Robert Jarvie or Jarvis aged 31 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • Daniel Robertson aged 14 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • William Brown aged 52 years, miner, burned and suffocated. Key for opening safety lamps found in pocket of trousers.
  • Thomas Penman aged 20 years, pony driver, burned and suffocated.

Those found in the Horse Road Stoops:

  • William Harrison aged 34 years, miner, severely burned and suffocated.
  • David Crichton aged 20 years, miner, severely burned and suffocated. Two nails found in trouser pocket.
  • Joseph Boyce aged 18 years, miner, shock and suffocation. Nail in trouser pocket.
  • John Nobel, miner, suffocated.

Those found in the stables:

  • Walter Penman aged 22 years, driver, burning and he had suffered from afterdamp.
  • James Leadbetter aged 40 years, ostler, slight burning and had suffered from afterdamp. Clay pipe, knife and tobacco pouch found in trouser pocket.

Those found in the sump:

  • Andrew Thomas Watson aged 48 years, bottomer, burned and suffocated. Left arm fractured. Pocket knife and key for opening lamps found in trouser pockets.
  • Alexander Torley aged 26 years, fireman, burned and suffocated. Left arm and leg fractured. Tobacco and box, lamp key and knife and a watch which had stopped at 9.07 a.m.

Those found in the Dook Section:

  • James Allison aged 45 years, chainman. A number of matches ignited and not ignited found in his vest pocket.
  • Peter McGuinness aged 22 years, miner, burned and suffocated. Face torn and smashed.
  • Richard Cook aged 50 years, miner, burned and suffocated. Clay pipe and two nails for opening lamps. Father to Thomas and James.
  • Thomas Cook aged 21 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • James Cook aged 17 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • Washington Crewe aged 25 years, miner burned and suffocated. Body much mutilated.
  • William Lawson aged 42 years, miner, burned and suffocated. Left leg broken.
  • Andrew Lawson aged 21 years, miner, burned and suffocated. Much bruised on left side. Two nails for opening lamp found in trousers pocket. Bottom all that remained of his safety lamp. Son of William.
  • Joseph Cunning aged 39 years, miner burned and suffocated. Key for opening lamp in trouser pocket.
  • William Drain aged 19 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • James Wilson aged 50 years, miner, bruising and suffocation. Key for opening lamp in trouser pocket.
  • Isaac Cameron aged 24 years, miner, suffocated.
  • James Gaw aged 15 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • Francis McGourty aged 54 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • Terence Rooney aged 55 years, miner, suffocated.
  • George Dingsdale aged 21 years, miner, burned and suffocated. Right leg broken at knee and ankle.
  • Michael McDade aged 34 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • A man named McGinnes.
  • Felix Torley aged 40 years, miner, burned and suffocated.
  • John Crewe aged 22 years, miner, burned and suffocated.

The Report on the Udston Colliery explosion by J. Dickinson, Esq., H.M. Inspector for Mines and C.C. Maconochie, Esq, Advocate, was presented to the Secretary of State for the Home Department after a full and detailed inquiry into the disaster.

There was no evidence of any sudden outburst of gas and in the previous months, very little gas had been reported. Shots were fired and two had been fired either at the time or not long before the explosion and there had been evidence that there was some illegal shotfiring when one such shot was fired some months before when the men were reported to the procurator Fiscal and on being tried before the sheriff, two men were fined.

James Gavin, the manager, thought that there had been some gas which must have fired at an open light and Ralph Moore, the Inspector thought that a little gas had fired which was carried on by coal dust.

In his report, Mr. Moore commented:

I confirm my opinion that the disastrous effects of the explosion were due to the ignition of coal dust in the mine and not to an accumulation of firedamp. There had probably been a small quantity of gas in the place where the explosion began and a shot fired surreptitiously, without an examination for gas, ignited this gas. This raised and ignited a cloud of coal dust and the flame, fed by the dust in the workings, traversed the whole seam.

The official inquiry by Mr. Dickenson was critical of the management of the mine on the following points:

  1. In regard to the safety lamps, both as to the use of lamps incapable of withstanding some of the currents met with, and as to the perfunctory examination, and the fact that as the lamp required trimming, and some men did not come, it might have been inferred that men opened and trimmed the lamps themselves.
  2. In respect that a new assistant fireman was not at once appointed when the former left.
  3. in regard to the stoppings in the horse road division of the east section which from their position in the midst of the workings and not an extremity, were a source of danger.
  4. As too many rooms not at work having been commenced and left uncompleted, with bratticing in them contracting the air instead of the stops being completed before the rooms were left and air allowed to circulate freely.

The report went on to cite the following reasons for the exploit:

a. That the explosion originated in the stooping in the West or Blantyre section or at Harkness’s shot in the east section, the former place being the most likely.

b. That is was primarily caused by the ignition of some quantity of firedamp at an open light, or at a match, or being drawn through the gauze of a Scotch safety lamp.

c. That being thus commenced it was reinforced by gas with which the ventilation was impregnated, and by dust, together with gas drawn out from the solid coal and from cavities at the stoppings and elsewhere by the suck and pressure set up by the explosion, and that some of the issues of gas were ignited separately by the pressure or through the gauze of the lamps at open lights.

d. That some of the miners were clearly guilty of contravention of the principal act in having lamp keys and matches in their possession and in opening their lamps.

e. That no apparent contravention of the Act is proved against the officials of the mine.

 

REFERENCES
Mines Inspectors Report 1887. Mr. Moore.
The Report on the Udston Colliery explosion to the Secretary of State for the Home Department by J., Dickinson, Esq,. H.M. Inspector for Mines and C.C. Maconochie, Esq,. Advocate.
The Report to the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the circumstances attending an Explosion at Udston Colliery, Hamilton, on the 28th May 1887 by Ralph Moore, H.M. Inspector of Mines.
The Colliery Guardian 3rd June 1887, p.784, 1st July 1887, p.930, 8th July 1887, p. 20, 2nd September 1887, p.301.

Information supplied by Ian Winstanley and the Coal Mining History Resource Centre.

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