Part of the introductions from the Inquiry Report for “Blantyre Colliery Explosion” of 1877.
THE COLLIERY AND THE CHIEF STAFF
“The colliery is called the Blantyre Colliery, and is situated at High Blantyre, in the Parish of Blantyre, Lanarkshire. The owners are Messrs. William Dixon (Ltd), Mr. J Mann Thomson being the managing Director of all their ironworks and the different collieries and ironstone works attached to them. Mr. Charles Thomson is manager of Calder Ironworks and overlooks the managers of the different collieries connected with these works, Blantyre being one of them. Mr. Duncan takes a general charge of the ironstone works belonging to Messrs. Dixon. The certificated manager of the Blantyre Colliery was Mr. James Watson.”
“The certified manager was 37 years of age. He commenced work in mines at the age of 14 and having gone through the grades as contractor, assistant oversman and oversman, was appointed manager of this colliery six years ago. He was acting as manager at the passing of the Act 12th August 1872, but having been refused a certificate of service, he presented himself before the examiners appointed by the Board for Examinations of Colliery Managers in Edinburg, and obtained a certificate of competency on his first examination. His practice was to be at the colliery regularly. He had surface duties as well as below ground to attend to. He daily met the oversmen of the different pits at breakfast time, and was himself on an average below ground about 4 times per week, the visits being sometimes twice a day when needed, and depending considerably upon the reports made to him by the oversmen. “
“The colliery consisted of 5 shafts. Of these, No 4 was not connected with the explosion at all. Nos 2 and 3 were downcasts for air and used as winding shafts, but having no workings from them other than those in the splint coal where the explosion occurred. No 5 was the upcast for the splint coal, and also for the ell and main coal workings of No. 1 shaft, the air from the ell coal coming down a staple or underground shaft to the main coal, and thence passing with the main coal air by another staple to the splint.
“The splint coal in which the explosion took place, is about 8 feet in thickness, which is thicker than in other parts of the district, where the virgin or lower coal lies some distance below. In working the coal, about 2 feet of the upper part is in the first drivings left to form a roof. The mode of working is what is called stoop and room or pillar and stall or board. The rooms or boards are 12 feet wide and the stoops and pillar about 20 yards square in No 2 pit and 25 years in No. 3. Of the shafts immediately connected with the splint coal the depths were No 3, 155 fathoms; No 2, 130 fathoms; and No 5 the upcast (which was about 30 yards on the rise of No 2), 127 fathoms. Nos 2 and 3 shafts were oblong, the former being divided into two, and the latter into three compartments, each compartment being 8 feet square. No 5 and a ventilating cube or furnace in the splint coal. It was 10 feet in diameter, circular and had a chimney of the same diameter, about 50 feet high above the surface.”
“At No 2 pit the oversman was Joseph Gilmour, and the fireman by day were William Black, Alexander Watt, James Wright, and Alexander Wood, all of whom were in the pit at the time of the explosion, and all, except Wood, who was at the north side of the pit, lost their lives. A special fireman, or competent person under the Act, was stationed at a part of the pit called the ‘Stoopings’ where accumulated firedamp had been met with. The person in charge at the time was Robert Eadie. He lost his life, but his predecessor, Sharp escaped, being at the north side of the pit. The night fireman was Daniel Hendry. He was on duty during the Sunday night, and came out of the pit about two and three quarter hours before the explosion. At No 3 pit the oversman was John Pickering, and the fireman by day were John Little and Alexander McCaul. These three came out of the pit about 2 minutes before the explosion. The night fireman was William Simkin. He had not been in the pit since the preceding Saturday morning, the explosion occurring on the Monday.”
