On 21st December 1877, the Inquiry report into the Blantyre Pit Disaster was published. Within it is over 8,170 lines of inquiry and testimony and evidence from many Blantyre miners about what happened that terrible day on 22nd October 1877 at High Blantyre. It’s a remarkable insight in itself into the friend and work relationships the men had with other colleagues and life itself in Blantyre at that time.
On Page 187 is the evidence of Mr Robert KIRKLAND who was examined (questioned) by Mr Dickinson. Robert giving evidence said, “I am 41 years old. I live at Priestfield, Blantyre and am pit headsman at No 2 pit, Blantyre colliery. I was on duty on Monday 22nd October last. I got to the pit at 6am. I had not arrived when the signal was given up the pit for the men to go down. I found men going down when I arrived.”
“My duties don’t begin until they are down. I was at the pit when the explosion took place about quarter to 9am. It made a noise like a shot in a sinking pit, and a great volume of smoke and dust came up. It continued about a minute or perhaps not that much.”
Robert Kirkland was one of the lucky ones. On shift that morning, but not actually down the pit yet. AI imagines the scene at the pithead.
