Blantyre mining disaster
1877 industrial accident in Scotland / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Blantyre mining disaster, which happened on the morning of 22 October 1877, in Blantyre, Scotland, was Scotland's worst ever mining accident.[3][4] Pits No. 2 and No. 3 of William Dixon's Blantyre Colliery were the site of an explosion which killed 207 miners, possibly more,[5] with the youngest being a boy of 11.[6][7] It was known that firedamp was present in the pit and it is likely that this was ignited by a naked flame. The accident left 92 widows and 250 fatherless children.[7]
1877 disaster | |
Date | 22 October 1877 (1877-10-22) |
---|---|
Time | 09:30 |
Location | Blantyre, Scotland |
Type | Coal mine disaster |
Cause | Firedamp explosion caused by either a naked flame or a modified Davy lamp |
Deaths | 207 |
Inquiries | Report by the Inspectors of Mines to both houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty[1] |
OS grid reference | NS 68269 56240 |
1878 disaster | |
Date | 5 March 1878 (1878-03-05) |
Location | No 3 Pit, Blantyre Scotland |
Type | Coal mine disaster |
Cause | Winding gear overrun |
Deaths | 6 |
Accused | Arthur Cleland |
Charges | Culpable homicide |
Verdict | Not proven |
1879 disaster | |
Date | 2 July 1879 (1879-07-02) |
Time | 21:00 |
Location | Blantyre, Scotland |
Type | Coal mine disaster |
Cause | Firedamp explosion (possible cause: smoking) triggering a coal dust explosion. |
Deaths | 28 |
Inquiries | Explosion of fire-damp at Blantyre Colliery.[2] |
Blantyre was also the scene of two further disasters[lower-alpha 1] in 1878 and 1879.[8][2] There was a succession of lesser fatalities, some of which—particularly in the earlier years—were caused by firedamp.[9]