Donibristle Disaster Booklet

In the 28th chapter of Job, there is a most interesting description given of the knowledge and skill of man in the art of Mining (see verses 1-11).

Verse 3 reads: “He (the Miner) setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection; the stones of darkness and the shadow of death.” How marvellous the resources that a beneficent Creator has placed under the surface of the earth for the service of man. Let us never fail to trace the origin of things back to God: it is a day when many are assailing the truth of this Nor yet should we allow ourselves to be blinded by the wrongful use made of these resources by turning them into a destructive channel.

Coal is one of the many minerals that has been brought into his service by man. A well-known commodity indeed which contributes largely to our comfort in many ways, and yields an immense variety of valuable bi-products which have been discovered by clever chemists. But it is not procured without cost, great skill is required on the part of Mining Engineers, and arduous labour on the part of the miner to make it available. Alongside of this, there is a heavy toll each year in killed and injured.

On the 26th of August, 1901, at a Colliery near Cowdenbeath, an accident occurred which illustrates this. The workings had extended a considerable distance from the bottom of the shaft, and near the top of a main Brae; an airshaft was being driven upwards to the surface. Owing to the steep rise in the coal measure, it was comparatively near the surface, about 35 feet of this being bog. On the 26th, after a charge of gelignite had been fired, a large mass of mineral gave way followed by a tremendous torrent of moss which swept down the Brae and the workings carrying everything before it. Being totally unexpected, the miners had very little time to make their escape, and ten of their number were trapped by the moss.

How very like our position by nature, in the distance from God: “Having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Thank God! who is rich in mercy. He did not let it remain at that: and so we have the beautiful parable in Luke 15, the Lord Jesus Himself being the Man who has gone, and, blessed be His name, still goes after the lost sheep, “until He find it”

A search party consisting of four, one being an official, set out immediately to seek the lost miners. These four brave men reached a point near to where their comrades were entombed, but evidently had failed to observe that the insidious movement of the moss was cutting off their way of retreat, and, they too were trapped. Ah! yes, they were willing, but not able.

A second rescue squad was formed, and a most remarkable feature was that every one of the four was a devoted Christian. The line of operations was changed, and the cavity where the subsidence had taken place became the centre for rescue work. A most hazardous undertaking as the bog was still travelling towards the cavity. The descent was made with ropes firmly attached to the waists of the rescuers, which were held by a willing band of helpers on the surface. After a search in most difficult circumstances owing to the steepness of the working and the wet slimy moss, combined with the treacherous nature of the roof, they found one man slightly injured who had managed to get into a crevice where the tide of stones and moss rushed past him. While getting this man to the surface, an exciting incident occurred, just as they neared the surface, a slide took place in the moss covering the rope to which rescued and rescuer were attached and threatening to engulf both, quick measures on the part of the helpers saved both, men forming a chain got hold of them, while others cut the rope. Two of the rescue squad were still below and had to look hastily for shelter as an avalanche of moss swept into the cavity, while those on the surface beat a hurried retreat.

A plentiful supply of beams was procured, and after much arduous labour, the sides of the cavity were in measure secured. The rescue work was then resumed, culminating in the four Christian men being successful in saving another five of the entombed miners. The others having either been killed or shut off by the debris. The terrible conditions in which the rescue work was carried on naturally turns our thoughts to the Lord Jesus.

These brave men entered into the circumstances affecting the bodies of their comrades, and risked their lives in so doing. But Jesus, as coming into the world to do God’s good pleasure, and to make known God’s faithfulness, righteousness and salvation, took upon Himself the iniquities, and the punishments which were ours. Needless to say, He had none personally. How touching to hear him say, “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I come into deep waters where the floods overflow me “ (Psa. 69:2). And again. He says, “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings’’ (Psa. 40:2).

On the Sunday afternoon following the disaster, many thousands of people were gathered on the bog land. The occasion was utilised by a group of earnest Christians to make known to the huge crowd the Gospel of God, “concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord’’ (Rom. 1:3). “Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25).

There still remained the task of recovering the bodies of those overwhelmed with the first torrent of moss, and of those who had lost their lives in the attempt at rescue. This was a long process and extended over a period of three months before the sad task was completed. Many thousands of tons of moss had to be loaded in hutches and taken to the surface, as well as large quantities stowed away in the old roads. Those in charge of this work were in a position to trace the movements of the men who formed the first rescue squad. It would appear that, having gone down the pit they had made an effort to reach the Brae where the entombed men were. Not being able to do so because of the moss, they had retraced their steps and had proceeded up another Brae having taken out a stopping at the mouth of an old road running across the hill, they penetrated a distance of 130 yards where further progress was arrested by a roof fall. It is clear they had made a desperate effort to clear this, but failed, and foiled in their efforts to reach the entombed men, had retreated. They would find then that the moss had risen up the Brae and flowed in the old road, cutting off their escape. Their own position was now desperate, and, building a dam to stem the moss they, with indomitable spirit, cut a drift through the waste to the road above, a distance of 9 yards.

There also they were foiled by the moss having risen and blocked the entrance, and the other end blocked by the roof fall. All their brave and desperate efforts were fruitless, and unable to accomplish more they had resigned themselves to the inevitable.

Many pathetic messages to loved ones were found written in the Manager’s time book, marking different stages in their trying ordeal. The first entries being clear and legible, others following were written over the top of each other, indicating that their lights had failed and their strength ebbing, then an entry referring to the death of one of them.

But our Saviour God had not forgotten His poor creatures in such dreadful circumstances. These men had heard the Gospel preached many times in the open air, and some of them, if not all, had been spoken to individually by faithful Christians about the welfare of their precious souls. Some of the entries in the time book bore witness to the fruitfulness of the seed sown. The calm assurance of faith in the Lord Jesus in the testimony left: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). “We have no hope of getting . . . But— All prepared to die.” “He is kind unto the unthankful. …” (Luke 6:35).

“He is faithful that promised” (Heb. 10:23). One of them had been a professed atheist, and the quotation from Matt. 11 was in his handwriting. Indeed, he, with all the others, invoked God’s blessing on their respective wives and families. It unfolds the gracious work of the Holy Spirit, it being most unlikely that any of them could have named the section of scripture from which they quoted.

How incomparable is the mercy of God! How great His love! “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

In regard to the others who lost their lives, we can say nothing. Much may transpire between the soul and God in a moment. A sad feature about one young man was that he had been reared in a Christian home but had never been known to confess Jesus as his Saviour. We appeal to any such to trifle no longer with God’s offer of mercy but close in with it now.

Copies can be obtained from: J. Boyd, “Kidron,” Aitken Street, Airdrie.

Printed by: Mears & Caldwell, Ltd, Cranmer Road, London, S.W.9.