Bardykes Colliery Roof Fall – Lanark – 1936

BARDYKES Glasgow, Lanark. 21st March 1936

Scottish Pit Accident – Five men killed by fall of roof – rescue party’s danger

Five men lost their lives in a pit disaster near Glasgow last night, and rescue parties worked unceasingly for about 15 hours in imminent peril from a dangerous roof to recover the bodies from the debris.

The accident occurred in a section of Bardykes Colliery, which lies between Blantyre and Cambuslang. Seven brushers were engaged in section, which is 9 ft high and about 12 ft broad, preparing it for the miners, when part of the roof collapsed, practically without warning. Five of the men were entombed, and the other two had amazing escapes. A rescue party was at once organised, and the body of one of the victims was recovered almost immediately, but the remainder were not found until this morning. The accident occurred about 7.30 last night, but it was almost noon today before the body of the last victim was recovered, and only after the rescue party itself had been almost entombed by another heavy fall from the roof.

The victims are:

• George Kirk of Church Street  Cambuslang, married, with a family of four
• Thomas Coulter, Bothwell Street, Cambuslang, married, with four children
• James Conlin, Glasgow Road Blantyre, married, with four children
• Robert Dawson, Church Street, Cambuslang, married, with five children
• Gilbert Roy, Hamilton Road, Flemington, married, with three children

Dawson’s wife is expecting another baby very soon. “It’s just the life of a miner’s wife,” she said, when she was told of her loss. “You see them go out in the morning in their pit clothes and you never know if they will come back alive.”

News of the accident quickly spread around the district and large crowds gathered at the pit head, including women relatives of the entombed men. Regardless of the risk to themselves miners in the rescue party worked gallantly all through the night to free their mates from the pile of debris that enveloped them. About 2.15 this morning another heavy fall threatened to involve several of the rescue party, and it took them fully seven hours to regain the ground they had lost.

Campbell Hawthorn, who was working at the very edge of the fall, said:

Suddenly there was a crack. I sensed what was happening, and threw myself to the side of the road. I was struck by a piece of wood or rock which knocked me out for a while. When I recovered consciousness everything was pitch dark, but I could hear stuff falling all around me. Some of it fell on top of me. I crawled forward as well as I could and ultimately got clear. All I could hear in the darkness was the groaning of the horse, which was injured. Evans, though injured, rushed down the road and returned with a lamp. By this time we could hear some of the men who had been caught in the fall. Evans shouted “Where are you, lads?” and Coulter replied, “I am here. I am on the left side” I shouted “Can you see us or our lights?” and he replied “My face is covered.” His voice became weaker, and finally he said “I am done for.” I was practically powerless on account of the knock I had received on my back, and it was maddening to be so near my pals and yet to be so helpless. Evans made a frantic effort to clear the way to Coulter, but such a huge quantity of debris had fallen that he was able to make very little progress. In about five minutes the first party of rescuers came along and took charge.

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