Single Record

Full Details

Surname

CARMICHAEL

Forename

Robert Gibson

Day

12

Month

07

Year

1929

Age

43

Occupation

Shaftsman

Mine/Quarry Name

Kenmuirhill, No.4 Pit (Newton Pumping Pit)

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Mount Vernon Colliery Co. Ltd

Location

Shettleston

County

Lanarkshire

Details of Event

12 July 1929: Cambuslang Pit Cage Fatality - A fatal accident occurred on Friday evening in Kenmuirhill No.4 colliery, which is situated near the River Clyde at Newton, Cambuslang. The victim was Robert Gibson Carmichael (43), who resided at Hallside, Newton. The deceased was employed as oversman and pump inspector, and after making his last inspection of the pumps for the evening he signalled to be taken to the surface. The colliery is 150 fathoms deep, and the cage bearing deceased up the pit-shaft had reached 100 fathoms when, owing to a mishap to the wire rope haulage, the cage and man were dashed to the pit bottom. The work of rescue was commenced immediately, but it was not till Saturday afternoon that the body of Carmichael was recovered. The deceased, who leaves a widow and one child, was the son of the late Mr Robert Carmichael, who was a colliery manager in Cambuslang and in Ayrshire. He came over with the 25th Canadian Battalion and fought to the end of the war, gained the Military Medal and was twice mentioned in dispatches. He was a member of Kilwinning Masonic Lodge No 22. [Scotsman 15 July 1929] Information from the Inspectors of Mines - 1929: Shaft Accident At Kenmuirhill Colliery (Newton pumping shaft), Lanark. - At a shaft devoted to pumping alone and where the only persons who used it were two shaftsmen, who also acted as pump attendants, the day shaftsman was ascending in the cage at the end of the day when the winding rope broke, and he was killed. The precise length of time the rope had been in use could not be ascertained, but it was known to be about three and a half years. A new rope had arrived at the shaft a few hours before the accident, and was to have been put on the following morning. As the rope was not used for coal winding it hung for certain periods daily where one part at the surface was close by a steam joint in a range of pipes, and where the joint had leaked for a long time. This part was also adjacent to the place where dusty boiler ashes were filled.The rope broke at this point, and thorough examination revealed a type of corrosion there which did not exist elsewhere in the rope.The condensing steam and the acid ash dust had played their part.