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Full Details

Surname
FORD
Forename
William
Day
18
Month
08
Year
1929
Age
28
Occupation
Fireman
Mine/Quarry Name
Mossbeath
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Fife Coal Co. Ltd
Location
Cowdenbeath
County
Fifeshire
Details of Event
18 August 1929: Pit Fireman Electrocuted - William Ford, underground fireman, King Street, Cowdenbeath, was electrocuted yesterday as the result of coming into contact with a live cable while following his employment in Moss Beath Colliery, Cowdenbeath, belonging to the Fife Coal Company (Limited.) Artificial respiration was applied for an hour without avail, death having been instantaneous. Deceased was 28 years of age and leaves a widow and one child. [Scotsman 19 August 1929] Information from the Mines Inspector's report - 1929:  Electricity At Mossbeath Colliery, Fife, a fireman was found lying dead beside an electrically driven auxiliary fan two hours after he had last been seen.Medical evidence was to the effect that the death was due to electric shock, and the men who found the body say that they saw sparks issuing from the machinery casing.Examination of the motor showed that some of the stator winding connections were so abraded as to expose bare metal, and it is probable that there was an intermittent fault which made the whole casing of the motor and fan live, but which afterwards cleared itself.