Single Record

Full Details

Surname

GALLOWAY

Forename

David Cook

Day

03

Month

06

Year

1931

Age

Occupation

Electric Linesman

Mine/Quarry Name

Kirkford, No.10 Pit

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Fife Coal Co. Ltd

Location

Cowdenbeath

County

Fifeshire

Details of Event

3 June 1931: Kelty Electrician's Fatal Mistake - The jury [at a FAI in Dunfermline] next inquired into the death of David Cook Galloway, electric linesman, Hutton's Buildings, Black Road, Kelty, who died on 3rd June at No.10 Colliery, Kirkford, belonging to the Fife Coal Co., having been killed by electric shock from one of the transmission lines in the course of his employment as a linesman there. George Adams, the foreman electrical linesman of the Fife Coal Company, said deceased was in his charge and had been employed with the Company since 1929 on surface work. On many occasions he had travelled the Kirkford line. On the day in question, witness said he gave deceased his orders to take other two men and examine the low voltage line as there had been some trouble the night before. Deceased went up the pole which was live, and this caused his death. Before sending deceased to do the work, witness said he isolated the high voltage. The lines consisted of 3000 volts and 6000 volts. The low voltage was live, and he told deceased it was the high one which he had to examine. Witness said there was little difference in the isolators. He did not think, looking up at both poles, that it was possible to distinguish which was the high or low line. William Renny, Keltyhill Road, Kelty, said he was an electrical linesman. He was with deceased when the accident occurred. Deceased, he said, decided to climb the pole on the west side of the road near Kirkford Colliery. Deceased commenced to climb the pole and continued until he reached the wire, when sparks came flying out of his boots. Witness said he knew then that the wire was live, and he ran to the substation at Kirkford to tell what had happened. When he returned deceased had fallen down. William Finnie, another linesman, said when they arrived at the pole he told deceased that it was the Mossbeath line, and therefore was live. Deceased said he knew better. When he was at the bottom of the ladder he pushed witness aside and said he was positive it was not the Mossbeath line. Deceased was electrocuted through a mistake in thinking it was a dead line. After his being so positive, witness thought he himself was wrong. John M'Caskill, retired fireman, 1 Old Pit Row, Kirkford, said he was standing outside his house when deceased fell down the pole. He was taken into witness's house where he died. A formal verdict was returned. [Dunfermline Journal 13 June 1931]