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Full Details

Surname
GORDON
Forename
Alexander
Day
28
Month
08
Year
1919
Age
28
Occupation
Miner
Mine/Quarry Name
Valleyfield
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Fife Coal Co. Ltd
Location
Newmills
County
Fifeshire
Details of Event
29 August 1919: Fife Miner Asphyxiated - A distressing accident took place yesterday at the Fife Coal Company's Valleyfield colliery, resulting in the death from asphyxiation of Alexander Gordon, miner, Main Street. Lowvalleyfield , and, the narrow escape of an elder brother, Joseph Gordon, miner, residing at the same address. In search of nails, Alexander entered a heading which had been closed. He was absent for some time, and his brother went in search of him, finding him unconscious. Joseph also collapsed. A search party found the brothers together, both unconscious. Under treatment Joseph recovered, but the other succumbed. [Scotsman 30 August 1919] Miner Suffocated - Alexander Gordon (28), miner, who resided in Main Street, Low Valleyfield, met his death by suffocation in Valleyfield Colliery on Friday morning. Gordon went in search of nails and entered one of the headings which had been shut off for some time. His brother, Joseph Gordon, missed him a little later and found him prostrated, and he also collapsed. Other workmen volunteered assistance and ultimately got both men out from amongst the deadly gas to the main road. At the pithead Joseph recovered, but Alexander was beyond all aid. The others of the rescue party were considerably affected by the foul air. [Dunfermline Journal 30 August 1919] Workmen's Compensation - House of Lords and Breach of Rules - Court of Session Decisions Reversed - The House of Lords yesterday reversed the judgement of the First Division of the Court of Session in three appeals arising out of the Workmen's Compensation Act which raised the question, whether or not a workman who did something in breach of prohibitions took himself outside of the sphere of his employment. In the second case, where the Fife Coal Co. were again the appellants, Alexander Gordon, Low Torrie, Newmills, on 28th August 1919, went in search of lattice nails to a portion of the heading above the level where he was working, and which had been fenced off for five weeks prior to the accident. He was overcome by gas, and died before he was rescued. Sheriff-Substitute Umpherston found that Gordon broke the regulations by entering the danger zone, but did not find that Gordon did so in the interests of the employers. He also found that Gordon knew where nails could be obtained without incurring the risk of entering a gas-infected zone. The First Division, in making an award in favour of Gordon's mother and sister, decided the case on the assumption that Gordon broke the regulations in the interests of the Coal Company. The House of Lords yesterday allowed the appeal of the employers in all three cases. [Scotsman 18 December 1920]