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Full Details

Surname
HENDRIE
Forename
John
Day
06
Month
03
Year
1925
Age
Occupation
Pump Engineer
Mine/Quarry Name
Loanhead
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Shotts Iron Co. Ltd
Location
Loanhead
County
Edinburghshire
Details of Event
Information from the Inspectors of Mines - 1925: Shaft Accident At Loanhead Colliery, Edinburgh, part of the workings had become flooded owing to the collapse of a pumping shaft and, to prevent further flooding, two steam pumps were being fitted in an inclined shaft. A mechanic was fetched from a colliery 40 miles away to do the work. He laboured for 22 hours continuously and got the pumps going. Completely exhausted, wet through, and nearly asleep, he never heard the warning given to him by another man and walked straight into the shaft from the level in which the pump had been installed. He had no light except that from the lamp of the man behind. He fell 860 ft. on a gradient of 62 deg. into the water. There had been a fence at the shaft edge, but it had been removed and not replaced when the pump was brought into the level.