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Full Details

Surname
HOGG
Forename
Henry
Day
18
Month
04
Year
1930
Age
Occupation
Pithead Worker
Mine/Quarry Name
Blairhall
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Coltness Iron Co. Ltd
Location
East Grange
County
Fifeshire
Details of Event
18 April 1930: Blairhall Pithead Worker's Death - The jury [at a FAI at Dunfermline Sheriff Court] then inquired into the death of Henry Hogg, pithead worker, Comrie Villages, Oakley, who died 18th April in the Dunfermline and West Fife Hospital from injuries received by him on 5th April at Blairhall Colliery, belonging to the Coltness Iron and Coal Company, in the course of his industrial occupation as a pithead worker there, and caused by a fall into a “duff” container at the pithead. David Gillespie, manager of the colliery, said that no one saw the accident. The only suggestion that he could offer was that deceased may have been standing on the summit of the duff. There were men working at the bottom, and they may have loosened the duff and as a consequence deceased may have fallen from the top and struck his head on the brickwork. He did not think there was any possibility of deceased coming in contact with the belts of the belting. Alex McGrory, an Irishman, who was working near the scene, said he never saw the accident. At 6pm he heard groans, and on going over towards the duff container he found deceased lying on his back. His body was submerged in duff. Deceased was only able to say “Get me out.” It was possible that deceased had fallen into the container, although the fencing was quite safe. There was a small wound on the back of his head. Dr Alan S Tuke said he attended deceased in hospital where he died suffering from a depressed fracture of the skull. There was a small wound in the rear of the head. The hole in the cap, produced in Court, was at the same part of the head as the wound. Witness agreed that a likely cause of the accident was that deceased's feet went from him, and as he was falling his head struck some projecting point such as a bolt. The jury returned a formal verdict. [Dunfermline Journal 31 May 1930]