Single Record

Full Details

Surname

JOHNSTONE

Forename

George

Day

01

Month

03

Year

1929

Age

Occupation

Mine/Quarry Name

Fleets

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Edinburgh Collieries Ltd

Location

Prestonpans

County

Haddingtonshire

Details of Event

1 March 1929: Heroic Miner – How 50 Men Were Saved – Tranent Pit Accident - A brave act by a Tranent mineworker was brought to the notice of East Lothian Education Authority yesterday in a letter from Mr Andrew Clarke, M.P., who called attention to the heroic deed with the object of the Authority bringing it before the Kilmarnock Hero Fund Trust. Mr Clarke stated that the person concerned was a young man named George Johnstone, 35 Haddington Road, Tranent, who was at work with his neighbour in the Fleets Pit, belonging to the Edinburgh Collieries Company, on Friday, 1st March. Their place was approaching an old working, and about midday there was a sudden burst of water, which came with great force, and this was almost immediately followed by a heavy volume of black damp. Both men could have escaped, though up to the waist in water, but young Johnstone, knowing that there were about 50 men working about three-quarters of a mile from the pit bottom, and who, unless they were warned, would be caught like rats in a trap, decided to go and do this, despite the fact that his mate told him that he also, as well as the men, would be lost. He set out on his mission and on reaching the men found that none of them was aware of what had happened. Old Roadway Blocked - By this time it was impossible for them to reach the pit bottom on account of the water and damp, and on the suggestion of a young lad of 16 years of age, who remembered having seen an old road that, if open, would take them to a higher seam, they set out, only to find, however, that the roadway was blocked by a fall of roof. Several other old roads were explored, but no passage through could be got. After many disappointments they, by accident, discovered a hole, which, by working in relays, they managed to make large enough to enable them to be pulled through by several other workmen who had gone to look for them. After being in peril for five hours the men were all got safely out, to the great joy of their relatives and friends, who had been waiting anxiously at the pithead. A Natural Impulse- Johnstone, when spoken to about the brave act he performed, modestly stated that he simply could not have tried to save himself, knowing that so many men's lives were in danger. He therefore simply obeyed what seemed to him a natural impulse - to try to save them, or at least take his chance together with them. The Authority unanimously commended the brave action of Johnstone, and it was resolved to ask the chairman, Dr Duncan R. Macdonald, Dunbar, to take whatever action was necessary to bring the deed under the notice of the Carnegie [Scotsman 22 March 1929] Mines Prosecution - Interesting Haddington Case - Evidence was led at considerable length in Haddington Sheriff Court yesterday in a mines prosecution in which three officials wore charged, The accused were Gilbert Rowan, Gled Albert Llewyellyn Brayne, both agents for the Edinburgh Colliery Company; and David Livingstone, mines under-manager, 4 Lammermoor Terrace, Tranent. The charge was that between 1st December 1928 and 1st March 1929 they failed to make adequate examination of the disused workings in the Fleets Pit in driving a cross measure drift, by neglecting to construct bore holes in a place likely to contain an accumulation of water, or, alternatively, failed to have bore holes kept in advance and in flank of the working which was approaching the disused portion of the pit. The evidence was of a technical nature, one of the points for the defence being that an influential Departmental Committee had carefully considered and criticised Section 68 of the Mines Act, and had found in some cases that it was inadequate in its provisions to ensure safety in the mine. Sheriff Jamieson found Livingstone not guilty, and Rowan and Brayne guilty of technical offences. His Lordship held that, as a matter of fact, any responsibility had ceased altogether for a long time before the mishap which occurred took place and which fortunately resulted in no loss of life. In the circumstances, therefore, he would dismiss them. Notice was given on behalf of the Crown and the defence for a stated case for appeal. [Scotsman 29 October 1929] Information from the Mines Inspector's report - 1929: One of the inrushes of water, that at Fleets Colliery, Haddington, was due to a stupid operation.A cross measure drift was driven up from near the bottom of a basin in one seam to another seam 15 yards above. Water was known to be in the basin in the upper seam, but the manager and his under officials pushed the drift through and water came down to the lower seam in such quantity that 40 miners were unable to get outbye for four and a half hours, and would not have got out even then but for the fact that an old road was found in another seam by which they were able to get to the shaft after a large fall in this road had been cleared.In the prosecution which followed, the Sheriff decided that the requirements of Section 68 of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, apply equally to a cross measure drift rising from one seam to another as to a road being driven in a seam itself.