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Details of Event: 3 April 1925: West Calder Pit Fatality – An unusual accident occurred at Loganlea Colliery yesterday morning; whereby Robert Laing, pitheadman, lost his life. It appears that Laing, who had been working in the fan-engine house, was killed as a result of the bursting of the flywheel of the fan-engine. The driving belt had broken, and he was on his way to stop the engine when the increased speed of the flywheel, caused it to burst. The gable end of the engine house was blown out, and deceased was found about twenty yards away, in a mutilated condition. He was a married man. [The Scotsman 4 April 1925] Information from the Inspectors of Mines - 1925: Sundries At Loganlea Colliery, Edinburgh, the pitheadman was in charge of the fan engine, which was in a locked house, the key being kept in the winding engine house. The fan engine was only visited every few hours for oiling purposes. The belt came off the pulleys and the engine began to race. The man in charge got the key and tried to shut steam off at the valve, but the engine had by then attained a terrific speed. He became scared and was bolting outside when the flywheel burst. The house was wrecked and a large portion of the rim of the fly-wheel struck the man, driving him right through the 9-in. brick gable end. The governor of the fan engine had been inoperative for years. This was rectified after the accident.