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Full Details

Surname
McALPINE
Forename
James
Day
05
Month
09
Year
1927
Age
Occupation
Miner
Mine/Quarry Name
Broomrigg, No.2 Pit
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Banknock Coal Co. Ltd
Location
Bonnybridge
County
Stirlingshire
Details of Event
September 1927: Entombed Miners – Both Rescued Alive – A Dreadful Ordeal - The prolonged efforts to reach -the two men James M'Alpine, miner, Glasgow Road, Dennyloanhead, and James Docherty, miner, Banknock Terrace, Longcroft - who had been entombed in Broomrigg No.2 Pit, Dennyloanhead, Stirlingshire, since Tuesday evening, were successful yesterday morning, and the men were got out alive. Local miners from the No.1 Broomrigg Pit had worked incessantly from Tuesday night to clear the way into the new mine, in which the men were imprisoned by a heavy fall, and a brigade from the Mines Rescue Station, at Larbert had been in readiness at the pit since Tuesday night in case their services were necessary. After the inrush of moist material from old workings ceased on Wednesday night, the work of eating into the fall progressed much more rapidly, and about 6 am. a rod, which was forced through the debris to the spot where the men were thought to be, was found to be marked on being withdrawn. Soon afterwards an aperture was made, and the two men came to it and were got out. They had conserved their light during the period of imprisonment, rekindling the lamps now and again when they heard sounds so that they might see if anything was being passed through to them. They had withstood their awful ordeal wonderfully well, and when raised to the pithead were able to walk the few yards from the cage to the motor waiting to take them to their homes. Both seemed fairly cheery, and it was surprising to observe that Docherty, the older man and of much less powerful frame than his companion, showed the least trace of his dreadful experience. [Scotsman 9 September 1927]