Single Record

Full Details

Surname

McLAUGHLIN

Forename

Edward

Day

14

Month

04

Year

1937

Age

Occupation

Miner

Mine/Quarry Name

Gateside, No.1 Pit

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Flemington Coal Co. Ltd

Location

Cambuslang

County

Lanarkshire

Details of Event

14 April 1937 Battery in Safety Lamp Pit - Hamilton Inquiry - An inquiry was held by Sheriff Walker, and a jury at Hamilton yesterday into the death of Edward M'Laughlin, miner, 28 Colebrook Street, Cambuslang, who died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary on April 14 from injuries sustained in an explosion in No. 1 Pit, Gateside Colliery, Cambuslang. John Purdie, colliery manager, 15 Glebe Street, Airdrie, said deceased was employed as a brusher in the Gilbertfield section, and his work involved blasting at the coal-face. The appointed shotfirer was William Crawford , whose duty it was to perform or supervise the stemming of any shot, and to fire the shots. Deceased was working with a man named Hutton, but neither had authority to fire shots. The pit was a safety-lamp pit, and the men were inspected every day to prevent matches being taken into it. Witness said he learned of the accident; and interviewed Hutton, who said he and M'Laughlin were boring holes for shots. Crawford left detonators for the holes and went away, but returned and gave M'Laughlin a dry battery. Hutton saw M'Laughlin tinkering with the ends of the battery, and heard a shot go off. M'Laughlin proceeded to connect up another shot, and while he was doing so, Hutton himself took up the ends of the battery and started to play about with them. There was an explosion, and M'Laughlin was injured. Witness then spoke to Crawford, who said that when he was going to his work-place that day he was handed the battery by the shotfirer of the early shift, who said he found it. He gave the battery to M'Laughlin, with whom he had left a number of shots, and then left the work-place. In reply to the Fiscal, witness said the dry battery (which was produced in Court) was unauthorised, and should not have been in the pit. Shaw, the first shotfirer, should have reported the finding of the battery to the management on finishing his shift. It was also Crawford's duty to do this. Interviewed after the accident Shaw said he had received the battery from a young workman , and had not reported it in order to give the lad a chance. John Goodfellow, miner, 26 Somerville Road, Cambuslang, said on going to his working place the day before the accident he found a dry battery. He was concerned about it, as he considered it to be dangerous in the pit. He gave it to the shotfirer Shaw, who advised him to "get it out of the road, or you'll get us all in jail." Shaw took the battery and witness saw him throw it among the waste. John Hutton, 9 Silverbanks Street, Cambuslang , who was warned by the Sheriff that he need not answer questions unless he wished to, said he and M'Laughlin went into the section. Crawford asked if they would fire the shots, as he had something to do in another mine. Witness and M'Laughlin bored five holes and stemmed three of them. One of the shots was fired. M'Laughlin went into the coal-face to connect a second. Witness heard the cry, "Fire," and, looking round, saw a miner's light down the road. He thought this was M'Laughlin going to safety and fired the shot. After the firing of the shot he saw that the man he thought was M'Laughlin was another workman. He did not realise that M'Laughlin was injured, until told by another workman. John Shaw, colliery shotfirer, 458 Hamilton Road, Halfway, Cambuslang. who was also warned by the Sheriff, said he was handed a dry battery on the day before the accident. He put it aside, and told the backshift fireman about it before he went off duty. He told the backshift fireman if it was his he should get rid of it. After William Crawford, colliery shotfirer, 37 Graham's Buildings, Halfway, Cambuslang , who was also warned by the Sheriff, had given evidence, the Fiscal said that concluded the inquiry. It was apparent that further inquiry would be made by his department , and in all the circumstances he asked that a formal verdict be returned meantime. The jury returned a formal verdict. [Scotsman 14 May 1937]