Single Record

Full Details

Surname

SINCLAIR

Forename

Samuel Mighton

Day

06

Month

10

Year

1935

Age

25

Occupation

Oncost Worker

Mine/Quarry Name

Carriden

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Carriden Coal Co. Ltd

Location

Bo’ness

County

Linlithgowshire

Details of Event

6 October 1935: Scottish Colliery Explosion – One Man Killed & Five Injured - John McGarry, a miner of Bo'ness, West Lothian, died yesterday of the effects of an explosion at Carriden Colliery, in which he and five others were severely burned on Sunday night. Four of the men - John O'Harra, Tom Grant, James McCallum, and Alex Sinclair - all of Bo'ness, have been detained in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. The sixth man, John Forrest, also of Bo'ness, was able to return home yesterday. He told a reporter: "We were suddenly blinded by a flash like lightning. This was followed by a terrific gust of hot air, which threw us off our feet. All lamps went out and I could hear cries for help in the darkness. I did not know where the explosion had occurred, and I was afraid of moving into the danger area instead of away from it. Then I heard the shouts of a rescue party and I managed to crawl towards them. McCallum and I were farther away from the place where it happened than the other injured men, and that is probably why I escaped more lightly." The rescue party's search in the dark for the injured men was described by James Cowan, of William Street, Bo'ness. He said : "We could hear moans and shouts for help and we started to grope our way along the roadway in pitch darkness. We had to move slowly because we could not see whether the roof had been damaged or not, and we were in constant terror that there would be a second explosion. The air was thick with dense coal dust. We came upon Forrest who said that he was not badly hurt. Crawling farther along the roadway we located the other men one by one. They were widely scattered by the force of the explosion. Some of them were seriously burned and their clothing had been burned off." It is believed that the explosion was caused by a large stone from the roof falling on the power cable. [The Times 8 October 1935] Bo'ness Pit Explosion - One Man Fatally Injured - Five Others Hurt - One of six miners injured in an explosion which occurred at a late hour on Sunday night in the Dock Pit, Bo'ness, belonging to the Carriden Coal Company (Ltd.), died in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary yesterday afternoon. He was John M'Garry (43), of South Street, Bo'ness, and he leaves a widow and three children, the eldest of whom is 10 years. The other five men involved in the explosion were burned about the head, arms, and body. They are:- John O'Hara (35) , married, North Street, Bo'ness. James M'Callum (26), married, Fordale Terrace, Bo'ness; Thomas Grant (32), married, William Street, Bo'ness; Sam Sinclair (25), single, West Bog, Bo'ness. John Forrest (56), married, Dock Street, Bo'ness. The men were all detained in Edinburgh Infirmary, with the exception of John Forrest, who was allowed to return home yesterday morning. It was learned yesterday that O'Hara and Sinclair were in a critical condition. Flung To The Ground - The explosion occurred in a section situated under the bed of the Firth of Forth about one mile from the shore. The six men involved in the accident were working in the Seven Feet Coal Section. Three of them were shifting pans (receptacles for holding coal) forward to the coal face in preparation for the next shift coming on, and the other three were engaged in cutting coal at the face. Suddenly, without any warning, an explosion occurred, and coal dust rose in choking clouds. The force of the explosion flung the six men to the ground. In a neighbouring section, about 20 yards nearer the pit bottom, other six men were working. They, too, felt the force of the explosion. Clouds of dust and acrid smoke rolled down the passage-way connecting the sections. The explosion threw some of the men to the ground, but fortunately they were uninjured and soon regained their feet. The men in this section realised that something serious had happened, and they were making preparations to leave the danger zone when they heard cries for help coming from the men who had been working nearer the explosion area. They immediately retraced their steps, and went to the assistance of their fellow-workers. Rescue Work - The rescue work was described by James Cowan (28), of 7 William Street, Bo'ness, who was one of the first men to reach those who had been injured. "We heard No.loud report" said Cowan. "There was only a slight hissing noise, but a blast of hot air and black smoke blew out on us from the main road, where the explosion occurred. Judging by the force of the blast, we assumed that the explosion had occurred about twenty yards down the road. We were blinded by the clouds or smoke which poured down the passage way, and we had to struggle through the poisonous atmosphere to the assistance of our workmates. With our hands held over our mouths to keep out the choking dust, we groped our way along the passage. The feeble rays of our safety lamps did little to lighten the darkness caused by the smoke. Our fellow-workers were in a pitiful condition. Some were gasping for breath, and others seemed to be in a state of collapse. I got hold of Sinclair. He was standing propped against the wall of the mine, but he said to me, 'I am going to drop.' As quickly as I could I assisted him down the passage. The other rescuers each took out a man. We were glad to get back to a place where we could breathe freely again. Meanwhile thirty other miners had arrived to help with the rescue work. Along with David Guthrie, I went up the pit to bring down stretchers. By the time we got back the rescuers were carrying the injured men to the pit-bottom, a distance of about a mile from the section where the explosion occurred." "A Scorching Flame" - John Forrest, who returned from the Infirmary yesterday, is suffering from extensive burns to his back, shoulders, and arms. "I was working along with James M'Callum preparing for the next shift coming on duty" Forrest told a reporter. " O'Hara and Sinclair were engaged at the coal face cutting coal, and was setting up props. Suddenly, without warning, there was the flash of an explosion, and I was knocked off my feet. My back and neck were burned with a scorching flame, and I leapt aside in great pain. The clothing was burned off my back, and in the confusion that followed I could make out little. My first instinct was to make for the pit bottom, but I was almost paralysed with the shock. After a while I struggled out, and was picked up by the rescue party." Three years ago this month Forrest's son, who was also called John Forrest, was killed in the same pit by a runaway hutch. His son was 24 years of age. Two inspectors from the Mines Department in Edinburgh have conducted an inquiry into the cause of the explosion. Safety lamps only are used in the workings. One theory is that the explosion may have been caused by a large stone from the roof falling on the electricity power cable. [Scotsman 8 October 1935] Condition of Injured Bo'ness Miners - The four miners who were detained in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, suffering from injuries caused by an explosion on Sunday night in the Dock Pit, Bo'ness, were stated yesterday to have spent a fairly comfortable night. The condition of John O'Hara, considered to be the most serious case; was slightly better. The section in which the explosion occurred was still idle yesterday. It was opened only a fortnight ago. [Scotsman 9 October 1935] Bo'ness Pit Explosion - Death of Another Miner - A second death has occurred as a result of the recent pit explosion at Bo'ness. Samuel Sinclair (25), of Main Street, Bo'ness, has died in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary from his injuries. Sinclair's death follows that on Monday last week of John M'Garry, another of the six men injured by the explosion. Sinclair had been working at the coal face when the explosion occurred. [Scotsman 14 October 1935] Third Death Follows Bo'ness Pit Explosion - Thomas Grant, aged 33, of East Bog, Bo'ness, died in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary yesterday from injuries sustained in the recent explosion in the Dock Pit, Bo'ness. His death brings the death-roll of the accident, in which six miners were injured, up to three. Grant, who was a native of Bo'ness, leaves a widow, a Gorebridge woman, and a son, who is barely two years of age. An improvement in the condition of two other men, John O'Hara and James M'Callum, who are still detained in the Infirmary, was reported last night. [Scotsman 16 October 1935] NAS FAI "John McGerr, pan shifter, 64 South Street, Bo'ness, Samuel Mighton Sinclair, oncost worker, 22 Main street, Bo'ness and Thomas Grant, pan shifter, 1 East Bog, Bo'ness, died on 7, 10 and 15 October 1935, respectively, at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, from injuries sustained on 6 October 1935 in Carriden Colliery, Bo'ness, West Lothian, following an explosion of firedamp" Newspaper report - Lothians pages