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Full Details

Surname
BROWN
Forename
James
Day
18
Month
06
Year
1925
Age
Occupation
Miner
Mine/Quarry Name
Fauldhead, Nos 1 & 2
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Sanquhar & Kirkconnel Collieries Ltd
Location
Kirkconnel
County
Dumfriesshire
Details of Event
18 June 1925: Shot-Firing Accident at Kirkconnel - Yesterday afternoon, James Brown, Riverside , Kirkconnel, was seriously injured while engaged at the coal face in Fauldhead Colliery. He had charged a shot, which, apparently, hung fire, and after waiting some time he returned to the face, when the charge went off. He received the full force of the explosion, and suffered terrible injuries. His left hand was blown off, and his face and head were seriously injured. His condition is critical. [Scotsman 19 June 1925] James Brown died 20 June 1925 in Dumfries Infirmary Information from the Inspectors of Mines - 1925: Explosives At Fauldhead 1 and 2 Colliery, Dumfries, a miner was working alone in a heading 12 ft. wide by 4 ft. high in a naked light section. The shots were fired with detonators and fuse by the men themselves. He had two coal holes bored and the fireman came in and gave him two detonators. One shot was fired successfully and deceased stemmed and lit the second shot. A miss-fire occurred and the miner waited over an hour before going back to the shot hole. He had not been back long before the shot exploded and inflicted such terrible injuries that he died three days later. It is not known whether deceased tampered with the shot, as he was working alone.