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Full Details

Surname
WOOD
Forename
Charles
Day
05
Month
04
Year
1930
Age
40
Occupation
Brusher
Mine/Quarry Name
Fauldhead, No.3 Pit
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Sanquhar & Kirkconnel Collieries Ltd
Location
Kirkconnel
County
Dumfriesshire
Details of Event
5 April 1930: Crushed By Stone – Two Miners Killed At Kirkconnel After Giving Warning - In the early hours of Saturday two men, David Little (49), residing at 22 Colliery Buildings, Kirkconnel , and Charles Wood (40), of 8 M'Connel Street, Kelloholm, met a terrible death through being crushed by a gigantic rock which fell without any warning on top of them. Two pit surveyors who stood alongside the unfortunate men a few seconds before the tragedy occurred had a miraculous escape from the same fate. The two miners were working on night shift, and were engaged in "brushing" the roof of a main haulage road in No.3 pit, Fauldhouse Collieries, Kirkconnel, when they noticed a huge stone which appeared to them to be in danger of falling. While they were making an examination two surveyors came along the road. The miners called the latter's attention to the rock and advised them not to pass under it, but rather to take a side passage which would lead them back on to the main road on the other side of the stone some 20 yards ahead. The surveyors, fortunately, took the advice and thereby escaped the terrible fate which overtook the very men who had given them the warning. As they emerged from this side passage a moment or so after leaving Little and Wood they were struck dumb with horror to observe that the rock about which they had been warned had actually fallen. It had made no noise in doing so, and the unfortunate men were lying beneath it, having been killed instantaneously. It was obvious from their positions that they had been in the act of propping up the stone with wooden poles when the accident occurred. Both were terribly mutilated, as the weight of the rock was estimated at over three tons, and measured some 14 feet in length. Directly the surveyors realised what had happened, they raised the alarm, and men came hurrying from their work nearby, among them being the mate of the dead miners who had gone to the "road end" to ascertain the time. It was with great difficulty that Little and Wood were extricated, and it was obvious to their fellow workers that they had been killed outright. Their bodies were carried to the ambulance room in the colliery offices, and later taken to their respective homes. . Both men were married, and leave widows and families. [Scotsman 7 April 1930]