| 1904,
4th April,
WILLIAM SIM
KIRKCONNEL PIT FATALITY.
An inquiry under the Fatal Accidents Inquiry (Scotland) Act took place in the County Buildings, Dumfries, yesterday afternoon into the cause of death of William Sim, miner, 4 New Buildings, Kirkconnel, who succumbed on the 4th April to injuries which he received in an accident at Fauldhead Pit, Kirkconnel, in March last. Honorary Sheriff-Substitute Yorstoun occupied the bench, and the following were the jury: Mr Alfred Ward, hotel keeper; Mr Robert Wyper, spirit merchant; Mr Thomas Forsyth, grocer, St. Michael street; Mr William Johnstone, draper, 140 High Street; Mr. A. G. Robertson, clothier, Loreburn Street; Mr Joseph A. McNaught, shoemaker; and Mr George Shortt, spirit merchant, Whitesands. Mr C. S. Phyn, procurator-fiscal, conducted the enquiry. Mr. Ronaldson, inspector of mines, and Mr J. I. McConnel, the proprietor of the pit, were also present.
Joseph Graham, miner, residing at the model lodging-house, Kirkconnel, stated that he was working along with the deceased on the night of the accident in what was known as the "Creepie" working of Fauldhead coal pit. About 11.45 Sim was charging a bore hole with cartridges for the purpose of blowing down stone from the roof. He put in three, driving them home with a wooden rammer or stemmer, and then put in other three, when the explosion occurred. There were eight to go in altogether, and two were left, to one of which were attached a cap and fuse. He was four feet from Sim when the accident happened, standing behind him. His firm conviction was that the last cartridges were frozen and were not in proper working condition. When they were frozen they were usually warmed to bring them into proper working condition. In that condition they would explode more easily than if they had been warmed. The force by Sim in using the stemmer might have had a little to do with the accident. Both Sim and he were knocked down, and he called to Sim, but got no answer. He was taken to the Infirmary at Dumfries and Sim was removed to the Western Infirmary at Glasgow. - By Mr Ronaldson: It was hard frost on the night of the accident. The explosive used was gelignite, a nitro-glycerite explosive. It was brought from the magazine between ten and eleven. The two cartridges unused were left lying on the ground. It was a stemmer constructed entirely of wood which Sim used. When the charge went of he was using the stemmer in the usual way.
Francis Copeland, brusher, 28 New Buildings, Kirkconnel, stated that he saw Sim place the cartridges in the bore hole. He was standing about fifteen feet off and could not see how many Sim put in, but he thought he placed two. Sim used the wooden stemmer in the usual way by pressing the cartridges back into the hole. Witness had to pass the end of Sim's road, and was just turning away when he heard the report. He knew from the time that had elapsed that it was premature. Immediately afterwards he saw Sim on the ground with blood oozing from his head. Graham was lying face downwards also. Witness gave the alarm. Sim seemed unconscious, and his face was badly burned. - In reply to Mr Ronaldson witness stated that he received gelignite from Crosbie about ten o'clock or after. Crosbie was down previously with the gelignite. The usual time of coming down with the material was about twenty minutes to ten, and it was Crosbie's duty to bring it with him. Witness simply received the gelignite from Crosbie, and took it for granted that it would be all right.
James Crosbie, underground foreman, stated that he was working six yards from Sim but did not observe what he was doing. Witness generally put in two cartridges at a time, but often one. He heard the explosion, but did not see anything. He was on the spot immediately afterwards, however, and saw Sim lying face downwards but not unconscious. He was injured about the face and head. The two remaining cartridges were found the following Sunday and witness destroyed them. - Q. Could you not have taken off the cartridge? A. Not with safety. It would not have done taking them home in my pocket. The gelignite was always thawed out during the day. - Q. Might it not have been frozen again? A. It might, but there was nothing wrong with the stuff. - Do you know as a matter of fact that it was thawed? A. It would be. Q. You mean by that answer that it might be, but was it? A. I do not know. Some of them don't need thawing.
Examined by Mr Ronaldson, witness said he went about ten o'clock for the explosive. The man who thawed the cartridges generally left the magazine about five o'clock. He filled his pans with hot water about that time. Q. Do you know as a matter of fact that previous to this explosion, and on the day of the accident, whether warming pans were being used to thaw cartridges? A. I could not say. I took the cartridges out of a wooden box. They were not in a warming pan. - Mr Ronaldson: it therefore stands to reason that for at least five hours they were lying exposed to the temperature in the magazine and not in the warming pans. Had you instructions about seeing to their proper thawing? A. There's an old man there for that purpose. I have been told many a time by Mr Russell the manager. - Q. What steps did you take that day to see that they were thawed? A. I took no steps. - Q. You took them as you found them? A. I always take the soft ones: never the hard. Q. Did you consider that these cartridges were safe to take down? Yes, or I would not have used them. - Are you still of the same opinion that you took sufficient precaution? A. I am. - Q. Will you do the same again? A. I will. - Q. Exactly the same? A. Yes. - Mr. Ronaldson: Well, I think you should not be there.
In answer to the Sheriff, witness said he had no idea what the temperature was, but there were not many degrees of frost. - It was just a sort of frosty atmosphere without being severe? A. Yes.
The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence, and voted their fees to the Infirmary.
Dumfries & Galloway Standard 07/05/1904 / W / 4 / E - MM04
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