| 1927,
30th August
ANDREW LANG BURNS
KIRKCONNEL FATALITY.
Haulageman Killed at Fauldhead Pit.
No. 1 Fauldhead Pit, Kirkconnel, was the scene of a tragic accident
yesterday afternoon, which resulted in the death of a popular young:
man, Andrew Lang Burns, 19 years of age, who resided with his parents
at 9 Eliock Place, Kellobank. The lad was employed as a haulageman,
and was in charge of a motor haulage to supply a small section with
empty hutches, and likewise take away their loaded hutches. The cause
of the accident is not clear, but he had lowered hutches down the
incline, and, it appears, was drawn by the rope on to the drum and
was dragged round about it several times before the motor came to
a standstill. He received terrible injuries, his skull being fractured
and his legs smashed, besides bruises about the body. His perilous
position was discovered by a lad, James Melvin, who immediately raised
the alarm, and soon willing hands rushed to the spot and relieved
him. He was still alive when relieved, but before he reached the foot
of the daylight mine leading to the surface he passed away. The body,
after being examined by Dr Edgar, was conveyed to his parents, home
in Kellobank, and as the sad procession passed along the streets there
were many manifestations of deep sorrow.
The deceased was an amiable lad, and was most popular with everybody
in the village.
In the same pit James Wilson, miner, who resides at the Institute,
received a bruised hand. He was engaged at the coal face, and was
in the act. of setting up his boring machine to prepare for blasting
operations, when the machine slipped and struck him full force on
the left hand, causing a nasty cut and bruise.
George White (20), who resides with his parents at Kelloholm, was
also injured in No. 1 Fauldhead Pit yesterday forenoon. He was engaged
as a haulageman, and while adjusting a clutch his right foot became
jammed between two loaded rakes of hutches, and his foot was badly
braised.
These accidents coming altogether created a gloom over the entire
Kirkconnel district.
Dumfries & Galloway Standard - MM26
KIRKCONNEL FATALITY.
Inquiry Into Haulageman’s Death.
Sheriff Brand and a jury held a public inquiry in the Sheriff Court
House, Dumfries, yesterday into the circumstances attending the death
of Andrew Lang Burns, haulage engineman, 2 Eliock Place, Kellobank,
which occurred as the result of an accident on 30th August. The following
jury was empanelled: Miss Madge Stoba, Cressington, Edinburgh Road;
James W. Ferguson, Harvieston, Lockerbie Road; Mrs Mary Ann Wallace,
Denham Villa, Charnwood Road; Bernard J. Willman, 4 Carnagie Street;
Miss Catherine Young, 123 Broom's Road; Miss Ellen M. Weir, Ardgowan,
Lockerbie Road; Mr John Thomas, 24 Cardoness Street.
The inquiry was conducted by Mr R. Y. Mackay, procurator-fiscal; and
there were also present Mr A. Inglis, solicitor, Kilmarnock, representing
the Sanquhar and Kirkconnel Collieries, Ltd., and Mr H. J. Finney,
Inspector of Mines.
The evidence was to the effect that about nine o'clock in the morning
of Tuesday, 30th August, the deceased, a young unmarried man of nineteen
years of age, was in charge of the electrically-driven haulage motor
and drum in Cooper's Dook, Calmstone section of No. 1 pit, Fauldhead
Colliery, Kirkconnel. The steel haulage rope was wound round the drum
as the hutches were drawn up, and it was unwound as the empty hutches
were being lowered to the coal face. Shortly before nine o'clock a
haulage man, who had been sent to help Burns to fill water, on going
to his working place found everything at a standstill and Burns clinging
to the drum. He went for assistance and on the arrival of some of
the colliers it was found that Burns was lying on the drum with his
legs over it and his head down, and the left leg held tightly by the
haulage rope, which had to be cut in order that he might be released.
The deceased appeared to be seriously injured about the head, and
there were evidences of his head having come in contact with the girders
of the roof and with bars underneath the drum. The Motor and drum,
with the exception of the control side, was fenced round, and a part
of the fence was found to be bent, and there were four empty hutches
up against the drum. Burns was released in an unconscious condition,
and died almost immediately, about half-past nine. No one saw what
had occurred, and as the deceased had been letting down empty hutches,
and two of them had taken the wrong rails, the theory was advanced
that with the hutches jumping the road the rope stopped, but the drum
went on, causing the rope to slacken about twenty feet. Deceased had
then started the motor up slowly, and probably gone to the front to
control the rope by hand, got caught by the rope and been whirled
several times round the drum. The body was examined by Dr Edgar, Kirkconnel,
and it was found that deceased had suffered a fracture of the skull,
and that death was due to surgical shock following compound fracture
of the skull, accompanied by probable injury to the brain.
The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence, and added
a rider that they were of opinion that the deceased was too young
to meet an emergency such as evidently occurred.
Dumfries & Galloway Standard 22/10/1927 / S / 11 / D - MM26
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