| 1930,
21st February
THOMAS NICHOL
A most distressing accident occurred in Fauldhead No. 1 Colliery,
Kirkconnel, at a late hour on Friday night, whereby Thomas Nicol,
a coal miner, sustained terrible injuries, from which he died about
an hour and a half later. Deceased, who was 49 years of age, and resided
at 25 Nithside Terrace, was engaged as a coal-getter, and was working
on the afternoon shift. He had completed his shift, and left his “place"
to proceed homewards. Shortly afterwards, while other workmen were
on their way home, they found him lying on the side of the haulage
road suffering from severe injuries. It appears that he had got into
contact somehow with a train of loaded hutches, which, were proceeding
on their way to the "Wembley'' mine, which carried them. right
to the surface. The unfortunate man was conveyed to the pithead, and
was attended by Dr T. Bowman Edgar. He suffered from broken ribs and
a fractured spine, and was severely crushed all over. There was no
hope for his recovery, and he died at the pithead about eleven, o'clock,
fully an hour after the accident occurred.
The tragic happening created widespread regret in the district, and
much sympathy is felt for his bereaved family. He was a widower, and
leaves four of a family, three girls and a boy. Two of the former
are in situations, and the other, aged 16, kept house for her father.
The boy is aged 10 years.
His remains were laid to rest in Kirkconnel New Cemetery on Monday
afternoon, and the cortege included a very large body of his workmates.
The Rev. C. Forbes Charleson conducted a most impressive service,
both at the house of deceased and at the graveside.
Dumfries & Galloway Standard 26/02/1930 / W / 4 / F - MM32
KIRKCONNEL MINER'S DEATH.
Inquiry was also made with regard to the death of Thomas Nichol,
miner, 25 Nithside Terrace, Kirkconnel.
The evidence was to the effect that on 21st. February the deceased
was employed in Fauldhead Colliery, Kirkconnel. About nine o'clock
the deceased and another miner, James Duffy, left the coal face and
were walking along the haulage road, Duffy being about ten yards in
front of the deceased. At that time the haulage was in motion, and
Duffy met a small train of loaded trucks going towards the surface.
Duffy heard a shout, and after passing the hutches he found Nichol
lying practically between the rails. The haulage was stopped, and
Nichol was removed to the surface on a stretcher. Immediately before
hearing the shout Duffy had glanced back, and from the position of
the deceased's light judged that he was on the pathway between the
rails. The injured man died in the ambulance room about five minutes
past eleven the same night. It was stated that the deceased could
have been injured in three different ways — through riding on
hutches, through walking along the side of a hutch with his body resting
on it, or through falling between the hutches or in front of them.
Above the road for the loaded hutches there was mark on the roof as
if some sharp instrument or material had been drawn across the sandstone.
Medical evidence showed that death was due to surgical shock following
fractures of the sternal ribs and spinal column. The top of the deceased's
chest had been stove in, the damage having been caused by extreme
violence, probably by a sharp-edged object. There had been extreme
violence to the spine, which was pulped. There were no marks on deceased's
clothes indicating that a wheel or anything of that sort had gone
over his chest. The theory was put forward that the deceased might
have stumbled to the side, caught his foot in the rope, and fallen
between two travelling hutches. The deceased was a widower of 49 years
of age.
The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence.
Dumfries & Galloway Standard 26/03/1930 / W / 8 / D - MM32
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