| 1908,
15th June
ROBERT HENDERSON
FATAL ACCIDENT AT SANQUHAR COAL PIT
On Monday forenoon, about eleven o’clock, an unfortunate accident
occurred at Gateside pit, Sanquhar, whereby Robert Henderson, roadman,
lost his life. Deceased, who was 73 years of age, was employed as
a roadman in a small section of the pit known as Harris’s mine.
At present, however, crushing operations are going on the road. At
the time of the accident deceased was engaged conversing with the
manager, Mr. James Bauld, and a miner named Thomas Harris, when suddenly,
without any warning a large piece of stone, probably weighing four
or five cwts., fell from the roof and struck Henderson on the head,
killing him instantaneously. Mr Harris, in endeavouring to draw the
unfortunate man from underneath the s tone, received a knock on the
back and had his hand injured. Mr. Bauld speedily secured the assistance
of the other members of the squad, and the stone was soon removed;
but life was extinct. The body was removed to the pithead, where it
was examined by Dr. Rodger, and afterwards removed to his home in
Castle Street.
Deceased, who was one of the oldest men in the employment of the
Sanquhar and Kirkconnel Collieries Ltd., was greatly respected in
the works, and the sad event caused a painful sensation amongst his
fellow workmen. On the news spreading through the colliery the miners
at once ceased work of the day, and the afternoon shift, who descend
the pit at 2.30 had a day off. Mr. Henderson was widely known and
greatly respected in the Sanquhar and Kirkconnel district; and the
unfortunate occurrence cast a gloom over the district. He is survived
by his widow and a grown up family. Much sympathy is felt for Mrs.
Henderson (who is at present in rather poor health) in her bereavement.
But for the sad occurrence Mr. And Mrs. Henderson would have celebrated
their golden wedding two months hence; and a daughter intended to
make the long journey from the United States to be present at the
celebrations.
Dumfries & Galloway Standard 17/06/1908 / W / 6 / C -
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THE SANQUHAR PIT FATALITY
A public inquiry under the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry
(Scotland) Act, 1906, was held in the Sheriff Courthouse yesterday
into the cause of the death of Robert Henderson, colliery roadsman,
Castle Street, Sanquhar, as the result of an accident in Gateside
Colliery on 15th-June. Mr. W. Primrose of Primrose Hill, Honorary
Sheriff-Substitute, was on the bench, and the following jury were
empanelled: Mr Hugh Brown, draper; Mr J. W. Drummond, plumber; Mr
John Brodie, draper; Mr George Armstrong,- grocer; Mr A. McAllister,
seeds man; Mr S. Glencross, Queen Street; and Mr. J. F. Maas, photographer.
Mr C. S. Phyn conducted the inquiry, and Mr. J. Whitelaw, solicitor,
appeared for the colliery company, Mr Russell, the manager, being
also in attendance.
Thomas Stitt, miner, 4 Castle Street, Sanquhar, stated that on 15th
June he was engaged in Gateside colliery, along with Thomas Harris
and David Menzies, laying a road for a stow hole for the debris caused
by blasting. They fired a shot about nine o’clock in the morning.
They took their breakfast : until the smoke cleared away, and after
that they cleared the place to get the-road made. Some two hours after
that the manager, Mr Bauld, called to witness and Menzies, and said
that Henderson had been killed. They went up the road and helped to
lift a stone of the top of Henderson, who was dead. He could see that
the stone had fallen from the roof. After the blast Harris had tapped
the roof with his pick to see if it was safe, and both Menzies and
witness did so after him. They thought it was quite secure. He thought
the stone would weigh between four and five cwts. Cross-examined by
Mr Whitelaw: After the shot had been fired they went back to the place,
and it was then they tapped the roof with their picks. That was the
usual way of testing it. Harris was an experienced man in this kind
of work, and they followed the usual course. The roof sounded all
right to them.
David Menzies, miner, Crawick Mill, corroborated. In cross-examination
he said that Harris was an experienced man in firing shots and everything
in connection with the work, and they followed the usual course of
tapping the roof with their picks to see if it was safe. Before the
accident, Mr Bauld, Henderson, and Harris left them and went up the
road to where the shot had been fired. Re-examined by Mr Phyn, witness
said Harris was also injured at the same time, a stone striking him
on the back.
Mr Phyn produced a medical certificate stating that T. Harris was
unable to attend the inquiry, and said this was rather unfortunate,
as he was an important witness.
Tames Bauld, colliery manager, Gateside colliery, stated that on the
day in question he had occasion to be in the pit where Stitt and Menzies
were working and he went to a place where a shot had been fired that
morning to see how the work was progressing. Harris and the deceased
Henderson were with him. Witness was sitting on the top o the debris
putting a new wick in his lamp, which had gone out. Harris was sitting
beside him and Henderson was sitting underneath the face which they
were brushing when the stone came down on him. Witness had passed
under it just a minute before. It fell just about two feet from where
witness and Harris were sitting. Harris tried to save Henderson, and
the stone struck him on the back. Witness had not tested the place
in any way before the stone fell, but he believed that had been done.
It was the duty of these who fired the shot to see if the place was
safe. The whole stone would weigh about 25 cwts., but it broke in
falling, and the part that struck Henderson would weigh about five
cwts. Henderson was 71 years of age, and had left a widow. Cross-examined:
Harris was an experienced man, and it was his duty as foreman to test
the roof after the shot. It would be impossible for witness to inspect
all the places after shots, and his duty was that of general inspection
and general direction of the work. He happened to be there in connection
with the general brushing of that road, and he did not intend to inspect
the roof, as he understood it had been done by Harris and the other
men. Harris was a very careful man. He had no theory as to how the
stone came down, and he could not explain it. He made enquiries, and
Harris assured him that the roof had been tested.
The jury returned a formal verdict, and requested that their fees
should be given to the Sanquhar Nursing Association.
Dumfries & Galloway Standard 04/07/1908 / S / 7 / A -
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