Newspaper Transcription MM66 |
| 1911, 22nd July JAMES MURDOCH FATAL COLLIERY ACCIDENT A sad mining accident occurred at Gateside Pit, Sanquhar, during
the early hours of Saturday morning, whereby James Murdoch, aged 19,
and residing with his parents at Crawick Viaduct, lost his life. The
deceased lad, who was a miner, worked with an elder brother and they
were on night shift last week, descending the shaft at nine in the
evening and finishing about six in the morning. About two o’clock
in the morning, he was coming from the coal face with a loaded hutch
of coals, making for the lye by which the hutches are conveyed further
by means of a wheel brae. A short distance from the face a roadman
named Robert McGauchie was repairing a crossing when the deceased
came forward with his hutch. Being in a hurry to secure another empty
hutch Murdoch asked McGauchie to let him pass; and McGauchie rose,
with the intention of finishing the crossing after the hutch had passed.
Without any warning a huge stone fell from the roof and struck Murdoch
on the head, knocking him outwards and jamming him across the thighs.
The alarm was at once given and assistance procured. Andrew Douglas
and Robert Wyllie raised the stone and extricated the unfortunate
lad. He was alive then, but expired on the way to the shaft, which
is a quarter of a mile distant. Robert McGauchie, the roadman, had
a narrow escape, as the stone carried away is cap and lamp. With the
exception of the shock he is nothing the worse. The stone weighed
about 15 cwts. Was fully 7 feet long and at one end was 9 inches thick,
tapering to a point at the other end.
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