Newspaper Transcription MM68 |
| 1917, 28th December WILLIAM STEWART SANQUHAR PIT TRAGEDY CRAWICK MILL MINER’S LONELY DEATH A sensation was caused in the quiet mining village of Crawick Mill on Friday night when it became known that a well known and highly respected villager in the person of Mr. William Stewart, Jubilee Buildings, had not returned from his work man miner in Gateside Pit. He was one of the miners who descended the pit at nine o’clock in the forenoon, and who generally return home about six in the evening. When he did not return as usual his relatives became alarmed, and ultimately proceeded to the pit to make enquiries regarding him. A messengers was at once despatched by the manager to his working place, which is situated in the part known as the Tower Section, a considerable distance from the pit bottom. On reaching his place they were horrified to find his lifeless body lying at the “face”. Apparently he had been lying holding the coal, probably to prepare a shot for the morrow, when a piece of coal, weighing fully a hundred weight, had fallen on the top of his head and dislocated his neck. Death must have been instantaneous. None of those working in the near vicinity to him knew of the tragic occurrence, and no cries for assistance were head. He was working “single” as his mate has been unwell for some time. His body was removed to the surface, and afterwards to his home. News of the sad occurrence was not know among the Sanquhar men until Saturday morning, and those who reached the pit before 6 a.m., when informed of the sad e vent, decided not to go to work. They proceeded home and all those who were met on the road turned also out of respect for their dead comrade. Deceased, who was a native of Crawick Mill, was about 49 years of age and unmarried. He had been a miner for about 25 years. This is the only accident of a serious nature that has occurred at Gateside Pit during 1917, and, coming just on the eve of the New Year holidays, it has cast quite a gloom over the whole district. Dumfries & Galloway Standard 02/01/1917 / T / 3 / B - MM68
Yesterday Sheriff Campion and a jury held an inquiry into the circumstances
attending the death of William Stewart, miner, 1 Jubilee Buildings,
Crawick Viaduct, Sanquhar who was found killed by a fall of stone
in Gateside Colliery, Sanquhar on Friday, 28 December. The following
jury were empanelled: William A. Rodger, grocer, High Street; David
Smith, draper, High Street; James McCall Wyllie, baker, High Street;
James McGowan, hotelkeeper, 110 High Street; John Kirkpatrick, joiner,
Friars’ Vennel; James Turner, rope maker, Loreburn Street; and
John Selkirk, butcher, Queensbury Street. The inquiry was conducted
by Mr. R.Y. MacKay, procurator fiscal, and others in attendance were
Mr. A.H. Steele, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Glasgow; and Mr. James Borland
of the Mine Owners’ Association, Kilmarnock, for the Sanquhar
and Kirkconnel Collieries Ltd.
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