Clackmannanshire pre-1855 Accidents

This section contains newspaper reports on accidents in Clackmannanshire. Please check the indexes in the Accidents Section for other areas.

February 1826

Fatal Accidents (From the Stirling Journal, March 9) – Francis Batterson, an industrious workman at Devon Iron Works, had, on Tuesday the 28th ult, been, with four of his sons and a daughter, engaged in driving a level in one of the company's coal-pits; and about three o'clock in the afternoon, the whole were assembled at the bottom of the shaft waiting for the bucket to take them up. The colliers all having left their work, and no engine going to draw them to the top, they were about repairing to another pit, in which there is a stair provided for the ascent of the workmen (and by which they are expressly enjoined to go to and return from their work) when they heard some people in the shaft changing a box in the pump for drawing water, whom they ordered to tell the engine-man at the top to draw them up, which they neglected to do, so that when the engine started it was only to place, as usual, the bucket in mid-pit till next day, and consequently one guard was taken away from the safety of their ascent. It is customary, and, indeed, a rule that ought in no case to be deviated from, when people do ascend, to hook the bucket securely previous to going into it, but at this moment the unfortunate father had either been impressed with the idea that they had too little time, or had trusted to a dexterity of performing it after they were in it, which a long practice had rendered familiar, but not safe. Accordingly, his two youngest sons and a daughter were placed within the bucket. the two elder sons taking their station on its edge, and the father had placed only one foot on it, when the engine suddenly started with the unfortunate group with only one of the hooks secured; the father was instantly thrown out, the two elder sons leaped off but the two younger, with the daughter, were in a few seconds carried up in perilous situation beyond the reach of help, and even beyond the dreary limits of hope, the bucket hanging by one side. Their case was now truly awful, and infinitely more so on account of their being fully alive to their danger, which was evident from the bitter cries of the poor girl, and the agonizing and frantic shrieks of her little brother, while attempting to make himself heard by the engineman above. When they had ascended upwards of 100 feet, the sound reached the top, and the man at the engine suspecting something wrong, immediately reversed the motion; but this only hastened the catastrophe, for the bucket beginning to descend, the bottom was caught on the frame-work of the pit, and tearing off the iron band or lug, in which the only hook was fixt, dropped, and precipitated the whole to the bottom. Humanity shudders to carry her eye to the sequel!—the poor girl, who had just attained her 16th year, was in a moment dashed on the iron plates which cover the bottom, and dreadfully mangled; the elder boy, who was about eleven years of age, by the same rough passage was hurried into eternity; and the third, who is nine years old, was also taken up for dead, while the father and the two other sons very narrowly escaped being crushed to death by the descending bucket and their helpless relatives. We are glad to announce that the youngest boy is now in a fair way of recovery, though he met with a fractured thigh and arm, and was otherwise much bruised. Yesterday afternoon, while our correspondent was sealing the packet containing the accounts of the above, another fatal accident happened in the same pit. A young man, John Hunter, about 20 years of age, was coming up on a bucket of coals, and had ascended a considerable way, when a beam of wood, which supports the partition of the pit, fell down upon him and killed him. The body was taken, up at the bottom of the shaft, without a single symptom of animation; Hunter had only lately recovered from a fractured thigh which he met with by part of the roof of the workings falling on him [The Times March 14 1826]

28 May 1836

A fatal accident occurred on Saturday the 28th ultimo, to the person who had charge of the steam engine at Mr Maxton's colliery, near Dollar. The unfortunate deceased was in charge of the engine during the night, and from having fallen asleep on his dangerous post, or some other cause, had become entangled with the machinery, by which means his death was occasioned before his situation was known, and his body mutilated in a most shocking manner. It is our painful duty to add, that when the news was communicated to his wife, who had the day before been delivered of a child, she was so much affected by her loss, that she died on the following day (Monday), with her helpless child. A family of six children are left to feel the extent of their bereavement for whom, it is hoped, the benevolent and wealthy will exert an active and zealous concern. [Glasgow Herald 13 June 1836]

[NB According to the Dollar OPR Burials, John Sorley, died 3 June 1836, killed by Mr Maxton's engine. His wife Marion Campbell is not listed. Five of their children, John, born c1822, Mary or Marjory c1826, James c1829, Robert c1831 and Adam c1834 were all still living together in Dollar in 1841. The sixth child, Helen, c1824 was not with the family in 1841 - she married Thomas Walker and died in 1877. ]

7 December 1838

Melancholy Accident At Devon Ironworks - On Friday, the 7th instant , a very serious accident occurred at Devon Iron-Works , whereby a man of name of Hunter lost his life, and two others , of the names of Sharp and Chalmers, were severely hurt . It appears there is an old pit, of a conic description , about twelve or fourteen feet deep, near the door of the engine-house , which had been covered for some years past with wooden planks , and over which they had been in the habit of taking heavy carriages as occasion required. In the present instance, the men were in the act of getting a heavy piston for the engine drawn over it, as usual; with a horse and carriage suitable for the purpose, when the planks giving way, both carriage, horse, and men, were precipitated to the bottom. Hunter was so much bruised that he died same day, leaving a wife and six or seven children to lament his death. The other two men are in a fair way of recovery. [Scotsman 2 January 1839]

February 1839

Fatal Accident – On Tuesday forenoon, two young men belonging to Alloa Colliery met their death at the Sauchie Coal-Pit, No 1, in consequence of their ascending the pit in one of the coal tubs, contrary to the regulations of the Colliery. The coal tub in which they were, on coming to the top of the pit, ascended higher than is usual; the consequence of which was, that the tub came in contact with the frame, which broke the chain by which the tub was suspended, and the young men fell to the bottom of the pit and were killed. [Scotsman 13 February 1839]

5 March 1846

Fatal Accidents - We regret to state that a fatal accident took place on Thursday week, at a coal pit at Devon Iron Works. While one of the colliers was in the act of banking one of the tubs, he unfortunately lost his balance and fell into the pit, and was killed. We also regret to state that another coal-pit accident took place on Tuesday last, at Clackmannan, which likewise proved fatal. A man was ascending the pit in a tub, and the engine by some means got unmanageable and " ran off," when the man, seeing himself in danger of being thrown over the pulley wheels, endeavoured to save himself by leaping out at the pit's mouth, but something unfortunately caught his clothes, whereby he was immediately precipitated to the bottom, and when taken up was found in a shockingly mangled condition.—Stirling Journal. [Glasgow Herald 9 March 1846]

24 September 1852

Fatal Colliery Accident - On Friday morning a colliery accident which we regret to say was attended with fatal results to four persons, occurred at one of the Alloa Colliery Pits, well known by the name of Brandyhill pit. Nine persons were employed to remove a piece of waste to give air to another pit which was considered not in the least dangerous. The men, under the able management of one of: the oversmen, Mr Joseph Sharp, commenced removing part of this waste, when all of a sudden the earth, stones &c., accompanied by a large quantity of water which they had no idea of being there, came down upon the unfortunate workmen, four of whom were carried away, while five escaped without injury. The oversman had only left the spot where the accident occurred a few minutes before. On learning what had occurred, he immediately proceeded to the manager, Mr Paton, who fortunately happened to be in the neighbourhood at the time. After being made aware of the accident, Mr Paton, accompanied by the oversman, Mr Joseph Sharp, went down the pit, and remained until about 8 o'clock, to render every assistance to recover the four unfortunate men; up to that hour only two bodies were got, and, when found were quite dead. In this instance we are glad to say no blame can be attached to either managers or oversmen. [Clackmannanshire Advertiser – quoted in Scotsman 29 September 1852]

(Names of dead from Inspector of Mines Report: Robert Mitchell, John Bain, William Paterson, Robert Hunter)