Auldhouseburn Colliery haulage accident, 1907

A race of empty hutches that had not been coupled to the rope ran away down the dook at the Cairntable Gas Coal Company's Auldhouseburn Colliery on 11 January 1907, killing two seventeen-year-olds on their way home.

Cause

A race of empty hutches not coupled to the rope at the top of the dook ran away.

What happened

On 11 January 1907, at the Cairntable Gas Coal Company's Auldhouseburn Colliery in Ayrshire, a race of empty hutches that had not been coupled to the haulage rope at the top of the dook ran away down it. Two seventeen-year-olds returning from work, Robert Brown, a drawer, and Robert Hazel, a miner, were struck and killed. A roadsman, Thomas Watson, who was going to his work, was injured.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• On 11 January 1907 two men were killed at Auldhouseburn when a runaway race of empty hutches ran into them. ^1,2
• The hutches had not been coupled to the rope at the top of the dook. ^3,2
• The dead were Robert Brown and Robert Hazel, both 17. ^3,1
• Another man going to his work was injured. ^1,2
• The colliery was owned by the Cairntable Gas Coal Co. Ltd. ^1,2

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Dook (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…hutches that had not been coupled to the rope ran away down the dook at the Cairntable Gas Coal Company's Auldhouseburn Colliery on 11…”
• Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Ayrshire, a race of empty hutches that had not been coupled to the haulage rope at the top of the dook ran away down it. Two…”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…it. Two seventeen-year-olds returning from work, Robert Brown, a drawer, and Robert Hazel, a miner, were struck and killed. A roadsman,…”
• Roadman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…a drawer, and Robert Hazel, a miner, were struck and killed. A roadsman, Thomas Watson, who was going to his work, was injured.”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “A race of empty hutches that had not been coupled to the rope ran away down the dook at the…”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Auldhouseburn, 11 January 1907 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Robert Hazel, Auldhouseburn, 1907 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) Auldhouseburn Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 18 October 2026 · Last researched: 18 October 2026