Barncluith Colliery haulage accident, 1893

On the afternoon of 10 January 1893 an empty rake of twelve hutches being drawn inbye on the endless-rope haulage at Archibald Russell's Barncluith Colliery, Hamilton, derailed on a steep part of the road. The runaway hutch knocked out roof timber and brought down stone on two miners riding in the rake against the rules, Patrick Clark and John Wilson, who were killed.

Cause

A derailed hutch at the front of a riding rake displaced roof supports on the haulage road, bringing down stone on the men riding in it.

What happened

The main haulage road dipped inbye, and its hutches were drawn by an endless rope moving at about two miles an hour, a bogie with clips for gripping the rope going ahead of each rake. An attendant rode the bogie; miners were not allowed to ride, and notices said so near the shaft bottom. Even so, the two men and others were riding in an empty rake of twelve hutches being drawn inbye. At a steep part of the road the hutch next the bogie left the rails. The attendant detached the bogie from the rope at once, but the rake kept moving although its hutches were snibbled in the usual way; he tried to stop it with his back against the bogie and could not. The derailed hutch displaced timber holding the roof, and the stone it released fell on the hutch in which Clark and Wilson were riding.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector of mines described the accident in his report for 1893. The under-manager was charged before the Sheriff with failing to enforce the rule against riding in the hutches, but the charge was not maintained.

Recorded claims

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

• At 3.30 p.m. on 10 January 1893 two miners, Patrick Clark and John Wilson, riding in an empty rake on the main haulage road of Barncluith Colliery, Hamilton, were killed when a fall of stone came down on their hutch. ¹
• The hutch next the bogie left the rails on a steep part of the road; the rake ran on although snibbled, and the derailed hutch displaced roof timber and released the stone. ¹
• Miners were forbidden to ride on the bogie or the rake, and notices to that effect were posted near the shaft bottom. ¹
• The under-manager was charged before the Sheriff with not enforcing the rule against riding in the hutches, but the charge was not maintained. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Endless Rope Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…1893 an empty rake of twelve hutches being drawn inbye on the endless-rope haulage at Archibald Russell's Barncluith Colliery, Hamilton, derailed on a…”
• Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…hutch at the front of a riding rake displaced roof supports on the haulage road, bringing down stone on the men riding in it.”
• Rake (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “On the afternoon of 10 January 1893 an empty rake of twelve hutches being drawn inbye on the endless-rope haulage at…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 10 times in this record, first in the summary: “On the afternoon of 10 January 1893 an empty rake of twelve hutches being drawn inbye on the endless-rope haulage at Archibald Russell's…”
• Undermanager (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…of mines described the accident in his report for 1893. The under-manager was charged before the Sheriff with failing to enforce the rule…”

Sources

1. (primary) 1893 deaths index: Herbertshire No 3, Denny — with the Inspector of Mines' annual report for 1893 on the explosion — Scottish Mining Website, transcribing the appendices and main body of the Report of the Inspector of Mines
2. (primary) Barncluith Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 21 October 2026 · Last researched: 21 October 2026