MineArchiveBothwell Castle Colliery fire, 1920
On the night of 26 April 1920 a motor engine caught fire underground at Bothwell Castle Colliery, near Uddingston, and four men were suffocated by the smoke in a bye road; seven others were rescued alive.
| Date | 26 April 1920 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Bothwell Castle Colliery |
| Region | South Lanarkshire |
| Primary type | Fire |
| Associated types | Gas / Asphyxiation |
| Fatalities | 4 (Donald McFarlane (49), his son William (18), Anthony Nowasaytis (spelled Novecites in one report) and John McGinn (given as 15 or 17). Seven men were rescued alive.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A motor engine underground, saturated with grease, caught fire and filled the workings with smoke.
What happened
The engine was blazing at once like a furnace, and men working nearby found their escape cut off by the fire and smoke. Rescue parties led by the underground managers Park and M'Phee worked for several hours before they reached the four missing men, who had suffocated in a bye road where they had taken shelter. Seven others were brought out alive. The dead were Donald McFarlane (49, of Low Blantyre, married with six children), his son William (18), Anthony Nowasaytis, a Pole (about 50), and John McGinn (17).
Sources
- (secondary) Accidents post 1914 (Bothwell Parish) — Scottish Mining Website
- (secondary) Bothwell Castle 26 April 1920 — Scottish Mining Website
Record created: 18 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026