Carbarns Colliery explosion, 1900

At a quarter to one on 12 February 1900 the manager, oversman, fireman and an oncostman at Carbarns Colliery, Wishaw, were trying to clear firedamp from a new heading in the Ell Coal when it exploded. The manager, Henry Danks, was killed; the oversman, fireman and oncostman also died.

Cause

A stone mine and a heading in the Ell Coal, ventilated only by brattice, a hand fan and air boxes, had been connected to a blind pit for a second airway, but the air remained feeble and firedamp gathered; it exploded at the face where the fireman had gone with a Davy safety lamp.

Contributing factors

Danks and Hill stayed at the foot of the stone mine with naked lights while the fireman and Knox went up with safety lamps; Hill was holding up his lamp to test the air.

What happened

The miners had been stopped from working the place that morning because the fireman reported it full of gas; after trying to blow it out with a hand fan they went home about 11.30. A miner, Francis Wight, making up hutches fifteen yards away, felt the shock blow his bread box from his hand.

Rescue & recovery

Wight found Danks dead and Hill badly hurt and ran for help. The fireman's brothers, David and Hugh Dickson, took safety lamps and went in to search for him.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• Three were killed and another man injured. (disputed) ²

Recorded claims

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

• At 12.45 p.m. on 12 February 1900 firedamp exploded in the Ell Coal at Carbarns Colliery, Wishaw. ^1,2
• The manager Henry Danks, the oversman George Hill, the fireman James Dickson and the oncostman William Knox died. ^2,3,4,5
• Three were killed and another man injured. (disputed) ²
• The air reaching the Ell Coal face was too feeble, and the men were trying to remove the gas when it exploded from where the fireman had gone with a Davy lamp. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “A stone mine and a heading in the Ell Coal, ventilated only by brattice, a hand fan and air boxes, had been connected to a blind pit for a…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “At a quarter to one on 12 February 1900 the manager, oversman, fireman and an oncostman at Carbarns Colliery, Wishaw, were trying to clear…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “Danks and Hill stayed at the foot of the stone mine with naked lights while the fireman and Knox went up with safety lamps; Hill was…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “At a quarter to one on 12 February 1900 the manager, oversman, fireman and an oncostman at Carbarns Colliery, Wishaw, were trying…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the cause: “…it exploded at the face where the fireman had gone with a Davy safety lamp.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Scottish Mining Website: Carbarns 1900 — Scottish Mining Website
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Henry Danks, Carbarns, 12 February 1900 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: William Knox, Carbarns, 12 February 1900 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: George Hill, Carbarns, 1900 — Northern Mine Research Society
5. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: James Dickson, Carbarns, 1900 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 11 October 2026 · Last researched: 11 October 2026