Falla Hill Colliery fire, 1902

Cause

An underground fire, thought to have started in the passage between the two pit bottoms where steam pipes ran to a pumping engine; how it began was not known. Its smoke suffocated men cut off in distant workings.

What happened

One early report had the fire breaking out in the forenoon, but the Edinburgh Evening News and a survivor put it between nine and ten at night. Men who received timely warning rushed to the pit bank and were drawn up safely, but the four who died were far into the workings and their escape was cut off.

Two pits stood together, different seams worked from one shaft, and about ten men were below. The man in charge of the pumping engine had gone through the passage to help Patrick, who had charge of a steam pump, and found the way back barred by smoke; he urged Patrick to go up, but Patrick chose to stay and went where he thought the air would be better. At the face in the Colinshiels coal Frank Brown, Gordon and their drawer Cook first took the smoke for the fumes of shots; their lights went out, and they groped back to the cage. Asked whether all were right, someone answered yes, and the cage was signalled away; at the top Brown and Gordon found the boy was not with them and wanted to go back, but were stopped. When the air current had been turned, rescuers found Cook on the plates at the pit bottom, Patrick further in, and Russell and Pettigrew further still. It was the worst accident at Fauldhouse in over thirty years, in a district thought safe, with no firedamp and plenty of water in the workings.

Rescue & recovery

The direction of the air current was reversed before rescuers could go down. Brown and Gordon, scorched by the hot smoke, recovered, and within two days the fire was out and the colliery was expected to restart.

Investigation & inquiry

Robert McLaren, inspector for the East Scotland District, recorded it as accident no. 65 on page 36 of his report for 1902 (Cd 1590).

Memorials & commemoration

A memorial to the Fallahill Disaster stands at Fauldhouse Miners Welfare, Bridge Street, Fauldhouse.

What's uncertain

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

• The Durham Mining Museum names the fireman killed in the 1902 fire as Robert Kilpatrick, aged 57. The Scottish Mining Website's index of 1902 deaths, compiled from the Inspector of Mines returns, gives the same man's age and occupation but names him James Patrick. The other three — John Russell, 32, brusher; Adam Cook, 16, drawer; and James Pettigrew, 42, brusher — agree between the two. (disputed) ³

Recorded claims

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

• Four men were suffocated by an underground fire on 20 October 1902 under the ownership of United Collieries Ltd: Adam Cook, a drawer of sixteen; Robert Kilpatrick, a fireman of fifty-seven; James Pettigrew, a brusher of forty-two; and John Russell, a brusher of thirty-two. The museum's colliery page lists only two of the four; its incident page names all four and gives the toll as four. ^1,2
• The Durham Mining Museum names the fireman killed in the 1902 fire as Robert Kilpatrick, aged 57. The Scottish Mining Website's index of 1902 deaths, compiled from the Inspector of Mines returns, gives the same man's age and occupation but names him James Patrick. The other three — John Russell, 32, brusher; Adam Cook, 16, drawer; and James Pettigrew, 42, brusher — agree between the two. (disputed) ³
• The Inspector of Mines returns classify the four deaths of 20 October 1902 under miscellaneous underground accidents, by underground fires, at Fallahill in Linlithgow under United Collieries Ltd. ³
• A report of 21 October 1902 said a fire broke out in the United Collieries Company's pits at Fauldhouse that forenoon; some men were warned in time and rushed to the pit bank to be drawn up, but four far into the workings had their escape cut off and were suffocated by the fumes. ⁴
• A Fallahill Disaster memorial stands at Fauldhouse Miners Welfare, Bridge Street, Fauldhouse. ⁵
• The fire broke out late on the night of 20 October 1902; a survivor first noticed smoke at the face between nine and ten. ⁶
• The fire was thought to have started in the passage between the two pit bottoms where steam pipes ran to a pumping engine; how it began was not known. ⁶
• The drawer Cook was believed to be in the cage with Brown and Gordon but was left behind, and was found on the plates at the pit bottom. ⁶
• Robert McLaren recorded it as accident no. 65 on page 36 of his East Scotland report for 1902 (Cd 1590). ⁷

Related terminology

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

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…fumes of shots; their lights went out, and they groped back to the cage. Asked whether all were right, someone answered yes, and the cage…”
• Heapstead (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…out in the forenoon. Men who received timely warning rushed to the pit bank and were drawn up safely, but the four who died were far into the…”
• Pumping Engine (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…the passage between the two pit bottoms where steam pipes ran to a pumping engine; how it began was not known. Its smoke suffocated men cut off in…”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…fumes: a fireman of fifty-seven, two brushers and a sixteen-year-old drawer. A memorial to the Fallahill Disaster stands at Fauldhouse Miners…”
• Ripping (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…off and were suffocated by the fumes: a fireman of fifty-seven, two brushers and a sixteen-year-old drawer. A memorial to the Fallahill Disaster…”

Sources

1. (primary) Fallahill Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Falla Hill, 20 October 1902 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) 1902 Deaths in Scottish mines — Scottish Mining Website
4. (secondary) Fire in a pit: four miners suffocated in Scotland (Evening Express, 21 October 1902) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
5. (secondary) Mining memorials listed in alphabetical order by town — National Coal Mining Museum for England
6. (secondary) Scottish Mining Website: Lothians accidents 1901-1914 — Scottish Mining Website
7. (primary) Robert Kilpatrick, Falla Hill, 20 October 1902 (individual page) — Durham Mining Museum
8. (primary) A colliery fire: four men suffocated, 25 October 1902 — The Cardiff Times (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)

Record created: 11 September 2026 · Last researched: 3 November 2026