Garscube Colliery accident, 1853

On 13 December 1853 five men working near the shaft bottom at Garscube Colliery, Glasgow, were killed, by an explosion of firedamp in one account and in another by smoke from an underground engine driven into the workings when the air reversed.

Cause

Recorded as an explosion of firedamp, and as suffocation by engine smoke carried into the workings by reversed air in a pit with no ventilating power.

What happened

Garscube Colliery, on the north-western edge of Glasgow, was worked by James Barclay and Company. On 13 December 1853 five men were killed close to the shaft bottom; one was Patrick McDade. One account records an explosion of firedamp. Another says the smoke of an underground engine, meant to pass through the waste and up the upcast shaft, was driven back into the workings: the pit had no ventilating power, and a great deal of cooling water was falling down the shaft, so the air reversed and the smoke went through a narrow slit to where the men were working.

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 deaths were caused by an explosion of firedamp. (disputed) ¹
• The five, working close to the shaft bottom, were suffocated by smoke from an underground engine: with no ventilating power and much cooling water falling down the shaft, the air reversed and the smoke went into the workings instead of up the upcast. (disputed) ²

Recorded claims

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

• On 13 December 1853 five men were killed at James Barclay and Company's Garscube Colliery, Glasgow; one was Patrick McDade. ^1,2
• The deaths were caused by an explosion of firedamp. (disputed) ¹
• The five, working close to the shaft bottom, were suffocated by smoke from an underground engine: with no ventilating power and much cooling water falling down the shaft, the air reversed and the smoke went into the workings instead of up the upcast. (disputed) ²

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…13 December 1853 five men working near the shaft bottom at Garscube Colliery, Glasgow, were killed, by an explosion of firedamp in one account…”
• Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…of an underground engine, meant to pass through the waste and up the upcast shaft, was driven back into the workings: the pit had no ventilating…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…at Garscube Colliery, Glasgow, were killed, by an explosion of firedamp in one account and in another by smoke from an underground engine…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 13 December 1853 five men working near the shaft bottom at Garscube Colliery, Glasgow, were killed, by an explosion…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Garscube, 13 December 1853 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining accidents 1850-1854 (Ian Winstanley) — Coal Mining History Resource Centre

Record created: 5 October 2026 · Last researched: 5 October 2026