Garscube Colliery winding accident, 1858

Two sinkers at Garscube Colliery, Maryhill, fell fifty fathoms to the bottom of the shaft on 4 May 1858 when the wheel on the winding shaft slipped out of gear as they were being lowered.

Cause

The wheel on the winding shaft slipped out of gear while the kettle was being lowered, after the engine had been changed over from pumping to winding.

What happened

At Garscube in 1858 one engine both pumped the shaft and wound it. On 4 May the engineman had been pumping water until a shift of sinkers was ready to start, and then took the engine out of gear with the pumps and put it into gear with the winding shaft. The kettle carrying two sinkers, Robert Donaldson, aged 39, and Daniel Kelly, aged 45, had been lowered only ten fathoms when the wheel on the winding shaft slipped out of gear, and the two men fell to the bottom, fifty fathoms below. The inspector, William Alexander, noted that the case was identical to one he had described in his report for 1857, in the same circumstances.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector found the accident identical to one he had reported in 1857, and pressed for the simple safety appliances he had then recommended for disengaging the gearing of combined pumping and winding engines, hoping no new engine of the kind would be thought complete without them.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The Procurator Fiscal charged the engineman with culpable homicide. He was tried before Lord Deas and a jury, but the evidence was not strong enough for a conviction.

Changes to practice & legislation

The inspector reported that since the accident the suggestions in his 1857 report for machinery of this kind had been adopted.

Recorded claims

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

• On 4 May 1858 two sinkers, Robert Donaldson, aged 39, and Daniel Kelly, aged 45, were killed at Garscube Colliery when the winding machinery got out of gear with the driving shaft. ^1,2,3,4
• The engine had been pumping and was changed over to winding; the kettle had been lowered ten fathoms when the wheel on the winding shaft went out of gear and the men fell fifty fathoms. ³
• The Procurator Fiscal charged the engineman with culpable homicide; he was tried before Lord Deas and a jury, and the evidence was not strong enough to convict. ³
• The colliery was owned by James Barclay and Company. ^1,3,4

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “Two sinkers at Garscube Colliery, Maryhill, fell fifty fathoms to the bottom of the shaft on 4 May…”
• Fathom (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Two sinkers at Garscube Colliery, Maryhill, fell fifty fathoms to the bottom of the shaft on 4 May 1858 when the wheel on the…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Garscube Colliery, Maryhill, fell fifty fathoms to the bottom of the shaft on 4 May 1858 when the wheel on the winding shaft slipped out of…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Two sinkers at Garscube Colliery, Maryhill, fell fifty fathoms to the bottom of…”
• Winding Engine (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…then recommended for disengaging the gearing of combined pumping and winding engines, hoping no new engine of the kind would be thought complete without…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining deaths 1850-1859, surnames D (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Garscube Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Garscube shaft accident, 4 May 1858 — Durham Mining Museum
4. (secondary) Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining deaths, 1850-1859 (K) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley collection)

Record created: 16 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026