Gavieside No. 11 Pit cage accident, 1885

Between six and seven on the morning of Monday 16 March 1885, the eighth cage lowered into No. 11 Gavieside shale pit at West Calder left its slides less than twenty fathoms down and jammed. The rope kept paying out until the cage broke free and dropped some thirty fathoms; four of the six young miners in it were thrown out and killed at the bottom of the shaft.

Cause

A bolt in one of the slides about 16 or 17 fathoms down had worked loose, leaving part of the slide insecure; some nine feet of slide was dislodged, and the cage came off it, jammed, and then fell when it freed itself under the slack rope.

What happened

The week's work began at one in the morning, and seven cages of six men had already gone down safely. The engineman stopped the engine on feeling the jerk, before any signal. Howieson and Reid, their lamps blown out, found themselves alone in the dark cage; the overman came down on a crane rope, replaced the cage on the slides and brought them up in it. The dead were carried out through No. 21 mine, some distance to the east.

Rescue & recovery

The overman descended the shaft on a crane rope to reach the two survivors. The four bodies were taken out by way of No. 21 mine and carried home.

Investigation & inquiry

Mr Ralph Moore, Inspector of Mines for the eastern district of Scotland, examined the shaft with his assistant the same afternoon. The press reported that no blame was attached to anyone.

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 youngest of the dead was 14. (disputed) ²
• The youngest of the dead, Alexander Bulloch, was 13. (disputed) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• On 16 March 1885 four miners were killed at No. 11 Gavieside shale pit when the cage left its slides and they were thrown to the bottom of the shaft. ^1,2
• Two others in the cage survived. ¹
• A bolt in one of the slides between 16 and 17 fathoms down had worked loose, and about nine feet of slide had been dislodged. ¹
• The youngest of the dead was 14. (disputed) ²
• The youngest of the dead, Alexander Bulloch, was 13. (disputed) ¹

Related terminology

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

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…six and seven on the morning of Monday 16 March 1885, the eighth cage lowered into No. 11 Gavieside shale pit at West Calder left its…”
• Fathom (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Gavieside shale pit at West Calder left its slides less than twenty fathoms down and jammed. The rope kept paying out until the cage broke free…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “Mr Ralph Moore, Inspector of Mines for the eastern district of Scotland, examined the shaft with his…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…their lamps blown out, found themselves alone in the dark cage; the overman came down on a crane rope, replaced the cage on the slides and…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…young miners in it were thrown out and killed at the bottom of the shaft.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Scottish Mining Website: Gavieside 1885 — Scottish Mining Website
2. (secondary) Scottish Shale: Polbeth No. 11 pit — Scottish Shale (Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry)

Record created: 13 October 2026 · Last researched: 13 October 2026