Greenfield Colliery shaft accident, 1872

The winding rope at Greenfield Colliery, Hamilton, snapped on 16 October 1872 as three men neared the surface, and their cage fell 100 fathoms to the shaft bottom.

Cause

The winding rope broke, for no reason the inspector could find.

What happened

At about four in the afternoon of 16 October 1872 three miners were being wound up the shaft at Greenfield Colliery, the Hamilton Coal Company's pit at Burnbank. Near the top the round wire rope broke, and the cage fell 100 fathoms to the bottom, killing A. Carrick, 18, W. Carrick, 50, and T. Docherty, 30.

The rope was not a year old and had raised only about 5,000 tons of coal. It had been drawing coal all day and was not overloaded. The inspector of mines noted that the pulley and drum were small, five feet in diameter, but could find nothing to account for the sudden fracture.

Investigation & inquiry

Described by the inspector of mines in his report for 1872.

Recorded claims

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

• At about 4 p.m. on 16 October 1872 the winding rope at Greenfield Colliery, Hamilton, broke as three men were being raised, and the cage fell 100 fathoms to the bottom of the shaft, killing all three. ^1,2,3
• The dead were the miners A. Carrick, 18, W. Carrick, 50, and T. Docherty, 30. ^4,2,3
• The round wire rope was less than a year old, had raised only 5,000 tons of coal, had been drawing coal all day and was not overloaded. ³
• The inspector noted that the pulley and drum were small, five feet across, but could find nothing to account for the sudden fracture. ³
• The colliery belonged to the Hamilton Coal Co. ^1,2,3

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 summary: “…on 16 October 1872 as three men neared the surface, and their cage fell 100 fathoms to the shaft bottom.”
• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…rope was not a year old and had raised only about 5,000 tons of coal. It had been drawing coal all day and was not overloaded. The…”
• Fathom (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…1872 as three men neared the surface, and their cage fell 100 fathoms to the shaft bottom.”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…coal. It had been drawing coal all day and was not overloaded. The inspector of mines noted that the pulley and drum were small, five feet in diameter,…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…three men neared the surface, and their cage fell 100 fathoms to the shaft bottom.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining victims, 1870s, C (Carter) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
2. (primary) Colliery accident, Greenfield, 16 October 1872 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) Fatal accidents in Scottish mines, 1872 — Scottish Mining Website
4. (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Greenfield Colliery (UK) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026