Hattonrigg Colliery overwinding, 1910

Eight men died at Hattonrigg Colliery, Bellshill, on 19 January 1910 when the cage bringing them up at the end of the shift was overwound, broke from its rope and fell 192 fathoms down the shaft.

Cause

Overwinding: the engineman failed to stop the cage at the proper place, and the cap of the winding rope broke, letting the cage fall down the shaft.

What happened

At the end of the shift on 19 January 1910 eight men were being raised to the surface at the Summerlee Iron Company's Hattonrigg Colliery at Bellshill. The engineman inadvertently failed to stop the cage at the proper place, and it was overwound. The box, or cap, of the rope broke under the strain, and the cage fell back down the shaft a distance of 192 fathoms. Eight men were killed, miners and drawers aged from 19 to 38.

Recorded claims

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

• On 19 January 1910 eight men were killed at Hattonrigg Colliery, Bellshill, when the cage carrying them to the surface was overwound. ^1,2,3
• The engineman inadvertently failed to stop the cage at the proper place; it was overwound, the box or cap of the rope broke, and the cage fell 192 fathoms down the shaft. ^1,2,3
• The colliery belonged to the Summerlee Iron Co. Ltd. ^2,3
• The dead were miners and drawers aged from 19 to 38, raised at the end of their shift. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “…died at Hattonrigg Colliery, Bellshill, on 19 January 1910 when the cage bringing them up at the end of the shift was overwound, broke from…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Eight men died at Hattonrigg Colliery, Bellshill, on 19 January 1910 when the cage bringing them up at the…”
• Fathom (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…the end of the shift was overwound, broke from its rope and fell 192 fathoms down the shaft.”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…shaft a distance of 192 fathoms. Eight men were killed, miners and drawers aged from 19 to 38.”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…was overwound, broke from its rope and fell 192 fathoms down the shaft.”

Sources

1. (primary) Hattonrigg Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Joseph Olankis, miner, Hattonrigg, 19 January 1910 (accident record) — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (secondary) Scottish mining deaths, 1910 (index) — Scottish Mining Website
4. (secondary) Andrew Higgins, miner, Hattonrigg, 19 January 1910 (accident record) — Northern Mine Research Society

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