Little Raith Colliery overwinding, 1883

On 15 August 1883, as the men of Little Raith Colliery near Cowdenbeath were being drawn up at the end of the shift, the cage at the Dora Pit was wound past the landing and over the pulley wheels. Of the seven aboard, four died, among them Thomas Adams and his son James; the engineman was arrested.

Cause

Overwinding: the drum made one and a half turns more than usual and the cage was carried over the pulleys.

What happened

At two o'clock the engineman, James Guthrie, stopped winding coal at the Dora Pit, as usual, so that the 150 or so men below could be brought up. All went well until the last cage but one, which carried seven: Thomas Adams, 51, with his sons Thomas, 20, James, 16, and John, 14; David Paterson; and Robert Hunter, 41, with his son William, 17. The cage came up faster than usual, passed the landing stage with the men shouting to the engineman to stop, and was carried over the pulley wheels before anyone could get off.

James Adams and his brother John were thrown on to a bing of blaes eighty feet from the pit mouth; James was killed outright and John badly hurt. David Paterson was thrown on to the engine-house roof and died within five minutes. William Hunter was found in the cage, jammed in the roof, and died as he was carried home. Robert Hunter was not expected to live. Thomas Adams senior, who said that in forty years in the pits he had never been brought to bank so fast, died of his injuries three weeks later, the fourth death. Thousands of miners came to the pit before nightfall.

Rescue & recovery

Dr Steele of Lochgelly with his assistant and Dr Nasmyth of Cowdenbeath attended at the pit.

Investigation & inquiry

The winding apparatus was found in good order. The engineman, James Guthrie, was arrested that night and taken to Kirkcaldy.

Recorded claims

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

• On the afternoon of 15 August 1883 the cage at the Dora Pit, Little Raith Colliery, was overwound and seven men were thrown over the pulley wheels; four died. ^1,2
• The drum indicator showed that the drum had made one and a half turns more than usual; the winding apparatus was found in good order. ²
• The engineman, James Guthrie, aged twenty-five, was arrested that night and taken to Kirkcaldy. ²
• The dead were James Adams, 16, David Paterson, William Hunter, 17, and Thomas Adams, 51, who died of his injuries in September. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Blaes (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…off. James Adams and his brother John were thrown on to a bing of blaes eighty feet from the pit mouth; James was killed outright and John…”
• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “…near Cowdenbeath were being drawn up at the end of the shift, the cage at the Dora Pit was wound past the landing and over the pulley…”
• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “At two o'clock the engineman, James Guthrie, stopped winding coal at the Dora Pit, as usual, so that the 150 or so men below could be…”
• Engine House (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…outright and John badly hurt. David Paterson was thrown on to the engine-house roof and died within five minutes. William Hunter was found in the…”
• Spoil Heap (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…could get off. James Adams and his brother John were thrown on to a bing of blaes eighty feet from the pit mouth; James was killed outright…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Little Raith Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Accidents to 1900 (Fife newspaper reports) — Scottish Mining Website

Record created: 4 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026