Little Raith Colliery rope failure, 1897

On the morning of 22 January 1897 the steel winding rope at the Dora Pit, Little Raith Colliery, snapped as two men were lowered to clear machinery from abandoned lower workings. James Graham and Hugh Thomson fell with the cage to the bottom of the 100-fathom shaft and were killed.

Cause

The steel winding rope broke while the cage was descending.

Contributing factors

A rope in use since August 1894 in a shaft kept warm by steam pipes.

What happened

Work in the lower part of the Dora Pit had been partly suspended for some time, the coal being drawn by another shaft, and James Graham and Hugh Thomson of Thistle Street, Cowdenbeath, were being let down to remove machinery and fittings from the abandoned workings. Part-way down the rope snapped, and the cage fell to the bottom of the shaft.

Men who went down in the second cage found the first a total wreck, crushed up like a concertina, and both men dead beside it. Both were married and left widows and families. The rope was of steel wire, 1⅛ inches across, and had been in use since August 1894; the shaft was warm from the steam pipes in it, and tests after the accident gave it a breaking strain of 21 tons.

Investigation & inquiry

Tests made on the rope after the accident gave a breaking strain of 21 tons.

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 rope broke about 75 fathoms from the bottom by one account, and 20 fathoms from the cage by another. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

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

• On 22 January 1897 the winding rope snapped as James Graham and Hugh Thomson were being lowered in the Dora Pit at Little Raith Colliery, and both were killed. ^1,2
• The rope was of steel wire, 1⅛ inches in diameter, and had been in use since August 1894; the shaft was 100 fathoms deep. ¹
• The rope broke about 75 fathoms from the bottom by one account, and 20 fathoms from the cage by another. (disputed) ^1,2
• The two men were going down to remove machinery and fittings from the lower workings of the Dora Pit, where work had been partly suspended. ²

Related terminology

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

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…lower workings. James Graham and Hugh Thomson fell with the cage to the bottom of the 100-fathom shaft and were killed.”
• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…part of the Dora Pit had been partly suspended for some time, the coal being drawn by another shaft, and James Graham and Hugh Thomson of…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…22 January 1897 the steel winding rope at the Dora Pit, Little Raith Colliery, snapped as two men were lowered to clear machinery from abandoned…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “…and Hugh Thomson fell with the cage to the bottom of the 100-fathom shaft and were killed.”

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