Lochhead Colliery fire and whitedamp, 1907

An underground fire that broke out near the Lochhead shaft in the old Duncan's workings on Sunday 29 December 1907 sent carbon monoxide through the workings to the Victoria shaft at West Wemyss. It killed the fireman John Kilpatrick and Andrew Morris and William Scott, who went down to look for him. George and James Dryburgh, who went down to rescue them, were awarded the Edward Medal.

Cause

Combustion gases from an existing fire in the old Duncan's workings, which adjoined Lochhead Colliery, forced out stoppings and a fire broke out near the Lochhead shaft. The Inspector believed this was like what had happened at No. 1 Lumphinnans the year before; it was not known how the fire burst out. Lights went out in the Victoria shaft from excess carbonic acid gas, and carbon monoxide came off in quantity afterwards.

Contributing factors

The Dysart Main seam was very liable to fires by spontaneous combustion, and Lochhead had long been troubled by them; the management had built off affected parts and examined the workings constantly, including Sundays. Pneumatophors were not available, and the Inspector thought that with them two of the lives would probably have been saved.

What happened

Lochhead Colliery, owned by the Wemyss Coal Company, had two shafts about 2,700 yards apart, Lochhead and the Victoria Pit, which stood close to the Firth of Forth at West Wemyss beside the dock; a haulage road through stone mines joined the two sets of workings. The Sirocco fan at Lochhead, forcing in duplicate, was in use on the morning of the accident.

At 6.30 a.m. on Sunday 29 December the fireman, John Kilpatrick, 42, went down the Victoria shaft to make his usual examination of the workings and stoppings. When he had not returned to the shaft bottom by about eight, the engineman, David Black, became anxious, and sent for Andrew Morris, a fireman, and William Scott, a pitwright. A strong smell of coal stink, a sign of underground fire, was already coming up the shaft, and the two went down without hesitation. On reaching the bottom they signalled to be raised, but did not answer the engineman's return signal and lay helpless at the cage entrance. A search party then went by Lochhead and found Kilpatrick dead near the end of the stone mines, sitting as if resting, with his lamp still burning. Meanwhile a fireman at Lochhead had found fire near the Lochhead shaft, and a large area of the old Duncan's workings was soon ablaze, with smoke in volume at one air shaft and flames at another near the old pit. The three men who died were all married.

Rescue & recovery

When volunteers were called for, George Dryburgh and James Dryburgh, not related to each other, offered to go and were lowered down the Victoria shaft. They found Morris and Scott at the cage entrance; the gas was so strong they could take only Morris into the cage, and by the time they reached the surface one of them was almost overcome. Morris was dead. Alexander Walker and David Black then went down and brought Scott up, also dead. The underground manager, David Rodger, tested the shaft with a live bird that lived only five seconds at the mouth, forbade further descents, went to Lochhead Pit and along the communication road, saw Kilpatrick's lamp, and with the colliery manager, John Brown, and a young man named Watson found Kilpatrick and had him brought to the pithead. A large staff fought the fire through the following days. George and James Dryburgh were awarded the Edward Medal of the First Class, the first awarded to men from Scotland, and were invested at Buckingham Palace in July 1908.

Investigation & inquiry

The Inspector of Mines reported on the accident, and an inquiry followed. At the inquiry several men were recommended for honour, and the Home Secretary, in conference with the Inspector of Mines for the district, selected the Dryburghs. The Inspector wrote that the rescuers deserved great credit for descending the shaft in face of a known danger.

Recorded claims

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

• On Sunday 29 December 1907 an underground fire at Lochhead Colliery killed three men: the fireman John Kilpatrick and two men who went down the Victoria shaft to look for him. ^1,2
• Combustion gases from an existing fire in the old Duncan's workings forced out stoppings, and fire broke out near the Lochhead shaft, releasing carbon monoxide. ^1,2
• George Dryburgh and James Dryburgh went down the Victoria shaft as volunteers and brought up Andrew Morris, who was already dead; William Scott's body was brought up by Alexander Walker and David Black. ^1,2
• The Inspector wrote that pneumatophors, had they been available, would probably have saved two of the lives. ¹
• George and James Dryburgh received the Edward Medal of the First Class, the first awarded to men from Scotland, at Buckingham Palace in July 1908. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the narrative: “…did not answer the engineman's return signal and lay helpless at the cage entrance. A search party then went by Lochhead and found Kilpatrick…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…the workings to the Victoria shaft at West Wemyss. It killed the fireman John Kilpatrick and Andrew Morris and William Scott, who went down…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the investigation: “The Inspector of Mines reported on the accident, and an inquiry followed. At the inquiry…”
• Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…stood close to the Firth of Forth at West Wemyss beside the dock; a haulage road through stone mines joined the two sets of workings. The…”
• Spontaneous Combustion (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “The Dysart Main seam was very liable to fires by spontaneous combustion, and Lochhead had long been troubled by them; the management had…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Lochhead 1907 (Scottish Mining Website) — Scottish Mining Website
2. (secondary) Fife Pits: Victoria (Wemyss No. 7) Pit — Fife Pits

Record created: 30 September 2026 · Last researched: 30 September 2026