Maxwell Pit suffocation, 1919

Two miners who went down Maxwell Pit, Dailly, early on 1 April 1919, after work had been stopped because of fumes from a long-smouldering neighbouring pit, were suffocated; four rescuers were honoured by the Carnegie Hero Fund.

Cause

Fumes from a neighbouring pit that had been burning underground for about a century.

What happened

On the Sunday night before 1 April 1919 fumes were found in Maxwell Pit, coming from an adjoining pit that had caught fire about 95 years earlier and had smouldered underground ever since; flooding had never put it out. Work was stopped on the Monday.

Early on the Tuesday Matthew Dunlop, of Maxwell Street, Girvan, and John Smellie, of Dalquhattan, Dailly, went down, apparently to inspect the pit before pumping restarted, and were overcome by fumes from the direction of the burning pit. Smellie, about 35, left a widow and family; Dunlop, a native of Hurlford, was unmarried.

In August four men, John Dunlop, Samuel McBride, Thomas McMillan and Neil McMillan, were presented with Carnegie Hero Fund gold watches at the Working Men's Institute in Dailly for their attempt to save the two, and the workers at Bargany Pit gave gold badges to the rescue brigade.

Rescue & recovery

Four men tried to reach the two miners and were later honoured by the Carnegie Hero Fund; a rescue brigade also took part.

Recorded claims

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

• Early on 1 April 1919 the miners Matthew Dunlop and John Smellie were suffocated in Maxwell Pit, near Dailly. ^1,2
• Fumes from an adjoining pit that had been smouldering underground for about 95 years had been found on the Sunday night, and work had been stopped on the Monday. ^1,2
• The two men had gone down, apparently to inspect the pit before pumping began. ^1,2
• Four men, John Dunlop, Samuel McBride, Thomas McMillan and Neil McMillan, were given gold watches by the Carnegie Hero Fund for trying to save them. ¹
• The pit belonged to South Ayrshire Collieries Ltd. ²

Sources

1. (secondary) Dailly Mines - Ayrshire Pit Accident (Healey Hero) — Healey Hero
2. (secondary) Accident record: John Smellie, Maxwell, 1919 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 30 September 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026