Minto Colliery firedamp explosion, 1920

A firedamp explosion in the Five Feet seam of No. 2 Pit, Minto Colliery, Lochgelly, at about 4 a.m. on 28 May 1920 burned five men, three of them seriously; the brusher William Galloway died in hospital within days. Gas that had accumulated was ignited by a naked lamp.

Cause

Gas that had accumulated in the Five Feet seam where the men were brushing was ignited by the flame of one of their lamps.

Contributing factors

Newspapers noted that accumulations of gas in that section were very infrequent.

What happened

Minto Colliery, at Brigghills between Lochgelly and Bowhill, belonged to the Lochgelly Iron and Coal Company Ltd. At about four o'clock on the morning of Friday 28 May 1920 five men on the night shift were brushing in the Five Feet seam of No. 2 Pit when an explosion of firedamp took place, the gas having been ignited by the flame of a lamp. All five were burned. William Galloway, John Forbes and Joseph Potter took almost the full force of the blast and were removed to the Dunfermline and West Fife Hospital; four of the men reached the winding shaft unaided, the fifth collapsing halfway, and other workers went to their help. Galloway, married only about three months, was in a critical condition and died a few days later.

Two days earlier James Robb, a night-shift fireman in No. 1 Pit, had been killed instantly by a fall of roof stone weighing about two and a half tons.

Rescue & recovery

Other workers in the vicinity went to the injured men's assistance, and Dr Stephen and Dr Dickson were quickly on the scene.

Investigation & inquiry

The manager, Mr Barclay, and one of H.M. Inspectors of Mines went to the scene at once. A Fatal Accidents Inquiry on Galloway's death was held at Dunfermline Sheriff Court before Sheriff Umpherston and a jury on 15 July 1920, at which burned workers gave evidence. The Sheriff told the jury it was not desirable to say any person was to blame unless it clearly appeared that the accident would not have occurred but for their fault, and that the additional special rules mentioned had nothing to do with it because they applied only to prescribed places.

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 Fatal Accidents Inquiry gives William Galloway's death as 30 May 1920, while the Scotsman of 1 June and the Dunfermline Journal give it as Monday 31 May. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

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

• An explosion of gas in the Five Feet seam of No. 2 Pit, Minto Colliery, at about 4 a.m. on 28 May 1920 burned five men; William Galloway died in hospital a few days later. ^1,2
• Gas that had accumulated in the place where the men were brushing was ignited by the flame of one of their lamps. ¹
• The five men burned were the brushers William Galloway, John Forbes, Joseph Potter and Andrew Clark and the night-shift overman Alexander Brown; the first three were seriously burned. ^1,2
• A Fatal Accidents Inquiry on William Galloway's death was held at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on 15 July 1920 before Sheriff Umpherston and a jury. ¹
• The Fatal Accidents Inquiry gives William Galloway's death as 30 May 1920, while the Scotsman of 1 June and the Dunfermline Journal give it as Monday 31 May. (disputed) ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A firedamp explosion in the Five Feet seam of No. 2 Pit, Minto Colliery,…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…died a few days later. Two days earlier James Robb, a night-shift fireman in No. 1 Pit, had been killed instantly by a fall of roof stone…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “The manager, Mr Barclay, and one of H.M. Inspectors of Mines went to the scene at once. A Fatal Accidents Inquiry on Galloway's…”
• Ripping (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…4 a.m. on 28 May 1920 burned five men, three of them seriously; the brusher William Galloway died in hospital within days. Gas that had…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…a night-shift fireman in No. 1 Pit, had been killed instantly by a fall of roof stone weighing about two and a half tons.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Fife Pits: Minto Pit (Brigghills), Lochgelly — Fife Pits
2. (secondary) Accidents post 1914 (Scottish Mining Website) — Scottish Mining Website

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