Philpstoun No. 5 Mine explosion, 1907

On the afternoon of 28 January 1907 gas exploded in No. 5 shale mine of James Ross and Co., Philpstoun Oil Works, on the hill above Ecclesmachan. Part of the roadway roof came down, and when rescuers cleared it they found the three miners beyond it, all about twenty and unmarried, dead of asphyxia.

Cause

An explosion of gas; how it was ignited was not known at the time. The men died of asphyxia, probably from the afterdamp.

Rescue & recovery

The fall had to be cleared before the men could be reached; Dr Thom of Linlithgow went down the mine. Lindsay's body was not freed until about five o'clock.

Recorded claims

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

• On 28 January 1907 an explosion of gas in James Ross and Co.'s No. 5 shale mine, Philpstoun, killed three miners. ^1,2,3
• Part of the roadway roof fell in after the explosion and had to be cleared before the men could be reached. ¹
• The doctor found that the men had died of asphyxia, probably from the after-effects of the explosion. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “…not known at the time. The men died of asphyxia, probably from the afterdamp.”
• Oil Works (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…gas exploded in No. 5 shale mine of James Ross and Co., Philpstoun Oil Works, on the hill above Ecclesmachan. Part of the roadway roof came down,…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Scottish Mining Website: Lothians accidents 1901-1914 — Scottish Mining Website
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Philpstoun, No.5, 1907 (Fleming) — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Philpstoun, No.5, 1907 (Donnelly) — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 13 October 2026 · Last researched: 13 October 2026