Polmaise Colliery explosion, 1906

Two men were killed in Polmaise No. 2 Pit on Sunday 28 January 1906 when gas left by a slowed weekend fan fired at their naked lights; they had gone in uninspected workings on the under-manager's orders.

Cause

Firedamp accumulated over the weekend was ignited by the men's naked lights.

Contributing factors

No fireman's inspection before the men entered; the fan had been slowed by half over the weekend; the under-manager authorised open lights.

What happened

On Sunday 28 January 1906 two men went down Polmaise No. 2 Pit with two firemen to build a stable near the pit bottom and to fit up a signal in the Hartley seam. Instead of a fireman inspecting first, the under-manager sent Thomas Laird and Joseph Kennedy, one of them his own brother, with a single safety lamp between them, telling them to test with it and then use their open lights. Over the weekend the ventilating fan had been run at half speed and firedamp had gathered. Minutes later a violent explosion followed; the two bodies were found about 150 yards from the shaft in the return airway of the section they had been going to.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector concluded that the explosion would not have happened if the regulations had been strictly observed; a fatal accident inquiry was held at Stirling before Sheriff Buntine.

Recorded claims

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

• On Sunday 28 January 1906 an explosion of firedamp in the Hartley seam of Polmaise No. 2 Pit killed two men, Thomas Laird and Joseph Kennedy. ^1,2,3
• The men entered workings that had not been inspected by a fireman, and gas that had accumulated over the weekend, when the fan had been slowed by half, fired at their naked lights. ^1,2,3
• The under-manager had sent them down with one safety lamp between them to fit up a signal, telling one of them, his own brother, to inspect with it and then use their open lights. ²
• The inspector held that the explosion would not have happened had the regulations been strictly observed. ²
• The colliery belonged to Archibald Russell Ltd. ^1,2,3

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 cause: “Firedamp accumulated over the weekend was ignited by the men's naked lights.”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…28 January 1906 when gas left by a slowed weekend fan fired at their naked lights; they had gone in uninspected workings on the under-manager's orders.”
• Return Airway (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the two bodies were found about 150 yards from the shaft in the return airway of the section they had been going to.”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Laird and Joseph Kennedy, one of them his own brother, with a single safety lamp between them, telling them to test with it and then use their open…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…followed; the two bodies were found about 150 yards from the shaft in the return airway of the section they had been going to.”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1900s K: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
2. (secondary) Fatal accidents in Scottish mines, 1906 — Scottish Mining Website
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1900-1909, surnames L, part 1 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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