Portland Colliery explosion, 1858

Lads carrying naked lights into a gassy exploring mine at Portland Colliery, near Kilmarnock, on 14 July 1858 fired the gas the men were wafting out, killing two drawers aged 18 and 12.

Cause

Naked lights brought into a mine from which firedamp was being wafted out.

Contributing factors

Weak ventilation; no brattice carrying the air to the face; the pit not examined and made safe before the men entered.

What happened

In July 1858 two men at Allan Gilmour and Company's Portland Colliery were driving an exploring mine in a part of the pit where the seam gave off gas. Firedamp was often found there in the mornings, and with the brattice some yards back from the face the only way they had of clearing it was to waft it out with their jackets. The fireman had one safety lamp for the whole pit.

On 14 July, while the gas was being wafted out, some lads came into the mine with naked lights and fired it. Two of them were killed, the drawers William Shiels, 18, and James Hart, 12. The inspector found the ventilation very weak, and put the accident down to the want of brattice to carry the air forward to the face and to the neglect of the rule that the pit be examined and made safe before anyone went in.

Investigation & inquiry

Described by the inspector of mines in his report for 1858.

Recorded claims

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

• On 14 July 1858 an explosion of firedamp at Portland Colliery, near Kilmarnock, killed two young drawers, William Shiels, 18, and James Hart, 12. ^1,2,3
• Two men driving an exploring mine in a foul part of the pit were clearing gas by wafting it out with their jackets when some lads came into the mine with naked lights and fired it. ¹
• The inspector found the ventilation very weak and blamed the want of brattice to carry the air to the face and the neglect of the special rule that the pit be examined and made safe before the men went in. ¹
• The colliery belonged to Allan Gilmour and Co. ^1,2,3

Related terminology

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

• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…gas. Firedamp was often found there in the mornings, and with the brattice some yards back from the face the only way they had of clearing it…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…they had of clearing it was to waft it out with their jackets. The fireman had one safety lamp for the whole pit. On 14 July, while the gas…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “Described by the inspector of mines in his report for 1858.”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Lads carrying naked lights into a gassy exploring mine at Portland Colliery, near Kilmarnock,…”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…on 14 July 1858 fired the gas the men were wafting out, killing two drawers aged 18 and 12.”

Sources

1. (primary) 1858 Fatal Accidents (from the Inspector of Mines' reports) — Scottish Mining Website
2. (secondary) 1850s H: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1850-1859, surnames S (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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