Prestongrange Colliery explosion, 1887

At about six in the morning of 29 August 1887, with the miners of Prestongrange Colliery near Prestonpans on strike, Frederick Curtis and his fourteen-year-old son Francis went down to fetch their tools from the Jewel seam, with the fireman James M'Ewan, carrying a safety lamp, ahead to examine the places. An explosion killed all three. Only a few men were in the pit; the miners worked with open lamps.

Cause

Witnesses said that Curtis and his son had gone into the seam ahead of the fireman, against instructions and the rules, before he had reported their places safe; the miners worked with open lamps.

What happened

The roadsman, Edward M'Cann, had sent M'Ewan ahead with his safety lamp to inspect the places of two other men, Archibald and Ramage, and had warned Curtis and his son not to pass the danger station, marked by a plank across the road 70 fathoms from the bottom. Curtis said the oversman had sent them, on the manager's instructions, to fetch their graith. Minutes later the air reversed with a puff; Archibald and his companion were thrown to the ground.

Rescue & recovery

One of the men went up and told the underground manager, Mr Nelson, who organised a search. About 100 fathoms up the heading the party met afterdamp and had to wait; they found M'Ewan first, then the boy about nine feet further on, and after being driven back once more, the father. M'Ewan's body was much burned and the boy's shattered; the father was thought to have been suffocated.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• Some Welsh papers reported the explosion as happening on the Tuesday, 30 August. (disputed) ^2,3

Recorded claims

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

• Early on the morning of 29 August 1887 an explosion in the Jewel seam of Prestongrange Colliery killed Frederick Curtis, his son Francis and the fireman James M'Ewan. ^1,2,3
• The miners were on strike; Curtis and his son had gone down to fetch their tools before starting work in the Great seam. ^1,2,3
• The roadsman said he had warned Curtis and his son not to pass the danger station, 70 fathoms from the bottom, until the fireman reported, and that they must have gone in ahead of him; the miners used open lamps. ¹
• Some Welsh papers reported the explosion as happening on the Tuesday, 30 August. (disputed) ^2,3

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…organised a search. About 100 fathoms up the heading the party met afterdamp and had to wait; they found M'Ewan first, then the boy about nine…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Francis went down to fetch their tools from the Jewel seam, with the fireman James M'Ewan, carrying a safety lamp, ahead to examine the places.…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…a plank across the road 70 fathoms from the bottom. Curtis said the oversman had sent them, on the manager's instructions, to fetch their graith.…”
• Roadman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “The roadsman, Edward M'Cann, had sent M'Ewan ahead with his safety lamp to…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…tools from the Jewel seam, with the fireman James M'Ewan, carrying a safety lamp, ahead to examine the places. An explosion killed all three. Only a…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Scottish Mining Website: Prestongrange 1887 — Scottish Mining Website
2. (primary) Welsh Newspapers: South Wales Echo, 30 August 1887, 'Fatal colliery explosion: loss of three lives' — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) Welsh Newspapers: Weekly Mail, 3 September 1887, 'Colliery explosion in Scotland' — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 13 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026