MineArchiveSpindleside Colliery crane accident, 1921
On the afternoon of Friday 18 March 1921 the manager of Spindleside Colliery, Cleland, Robert Mackay, and its electrical engineer, Thomas Buchanan, were unloading part of a haulage engine from a motor lorry with a jib crane when the crane snapped and the jib fell on them. Both died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary that evening.
| Date | 18 March 1921 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Spindleside Colliery |
| Region | North Lanarkshire |
| Type | Machinery |
| Fatalities | 2 (2: Robert Mackay, colliery manager, of The Cottage, Carlisle Road, Bellside (fractured skull), and Thomas Buchanan, electrical engineer, of Calderbank (spinal injuries).) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Part of the jib crane snapped while it was lifting the sole plate and cylinder of a haulage engine from a motor lorry onto a bogie, and the jib fell on the two men.
What happened
Mackay was buried in Cambusnethan Cemetery the following Tuesday; the funeral was a public one, attended by many people.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 18 March 1921 the manager and the electrical engineer of Spindleside Colliery, Cleland, were fatally injured when a jib crane snapped. 1,2,3
- They were lifting the sole plate and cylinder of a haulage engine from a motor lorry onto a bogie when part of the crane snapped and the jib fell on them. 1,2
- Both were taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary and died the same evening. 1,2
- The colliery belonged to the Murdostoun Colliery Co. Ltd. 2,3
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “On the afternoon of Friday 18 March 1921 the manager of Spindleside Colliery, Cleland, Robert Mackay, and its electrical engineer, Thomas…” - Haulage (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…its electrical engineer, Thomas Buchanan, were unloading part of a haulage engine from a motor lorry with a jib crane when the crane snapped…”
Sources
- (primary) Shotts parish accidents post 1900 — Scottish Mining Website — Scottish Mining Website
- (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Spindleside, 1921 (MacKay) — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Spindleside, 1921 (Buchanan) — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 16 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026