Viewpark Colliery explosion, 1922

On the morning of 11 April 1922 an electric coal cutter burst in the eastern section of the Splint seam of No. 1 pit at Robert Addie and Sons' Viewpark Colliery, Uddingston, in a section where gas had been found before. Eleven of the twelve men there were seriously burned; John Chalmers, 21, and Andrew Martin, 46, died two days later. The whole workforce struck the next day, and the inquiry returned an open verdict.

Date	11 April 1922
Mine	Viewpark Colliery
Region	North Lanarkshire
Primary type	Explosion
Associated types	Machinery
Fatalities	2 (2: John Chalmers (21), of Rowan Terrace, Old Glasgow Road, Uddingston, and Andrew Martin (46; 45 in the NMRS record), of Copeland Terrace, Uddingston, both of whom died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 13 April.)
Injuries	Eleven men were seriously injured, seven of them taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary; the two machinemen were among the worst burned.
Context	During active mining

Cause

The explosion occurred at an electric coal-cutting machine in the Splint seam. Gas had been found in the section before, there had been complaints about the machine, and after the explosion it was found to be without certain studs and bolts, which, it was admitted, left it not flame-proof.

What happened

Twelve men were at work in the section. Samuel Wilson had just gone for extra rails and was clear when the machine burst. The two machinemen working it, Joseph Lynch and Bernard Finnegan or Lynch, were badly burned, as were Martin, Chalmers and John Thomson; four others were taken home. The next day the whole body of miners at Viewpark was picketed out and stayed idle in protest at the management's failure to stop the colliery immediately after the explosion. About 250 people followed the two victims to Bothwell Park Cemetery.

Investigation & inquiry

The mines inspector and the general manager were investigating the same afternoon. At the fatal accident inquiry at Hamilton before Sheriff Shennan, the colliery electrician said he had repaired the machine and that it was in good order before the explosion. Robert Smillie, for the miners, agreed that nothing warranted more than an open verdict, but warned against electric coal cutters in seams where gas had been found, which he said was not allowed in England, and urged compressed-air machines instead.

Recorded claims

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

On 11 April 1922 an electric coal-cutting machine burst in the eastern section of the Splint seam in No. 1 pit, Viewpark Colliery, seriously injuring eleven men. ^1,2
John Chalmers (21) and Andrew Martin died of their burns in Glasgow Royal Infirmary two days later. ¹
The whole workforce came out the next day in protest at the management's failure to stop the colliery at once. ^1,2
The fatal accident inquiry at Hamilton heard that gas had been found in the section before and that the machine, missing studs and bolts, was not flame-proof after the explosion; it returned an open verdict. ¹

Related terminology

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

Coal Cutter (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On the morning of 11 April 1922 an electric coal cutter burst in the eastern section of the Splint seam of No. 1 pit at…”
Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…of the Splint seam of No. 1 pit at Robert Addie and Sons' Viewpark Colliery, Uddingston, in a section where gas had been found before. Eleven of…”

Sources

(secondary) Accidents post 1914 (Bothwell Parish) — Scottish Mining Website
(primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Viewpark, No.1 Pit, 1922 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 15 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026