Man drowns in colliery tragedy

A Bannockburn man drowned when part of Plean Colliery filled with water after stones at a coal face gave way, the Observer of February, 1959, reported.

Details of the incident were given at a public inquiry into the death of oversman and deputy John Craw (57), 102 Firs Crecent, Bannockburn.

Miner Walter Hamilton (32), 5 Clark Street, Bannockburn, who was commended for his bravery during the incident, said he and others were working in a section known as Brown’s Heading, No5 Pit, Plean, shortly before noon on the day of the incident.

Water had been coming into the section since for several days but on that day of the accident it started to get worse and was flowing from the coal face.

Mr Craw was summoned and told the men to erect a circular girder.

He then went to inspect three stones, at the top of the coal face, which looked to be part of an old building, the inquiry at Stirling Sheriff Court was told. He stepped up to look at the stones when, suddenly, water burst through. He had not touched them.

Mr Hamilton said he and others heard a bang and ran from the area.

He didn’t know what had happened to Mr Craw but plunged into the chest-deep water in an attempt to save workmate Water Boyd of 8 Hillpark Crescent, Bannockburn, who was trapped.

Mr Hamilton was at first unable to keep his footing because of the force of the water but tied a shot firer’s cable to a girder and, clutching that, waded back in.

Mr Boyd was trapped under shaker conveyor pans and was pulled to safety by his colleague.

Procurator Fiscal Mr W Hawthorn told Mr Hamilton: “You went back from a safe area into a danger area and risked your life. You are to be complimented on it.”

Robert Mason, `Hillhouse’, Main Street, Plean, the colliery’s 33-year-old manager estimated that between 45,000 and 50,000 gallons had come from the roof.

He told the inquiry he did not know the water was there and did not know from where it had come.

Miner John Kelso Smith told the inquiry Mr Craw almost escaped death. Mr Smith had been told to deliver a message to Mr Craw, telling him he was wanted on the phone by the manager.

He went to find Mr Craw but was met by men running towards him, shouting `run for your life’, and `water’. He later went down to Brown’s Heading where Mr Craw was found lying dead against a regulator, party covered in debris. Mr Craw’s body was 250ft from where the accident occurred.

The jury, sitting with Sheriff CDL Murray, returned a formal verdict.