Author Topic: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s  (Read 6134 times)

Offline Martin Briscoe

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Re: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s
« Reply #18 on: Wednesday 28 November 18 17:45 GMT (UK) »
He was a Spannerman

Died at Fersit

Usual residence was something like Gartan but often hard to read

Father was Con Gallacher, Labourer

Mother Mary Gallacher, Miss Bonner

Cause of death - explosion when drilling, believed drill hit an old piece of gelignite - there quite a number of cases of that happening

Informant - John Sweeney, cousin

Source - Derry Journal, Wednesday 13 April 1932

BRISCOE - Bolton, Heaton Norris, Rochdale, Oldham, Chadderton, Blackburn
POUNDER - Middleton Tyas, Kirkbymoorside, Stokesley, Lambeth, Bolton, Newcastle on Tyne, Leeds
HAMMOND - Quebec, Laverton, Masham, Grantley
SWALES - Laverton, Masham
O'Shea - Quebec
PARRY - Caerhun, Deiniolen, ClwtyBont, Brynrefail, TalySarn, Brynrefail, Bethesda
EVANS - Llanfihangel Bryn Pabuan, Maesmynis, Dowlais, Stockton on Tees, Hartlepool, Trealaw
HARVEY - Trentham, Sheriffhales, Llanfyllin, Llanferres, Minera

Offline Skoosh

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Re: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s
« Reply #19 on: Wednesday 28 November 18 23:19 GMT (UK) »
Gartanbeg?

Skoosh.

Offline Martin Briscoe

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Re: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s
« Reply #20 on: Thursday 29 November 18 00:26 GMT (UK) »
Gartanbeg?

Skoosh.

Could well be, I just put down the nearest I can get to it and then hope someone might recognise.


Quote
Edinburgh Evening News - Friday 22 January 1932

LOCHABER TUNNEL EXPLOSION
WORKMAN KILLED ; 4 OTHERS BADLY HURT
Another fatal blasting accident occurred yesterday the Lochaber hydro-eleetric scheme, resulting in the death of one man and serious injury to four others. The scene was the new tunnel being driven through mountain spur for the purpose the waters Loch Laggan into Loch Treig, where on Christmas Day fatal explosion under almost similar circumstances occurred.
It appears that a squad of men were engaged in drilling operations when, without the slightest warning, a violent explosion took place. Although the immediate cause of the accident has not yet been determined, it believed that one ot the drills had come into contact with a live cartridge. When the dust had cleared it was ascertained that one man had been killed and four others more or less seriously injured. The man killed is
James Gallagher (25),spanncrman, Gartaar, Arranmore, Co. Donegal.
The following sustained head injuries: Edward Coyle (26), driller, Kilmacreen, Letterkenny; Andrew O'Donel (34), driller, 12 Douglas Street, Anderston, Glasgow; and Patrick M'Kale (23), mucker, Gallowgate, Glasgow. John Smith (32), spannerman, Culsyth, Randalstown, was injured on the legs.
Medical aid was immediately available and everything done to alleviate the sufferings of the injured, who rushed by ambulance the contractors' hospital at Fersit.

Send me your EMail address and I will see if I can find some more

BRISCOE - Bolton, Heaton Norris, Rochdale, Oldham, Chadderton, Blackburn
POUNDER - Middleton Tyas, Kirkbymoorside, Stokesley, Lambeth, Bolton, Newcastle on Tyne, Leeds
HAMMOND - Quebec, Laverton, Masham, Grantley
SWALES - Laverton, Masham
O'Shea - Quebec
PARRY - Caerhun, Deiniolen, ClwtyBont, Brynrefail, TalySarn, Brynrefail, Bethesda
EVANS - Llanfihangel Bryn Pabuan, Maesmynis, Dowlais, Stockton on Tees, Hartlepool, Trealaw
HARVEY - Trentham, Sheriffhales, Llanfyllin, Llanferres, Minera

Offline jimmyg8

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Re: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s
« Reply #21 on: Thursday 29 November 18 11:36 GMT (UK) »
Martin.  That is fantastic.

thanks again

Jim Gallagher


Offline josey

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Re: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s
« Reply #22 on: Thursday 29 November 18 11:44 GMT (UK) »
Hi Jim, as a new member [welcome  :)] you may not be aware that email addresses are not allowed on this public forum. This is to prevent spam. You can edit your post to remove it [go to modify in top right corner of your post] and then send the email address by personal message to Martin by clicking on text icon under his name & 'Send Personal Message'. It will be removed by the moderators from your post in due course.

I wonder if there were fatal accident inquiries which may be lodged in the National Records of Scotland?

Seeking: RC baptism Philip Murray Feb ish 1814 ? nr Chatham Kent.
IRE: Kik DRAY[EA], PURCELL, WHITE: Mea LYNCH: Tip MURRAY, SHEEDY: Wem ALLEN, ENGLISHBY; Dub PENROSE: Lim DUNN[E], FRAWLEY, WILLIAMS.
87th Regiment RIF: MURRAY
ENG; Marylebone HAYTER, TROU[W]SDALE, WILLIAMS,DUNEVAN Con HAMPTON, TREMELLING Wry CLEGG, HOLLAND, HORSEFIELD Coventry McGINTY
CAN; Halifax & Pictou: HOLLAND, WHITE, WILLIAMSON

Offline Martin Briscoe

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Re: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s
« Reply #23 on: Thursday 29 November 18 11:53 GMT (UK) »
Martin.  That is fantastic. My email is ##################
thanks again

Jim Gallagher

I will have a look later to see if I can pick up any other reports but they tend to be very similar in different papers.

BRISCOE - Bolton, Heaton Norris, Rochdale, Oldham, Chadderton, Blackburn
POUNDER - Middleton Tyas, Kirkbymoorside, Stokesley, Lambeth, Bolton, Newcastle on Tyne, Leeds
HAMMOND - Quebec, Laverton, Masham, Grantley
SWALES - Laverton, Masham
O'Shea - Quebec
PARRY - Caerhun, Deiniolen, ClwtyBont, Brynrefail, TalySarn, Brynrefail, Bethesda
EVANS - Llanfihangel Bryn Pabuan, Maesmynis, Dowlais, Stockton on Tees, Hartlepool, Trealaw
HARVEY - Trentham, Sheriffhales, Llanfyllin, Llanferres, Minera

Offline Martin Briscoe

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Re: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s
« Reply #24 on: Thursday 29 November 18 12:02 GMT (UK) »
I should have warned him to send in a private message, just did not want to clog up the forum with other "cuttings".

I have copied down the EMail address so can be deleted now.

I went through the death records on ScotlandsPeople - I paid my £15 and went through the local registration districts over that period.  Some a note written in if there had been a FAI which I noted on my spreadsheet, not sure if I included on the PDF that I posted online.  I haven't asked if there are copies of FAI in either the local archive or Highland Archive but I was mainly interested in getting names, dates and basic details.  It all started with a talk on the project and a question about how many died during it, no one knew.  I went on to do the same with military deaths in WWII after coming across a report on a couple of Commandos who drowned, again you often heard comments about no one knowing how many died at Achnacarry.  It turned out there is a Roll of Honour of training deaths but I found a few not on it and there are several who could have been training to be Commando but still recorded under their own regiment.

BRISCOE - Bolton, Heaton Norris, Rochdale, Oldham, Chadderton, Blackburn
POUNDER - Middleton Tyas, Kirkbymoorside, Stokesley, Lambeth, Bolton, Newcastle on Tyne, Leeds
HAMMOND - Quebec, Laverton, Masham, Grantley
SWALES - Laverton, Masham
O'Shea - Quebec
PARRY - Caerhun, Deiniolen, ClwtyBont, Brynrefail, TalySarn, Brynrefail, Bethesda
EVANS - Llanfihangel Bryn Pabuan, Maesmynis, Dowlais, Stockton on Tees, Hartlepool, Trealaw
HARVEY - Trentham, Sheriffhales, Llanfyllin, Llanferres, Minera

Offline josey

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Re: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s
« Reply #25 on: Thursday 29 November 18 13:04 GMT (UK) »
It's great that you have taken an interest and have put in the time and work to gather the records together to make sure these deaths are not forgotten & that the information is all in one place. 
Seeking: RC baptism Philip Murray Feb ish 1814 ? nr Chatham Kent.
IRE: Kik DRAY[EA], PURCELL, WHITE: Mea LYNCH: Tip MURRAY, SHEEDY: Wem ALLEN, ENGLISHBY; Dub PENROSE: Lim DUNN[E], FRAWLEY, WILLIAMS.
87th Regiment RIF: MURRAY
ENG; Marylebone HAYTER, TROU[W]SDALE, WILLIAMS,DUNEVAN Con HAMPTON, TREMELLING Wry CLEGG, HOLLAND, HORSEFIELD Coventry McGINTY
CAN; Halifax & Pictou: HOLLAND, WHITE, WILLIAMSON

Offline GRattray

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Re: Tunnel workers killed on the Lochaber Water Power Scheme 1920s/1930s
« Reply #26 on: Saturday 16 May 20 22:19 BST (UK) »
Just wondered if you are still researching those killed at Lochaber? My great grandfather was crushed in a tunnel whilst it was being built.  His name was George McDonald and he died before my Gran was born so don’t know anything else about him apart from the fact I think he came from somewhere up Aberdeen way.  I often think about him but don’t know where to start trying to find out about him as there is no one left to ask.
Just wondered if you had came across the name.
Thanks