Eastfield Engine pit

Pit in the lands of Eastfield, to the Mill coal at 40 fathoms, and Crofthead Slatyband Ironstone at 78 fathoms

References

Pit Accident.—Another accident, happily not fatal as yet, whatever may be its issue, and shewing the great necessity for much safer system of machinery and apparatus for the working of pits than appears at present generally to exist, occurred Saturday morning last, at a pit called the Royal George, on Eastfield farm, Whitburn parish. It has been long worked by the Coltness Iron Company, and is in the immediate neighbourhood of another of their shanks (at Crofthead) in which a workman was killed lately. Early Saturday morning one of the miners, named David Paton, got into cage at the pit bottom, giving the signal to be drawn up, and other two men at the same time entered a cage at the top, in order to descend. The cages soon attained a great velocity, and the engineman, it seems, not observing the mark on the rope when the cage came near the top, did not get the steam put off in time, and the cage, with Paton in it, was carried rapidly beyond the pithead. Seeing his danger, however, leaped out of the cage, at the imminent risk of his life, and fell height of about 20 feet on the scaffolding, striking and severely wounding his head on a bell crank in the fall. The cage was carried over the pully-wheels, and fell near Paton. He is confined from the injuries, but is expected to recover. The men in the other cage received a severe shock on coming to the bottom.

Falkirk Herald, 28th October 1852