Miner's 'Scotch Davy' safety oil lamp, about 1880

Miner's scotch safety lamp Miner's 'Scotch Davy' safety oil lamp, about 1880

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Miner's scotch safety lamp
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Musuem

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Miner's 'Scotch Davy' safety oil lamp, about 1880.

The large internal volume of this design of lamp makes them unsafe. The size of the gauze is a deviation from the size specified for the Davy safety lamp. They were rapidly phased out after the Blantyre mining disaster on 22 October 1877, Scotland's worst mining disaster, in which at least 207 miners were killed. This type of unsafe, modified lamp was one of the most likely causes of the accident.

Details

Category:
Coal Mining
Collection:
Lancashire Coal Mining Collection
Object Number:
Y2002.19.36.1
Measurements:
236 mm x 88 mm
type:
miner's oil safety lamp
credit:
Gift of Salford Museum and Art Gallery