The Blantyre mining disaster, which happened on the morning of 22 October 1877, in Blantyre, Scotland, was Scotland's worst ever mining accident. Pits No. 2 and No. 3 of William Dixon's Blantyre Colliery were the site of an explosion which killed 207 miners, possibly more, with the youngest being a boy of 11. It was known that firedamp was present in the pit and it is likely that this was ignited by a naked flame. The accident left 92 widows and 250 fatherless children. Blantyre was also the scene of two further disasters in 1878 and 1879. There was a succession of lesser fatalities, some of which—particularly in the earlier years—were caused by firedamp. Background Seams The Lanarkshire coalfield in the vicinity of Blantyre had three seams of coal being worked in the 1870s. They were the ell coal, thick at ; the main coal, thick at and the splint coal, thick at . Precise depths vary with the elevation of the top of the various shafts. The Blantyre colliery had five shafts: No. 1, by working the ell and main coals. No. 2. by working the splint coal. No. 3. by working the splint coal. No. 4. by working the splint coal. At the time of the explosion No. 4 had not yet connected with the rest of the colliery. No. 5. diameter used as the upcast for numbers 1, 2 and 3. Numbers 2 and 5 shafts were close to each other, within . Number 3 shaft was away. Number 1 shaft was between the two but only reached the ell and main coals. Blind pits, that is shafts that do not extend to the surface, connected the ell and main coals to the splint coal. The main coal ceased to be worked in November 1878 and the passages from shaft 1 bricked up. Shaft 1 continued to work the ell coal. Four main districts were formed in the splint coal: A smaller area with workings to the north and south of number 3 pit. An area lying in the north-west quadrant from number 2 pit. An area lying in the south-west quadrant from number 2 pit. An area lying in the south east quadrant from number 2 pit close to, and in communication with, the workings from number 3 pit. Conditions in the mine were held to be poor by the colliers. The previous year the miners