In the immediate vicinity of the seat of the explosion little burning was seen, the supposition was that a firedamp explosion had raised dust in the passageways and the coal dust had exploded. The official investigation tentatively suggested that shot firing had displaced the gas towards the area where men were smoking and that a naked flame there triggered off the explosion. Legacy Memorial The mine owner erected a 5.5-metre-tall granite monument to mark the two explosion disasters. An engraved dedication reads: "William Dixon Ltd—in memory of 240 of their workmen who were killed by explosions in Blantyre Colliery on 22nd October, 1877 and 2nd July 1879 and many of whom are buried here". There is also a memorial to the Catholic miners killed in the disaster of October 1877 which is located in Dalbeath Cemetery, London Road, Glasgow. In addition a memorial commemorating the centenary is located at Blantyre Cross, Blantyre. An incomplete list of the deaths is given in . Music Irish folk artist Christy Moore recorded a song called "Blantyre Explosion". It appears on his 1985 album Ordinary Man. It had previously been recorded by Ewan MacColl and Dick Gaughan. The exact origin of the song is unknown, but it is thought to have been collected by A. L. Lloyd from an unnamed local singer. The text first appears in LLoyd's 1951 book "coaldust ballads". See also List of disasters in Great Britain and Ireland Notes References Bibliography Report by the Inspectors of Mines quoted at length in Report by the Inspectors of Mines to both houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty (includes plan of Blantyre) Scottish Mining Website: Coal mining disasters in Scotland Coal mines in Scotland 1877 mining disasters 1878 mining disasters 1879 mining disasters 1877 in Scotland 1878 in Scotland 1879 in Scotland History of South Lanarkshire Blantyre, South Lanarkshire 19th century in South Lanarkshire 1877 disasters in the United Kingdom 1878 disasters in the United Kingdom 1879 disasters in the United Kingdom