Cauther Photography Blog

On 10th January 1947, the West Lothian village of Burngrange was witness to its worst underground mining disaster.

The disaster and rescue attempt were national news, but the impact on the local communities and the victims’ families is still felt today. The flame from a carbide lamp ignited a pocket of firedamp. Only a small explosion was felt at first, but this ignited more gas and within half an hour the timbers and oil shale in the mine were on fire.

Thirty eight men were able to escape, bringing with them the body of John McGarty who had been killed by the initial explosion. Another fourteen men were trapped behind the fire. Despite “one of the most dramatic and gallant rescue bids in the history of mining”, the trapped men could not be reached, and their bodies were brought out of the pit on the 15th of January.

On a foggy drive in Lassen County, California, USA, I stopped for a roadside leg stretch near the Dreamcatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary. The animals there have endured a great deal between their time on the open range to their current home. They have become somewhat accustomed to humans but they are still more cautious than most domestic horses are. This chestnut horse was interested in me but somewhat tentative at approaching and paused momentarily to peer at me from the fog a few moments before ultimately deciding I wasn’t a threat and walking over to see if I had something to feed it.

I like the minimalistic feel of the image and hope someone else does as well.

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