WYNSTAY  Ruabon, Flintshire. 30th. September, 1868.

The colliery was the property of the New British Iron Company and there were ten killed and thirteen injured in the explosion. On the south side of the pit in the Main Coal Seam, three up brows had been driven to the rise within a short distance of the pit eye. The upbrows were ventilated by a split of air from the main current going along the horse road below and on to the top by doors and stoppings placed in the endways. In the second level or endway from the bottom, there had been a door for some time but it was removed a few days before the explosion.

A bricksetter was employed to build a brick stopping in its place and he was working at this task on the day of the accident. Immediately after the stopping was completed, the explosion took place. All the dead were found near the pit eye.

Those who died were:

  • Thomas Ward, suffocated,
  • Henry Davies,
  • Moses Andrew,
  • David Roberts,
  • John Lloyd,
  • James Davies,
  • Hugh Edwards,
  • Edward Edwards,
  • Meshach Jones,
  • John Brown.

Mr. Peter Higson, the Inspector thought that the places had been fouled with gas when there was no door since the current would take the shortest path to the upcast shaft. When the ventilation was restored, the gas would be carried round and was ignited by a spark. Mr. Higson found that there were sparks from the furnace which was fed by fresh air and two daywageman who were working nearby had locked safety lamps.

The inquiry into the accident was long and searching and great efforts were made as to how the gas was ignited but they failed completely. The Inspector thought it was possible that some of the victims might have gone into there turn airway for a smoke and ignited the gas with a naked light but he was also suspicious of the sparks from the furnace and pointed out to the manager that this could be improved. Mr. Higson concluded his report:

The fireman told the jury that he had examined and found the upbrows safe on the morning of the casualty, but that statement could hardly be relied on inasmuch as it was not supported by the evidence of several trustworthy witnesses my own impression being that those places had not been visited for some time by anyone. As there was no trace of burning in or near the upcast pit, the gas, I think, could not have been ignited by anything that came from the furnace.

 

REFERENCES
The Mines Inspectors Report, 1869.

Information supplied by Ian Winstanley and the Coal Mining History Resource Centre.

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