PENYCRAIG. Penycraig, Glamorganshire. 27th. January, 1884.

The colliery was owned by Messrs. Rowlands and William Morgan. A serious disaster occurred on Sunday at the Penycraig colliery with the loss of fourteen lives and a large number of horses were also killed. The explosion occurred at 4 a.m. when fortunately the four hundred men who worked in the mine were not at work as it was the custom at this and other collieries, to fire the shots that had been prepared on Saturday on a Sunday when the risk was less and it was thought that the explosion had been caused by the firing of these shots.

Twelve officials, five firemen and seven ostlers had descended to inspect the colliery and the latter to see to the horses. The sound of the explosion was heard at a great distance and very soon, despite the early hour, there was an anxious crowd gathered at the pit mouth. Mr. Daniel Thomas, an Albert Medallist, First Class, the owner of the Dinas Colliery, was one of the first to arrive at the scene and soon got a gallant party of volunteers to descend the pit. After going some distance, they found that the guides of the cage were damaged, and with great difficulty and risk to their lives, they got around the obstacle and eventually reached the bottom in safety.

The explosion took place at the Naval Steam Colliery resulting in the loss of fourteen lives of which eleven died from the results of the explosion and three from suffocation. The three who died from suffocation were members of the rescue party who went to the pit as soon as they could to recover the bodies of the eleven killed in the explosion but became the victims of the gas in the mine. One of the three was Mr, Daniel Thomas, the owner of the Dinas Steam Coal Co. who was awarded the Albert Medal, 1st class, for the bravery that he displayed in the recovery of the miners at the Tynewynedd colliery in April 1877.

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Mines, Mr. Wales, gave the following tribute to this man in his report:

For many years I knew Thomas well and met him under trying and dangerous circumstances and were I to allow the present opportunity to pass without publicly recording my high appreciation of his sound judgement and unselfish acts of bravery on these occasions I would ill discharge my duty to the memory of one whose name will always be dear to me and to the mining population of South Wales.

The bottom of the shaft was a scene of utter devastation but without hesitation, Daniel Thomas set off into the working with Davy lamps. They were met with the most appalling sights and very large falls of roof and eventually Daniel Thomas, Thomas Lewis, Morgan Howell, David Pascoe and Edward Watkins reached the stables. Daniel Thomas and Thomas Lewis were the first to enter. They found that all the horses were dead and there were two bodies there, one of an undermanager and one of an ostler. Steps were taken immediately to remove the bodies of the men to the bottom of the shaft.

After this was done Daniel Thomas, Thomas Lewis, John Jones, Thomas Morgan, Edward Watkins, called “Ned Adare”, Morgan Howell and David Pascoe and one or two others went into the workings. They had to climb over immense falls. John Jones, who was described as a powerful young man, knew that his father was in the pit and went six hundred yards into the pit and Daniel Thomas urged him to come back. He did as he was told.

Sometime later when a fresh party went down the pit to help with the operations they found John Jones and Thomas Morgan lying unconscious in the dust of the roadway. They were dragged to the bottom of the shaft. Thomas Morgan said Daniel Thomas had returned part of the way leaning on his arm but he had fallen to the floor and shortly afterwards Morgan had been overcome by the gas and fell to the floor.

A party of about twelve men under the direction of Her Majesty’s Inspector of Mines, Mr. Galloway and Mr. Daniel, the manager of the Penycraig Colliery went down and they were down the pit for about an hour and were driven back by the gas and with the coming of the night when the air got denser, movement and breathing underground became more difficult and dangerous.

Mr. Galloway insisted that they all went up the pit and they were greeted by an anxious crowd at the pit head who were waiting for news but all that could be told them was that there was utter devastation underground and that the sixty or seventy horses were dead. No traces of human bodies had been found nor had any voices been heard.

The ventilation fan had been damaged and had to be repaired before any further operations could be mounted. The great falls and the position of the other shaft made any natural ventilation impossible and there was a great danger of another explosion.

During the night, repairs were made to the fan and a party went down the downcast shaft on Monday morning. They went five hundred yards into the workings and came to a wall of rubbish. It was known that Daniel Thomas and his companion fell on the other side of this wall on Sunday and it was thought that his body would be found.

There was a hope that the rescuers would be found alive as there was some ventilation passing to that part of the pit and a party of workers headed by Edmund and Isaiah Thomas who were brothers of Daniel Thomas started to cut through the wall which was several yards thick.

At the surface, Mr. Thomas Wales, Her Majesty’s Inspector of Mines for South Wales arrived at the Colliery at 1.p.m. and with Mr. Moses Rowlands, one of the proprietors of the mine, reported to the crowd that the explorers had cut five yards through the wall but it was thought that it was ten yards thick and not as had originally thought, four yards thick and the crowd settled to an anxious wait.

At 2.30 a.m. the news came to the surface with the sad news that the bodies of Mr. Thomas and Davies had been found. Eleven yards of the wall had been cut through when the Mr. Thomas’ body was reached. He had been suffocated and had fallen sideways with his lamp still grasped in his hand. About one hundred and fifty yards away their party found the body of Thomas Davies face downwards. The features of the men were described as being peaceful as though placid in sleep. Both bodies were tenderly taken to the pit bank where Mr. Thomas was wrapped in canvass and carried on the shoulders of colliers to his house. Jones was recovered senseless but not dead with Morgan clasped in his arms. They were sent to the shaft and got up with great difficulty.

A party went down the Penycraig downcast shaft on Monday at 10 p.m. but had to return after an hour. The stench coming from the carcases of the dead horses was overpowering and there was still a lot of gas in the mine.

The body of Thomas Davies was found terribly burnt and the operations went on at the pit during Tuesday with the efforts concentrated on getting the dead horses removed and buried on local coal tips. By Tuesday the fan was working and the foul gasses were swept out of the mine and the Body of Edward Watkinson one of the rescuers was reported to have been found in the workings but there was still gas in the working and the operations were suspended.

On Wednesday at 11 a.m. a party went down the pit and two bodies were found eighty yards into the workings. The bodies were brought to the surface and an inquest into the bodies recovered was opened on that Wednesday.

On Friday Mr. D.H. Daniels the manager and Mr. Edwin Randall the Deputy Inspector of Mines for South Wales explored the part of the mine where the three ostlers and William Williams, the fireman, had been found.

It was learned that on the morning of the explosion William Williams and another fireman named Daniel James had to fire a blasting hole each. Daniel Jones had overslept and had not gone down the pit. The holes that they ad to fire been repaired on Saturday afternoon, Mr D. Daniels and Mr. Edwin Randall found that the hole that it was William’s duty to fire had been fired and shattered the rock. It would have been his duty to fir the hole that James was to have fired and it was significant that he had not reached that hole which was in a different part of the mine. The hole was found still charged as it had been on Saturday night.

William Williams body was found seventy yards in a straight line from the hole he had fired and it was inferred that the blast from that shot had hurled him to that spot. What was not explained was that he, an experienced and intelligent man had fired the shot had not discovered the fiery condition of the atmosphere in the mine. On the Saturday night, the barometer was very low and the manger gave special instructions to be most careful in all parts of the workings.

Work went on in the pit on Saturday and the two Heycocks father and son were found in separate stalls and wee at the time of the explosion engaged in visiting alternate stalls so as to finish the examination more quickly. The father and son were untouched by the fire and the watch of the elder had run down. David Jones was badly burnt.

With the ventilation improved due to the repairing of the fan, Mr. Randall, the Deputy Inspector descended on Tuesday and they found the bodies of Lewis and Watkinson, Mr. Thomas’s two companions lying some way from the spot where Mr. Thomas’ body was found. They had missed their way and had been suffocated by the afterdamp. The Queen expressed her warmest admiration for Mr. Thomas’s gallant conduct and conveyed Her sympathy to his relations.

Those killed in the explosion:

  • David Jones aged 52 years, fireman,
  • Fred Neynd or Nugent aged 44 years, ostler,
  • John Escott aged 27 years, ostler,
  • William Williams aged 61 years, fireman,
  • Oliver Jones aged 33 years, ostler,
  • James Seville aged 49 years, ostler,
  • Solomon Edwards aged 42 years, ostler,
  • John Heycock aged 42 years, fireman,
  • John Heycock aged 19 years, collier,
  • John Price aged 43 years, fireman,
  • Thomas Davies aged 46 years, contractor.

The explorers who died:

  • Daniel Thomas, aged 35 years, colliery proprietor,
  • E. Watkin aged 35 years, an overman from Dinas,
  • Thomas Lewis aged 34 years, undermanager.

Dr. Evan N. Davis said that most of the dead were burnt but only in the case of Fred Nugent could death be put down to violence.

The widow of Daniel Thomas of Dinas one of the three rescuers suffocated is about to dispose of the collieries and money that is subscribed shall be applied to the founding of a scholarship at the South Wales College.

The inquest was held jointly by Mr.T. Williams, Coroner for Merthyr Tydfyl and Mr. H.L. Gromer Deputy Coroner for Cardiff, at the Butchers Arms in Penycraig and was held nominally on the body of Thomas Davies, one of the victims. The accounts of the inquest give a great deal of detail on the events leading up to the explosion and many of the people who were in the mine at the time gave their experiences. The Hon. A. Lyttleton represented the Home Office and Mr. J. Simons of Merthyr appeared for Messrs. Rowlands and Morgan, the proprietors of the colliery.

Mr. Thomas Burns was the first witness. He was a mining engineer of Bryncethin, Bridgend who had assisted in the exploration of the colliery after the explosion. He found all the lamps locked and, as he was told, he found that there had been a shot fired in the workings. This shot had been fired by the fireman Williams and he had been killed by the shot which had probably ignited some gas near the roof. On a previous occasion, Williams had refused to fire a shot because he thought it dangerous.

There was a very large cavity near the place where the shot was fired and he should not have fired the shot without examining this place for gas. He did not think that a prudent man, knowing that there was a cavity in the roof and the state of the barometer on that day, would have fired a shot.

Mr. Daniel Herbert, the manager of the mine was the next to give evidence. He had been the manager for only seven months and he thought that the cause of the explosion was due to a shot. He said shotfiring was left to the direction of the under manager and the officials. There was nothing unusual on the day of the explosion except the very low barometer but a warning had been issued to the officials. The manager made it clear that although there were indications that it would be dangerous he did not know until after the event that shots had been fired but he had not issued any orders forbidding shots in the mine at that time.

Mr. Randall, the Deputy Inspector, testified that on several occasions previous to the explosion, he had found the ventilation of the mine defective and men had to be withdrawn. Mr. Wales the Chief Inspector of Mines for Wales and Monmouthshire said he was of the opinion that WilliamsÕs shot had caused the explosion. Mr. Wales continued:

In my opinion, it was injudicious on the part of the manager to allow shot firing in those parts of the colliery spoken to by the firemen in their evidence, but to allow shot firing on the main level after Beddoe had refused to do so some months before was to my mind most reckless conduct on the part of both the owner and the manager.

In my evidence at the inquest into the deaths of the men at the colliery a few years ago, I stated that shot firing should be strictly prohibited in all collieries working in the South Wales steam coal. had that recommendation been carried out the explosion and the consequent loss of life would not have occurred. I would strongly recommend that shot firing should be strictly prohibited in the working of this colliery in the future.

I hope the present sad calamity will act as a warning to such colliery managers as are now allowing shots to be fired in the working of Welsh Steam coal. If such a dangerous practice is allowed, it will sooner or later in all probability result similar calamities.

David Davies, a stoker at the downcast shaft was at work at the time of the explosion. The men descended about 6 to 6.30 am and he acted as banksman. He heard a loud report through the shaft at 6.40 am but did not see any flame come up the shaft.

Fred Bedding, a fan man at the colliery. The colliery was ventilated by a Guibal fan that turned about 98 r.p.m. and had been made at the colliery and had worked at the pit for four years and was at the fan close to the upcast shaft on the morning of the explosion. He acted as banksman and had instructions not to let any blasting powder down the mine and to refuse permission to any person who was under the influence of drink to descend the pit. He told the court that three men went down the pit at 6.20 am and at 6.30 Solomon Edwards descended. At twelve minutes to seven in the morning there was a loud report and he saw that the pit was full of sulphur but he saw no flame but some of the things at the mouth of the pit were blown about and he had a very lucky escape when a wall fell down and knocked him down and pinned him to the ground. He was able to get himself out uninjured.

Thomas Beddoe was the night fireman and the results of his inspection on the shift before the explosion he had entered in his book that there was a small blower but the mine was in good condition. Blowers had been found in the No.1 and 2 headings some days before. On Saturday 11th a brattice was broken down and an accumulation of gas had taken place but it was cleared by 7.30 p.m. He was authorised to fire shots but no shots were fired on Saturday. He had met Mr. Daniels, the manager of the colliery, who told him to be careful as the barometer was falling. During the shift he knew a shot had been fired that night. It was a hot that some men had asked him to fire but he had refused to do so because he considered it dangerous. There were cracks in the roof and it was known to be a dangerous place.  He knew that the shot had been fired thereafter he had refused to fire. It was fired by William Williams who was killed and this was considered to be the cause of the explosion.

Beddoe went on to give a good account of the work that was done and the dangers faced by shotfirers at the time. He related that on a previous occasion he had seen a flash from a shot when there were eleven shots to be fired. He fired one and his butty another but a third went off accidentally. On the following day, two holes were cleaned and the other six found. He told the overman about this. He said it was usual to fire shots between the shifts when there were not many men in the mine. Alfred Ingrham was the fireman on the night shift said he had known similar occurrences.

James Hayward was a labourer in the mine and he said the mine was good in a good condition when he left the pit at 2 a.m. on Sunday and no shot had been fired in the time that he was down the mine. Morgan Howell was the overman in the Six Foot seam and went down the pit after the explosion at 8 a.m. on Sunday with Daniel Thomas and the other explorers and described his experiences to the inquiry. Daniel Thomas, Thomas Lewis, an overman, Edward Watkins, Thomas Morgan and John James made up the exploring party that left him and others saying that they would proceed as far as they could into the workings. Of the five that went forward into the workings, only John James and Thomas Morgan returned alive. Howell had a lucky escape when he became unconscious and was rescued by a party that was following. David Davies, the overman, stated that the air was good in the colliery.

Mr. Thomas Burn, a mining engineer from Bryncethin Bridgend, gave evidence on the state of the pit and he saw no reason why a shot should not have been fired on Sunday if the ventilation was good and there was no gas on examination.

John Carson, the assistant to Dr Davies, gave evidence about the injuries to Solomon Edwards and David Jones. He had also seen the bodies of David Thomas and Edward Watkins and he had come to the conclusion that they had met their deaths by suffocation.

Daniel Herbert Daniel, had been the certificated manager at the Naval Steam Colliery for seven months. He went down the pit two or three times a week and sometimes every day depending on the circumstances. He provided the official’s report books to the court in evidence. On the morning of the explosion he was away with friends at Caerphilly when and he got a telegram from Mr. Williams informing of the disaster. He returned at once and went down the pit on Sunday evening with Mr Barr and saw the place where the shot had been fired. He thought that this was the cause of the explosion.

David Davies, overman, was in charge of six dynamite balls which were ready for use in the pit and there were no signs that they had exploded but after the explosion, the door to the place where they were stored was blown off.

Mr. E.W. Randell, the Assistant Inspector of Mines described his visits to the pit prior to the explosion and had been to inspect the pit after the explosion and agreed with Mr. Burns and Mr. Daniel that the gas was forced out by a shot. He did not think it prudent to fire shots at that place in the circumstances since there were cracks in the roof that could lodge gas.

Mr. T.E. Wales, Her Majesty’s Inspector of Mines attributed the explosion to the firing of Williams’s shot and that the gas came for the old workings in the north and west side. The Inspector was critical of the manager to allow shotfiring but to allow firing in the main level after Beddoe had refused to fire a shot was reckless on the part of the owner and the manager.

In evidence at the inquiry into the explosion at the same colliery a few years ago, Mr. Wales had stated that shot firing should not be allowed in all collieries working Welsh Steam Coal. He recommended that in future, ripping should be done by hand which he knew would be slow and expensive.

The jury retired and deliberated for one and a half hours and returned the following verdict:

We agree that the cause of Thomas’s death was accidental. We also agree that the explosion was caused by a shot fired by the late William Williams but we beg to add that the manager should have given the shotfirer more explicit instructions in shot firing at that particular time and place.

The same verdict applied to the ten men killed in the explosion. Mr. Grover, the Coroner, asked what the verdicts were given with regard to Daniel Thomas and the other explorers.

The jury returned the following verdict on these men, “Death by suffocation resulting from the explosion.”

 

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

Return to previous page