POCHIN. Glamorganshire. 8th. November, 1884.

The colliery was the property of the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company and sinking had started in 1879 five miles from Tredegar. Mr. T.H. Stratton was the manager. There were two shafts, the downcast 18 feet in diameter was sunk near the southeastern extremity of the colliery and the upcast 16 feet in diameter was 55 feet to the north of the downcast. Both were sunk to a depth of 316 yards and joined by a heading.

The workings to the north of the main intake were entirely in the Yard Seam which was about three feet thick was the main seam that was worked and on the south of the main intake a comparatively small portion was in the Big Seam. The ground of the colliery sloped considerably from the south-eastern extremity northwards to the bottom of the downcast shaft which was the lowest point of that district. Water frequently accumulated in the levels but flowed down to the bottom of the downcast shaft. This water had known to interfere with the ventilation before pumping engines were constructed the year before the disaster.

In the northern districts of the colliery, the strata between the coal seams were thinner than in the southern districts and the coal was worked on the longwall system but not to any great extent. The colliery employed 375 men and was worked in a single shift of 330 men. At the time of the explosion which occurred on a Saturday evening, only 14 men were in the pit.

As in all the steam coal collieries in South Wales, the coal at the Pochin Pit was fiery and dusty and apt to give off large volumes of firedamp not only from ordinary working but often in large blowers. gas had been found within three months of the explosion but no dangerous accumulations had been noticed and no criticism had been levelled at the colliery by the Inspectors.

The colliery was ventilated by a Guibal fan 40 feet in diameter. at the top of the upcast shaft which passed an average of 80,000 cubic feet per minute through the mine. The last occasion on which the measurements were made and recorded was on the 8th. November when is showed that 73,892 cubic feet of air per minute were passing into the west colliery. The record book was supposed to have been signed by D. Davies, the overman but was in fact signed by the weigher in Davies’ name. This was irregular and was a beach of the Mines Regulation Act, 1972.

At the time of the accident, Clanny and Meuseler lamps were used but after the disaster, Meuseler and Marsant were used and the Clanny lamps were discarded. There was lamps station at the top of the pit and another below ground in the main intake. Two paraffin lamps were hung on each side of the shaft at the bottom of the downcast, one at the entrance to the intake and the other at the entrance of the level which ran to the east.

Nothing appears to have occurred on the day of the explosion which attracted any notice or suggested any warning to any of the officials at the colliery. the barometer was not low, the early morning examinations had shown no gas and so great was the confidence and general security that was felt, that a competent shot man fired shots between 2 p.m. and 5.45 p.m. in a large portion of the working faces.

The examinations were made at 2.30 a.m. by Benjamin Philips and James Philips, both fireman and at 6.15 p.m. by David Davies, overman. Neither of the firemen examined or were in the habit of examining, ether the standage district or the old workings called the Old Deep. The overman and manager said that the standage was examined for water but the Old Deep was not examined at all.

At 2 p.m. on the 8th November, David Thomas took over the charge of the pit. There were not more than 25 men underground. With the exception of Thomas, two surveyors, the pump engineman, the lampman and the ostlers the 25 were cutting bottoms and stowing and other general repair jobs. By 9 p.m. all but 15 had left the pit. One of these men, W. Williams was in the lodge room at the time of the explosion at 9.15 p.m. and was rescued alive, the remaining fourteen lost their lives as did every horse in the colliery.

Between 2 p.m. and 5.45 p.m., Thomas was firing shots in various positions. After careful examination, he had found a small quantity of gas in only one place from a hole in the roof and he did not fire a shot there. G. Owen who was in charge when Thomas left, had the authority to fire shots if they were required but there was evidence that he did so between 6.30 p.m. and 9.15 p.m.

The effects of the explosion destroyed the engine house and the fan was blown to pieces. large pieces of timber were thrown 100 yards away. Explorers went down bout could not stay long as there was no ventilation but they located four bodies.

About two hours after the explosion there was a large crowd at the pit and ropes had been placed around the shaft to keep people away. a man named Pugh, stated to be under the influence of drink, offered his assistance which was refused by the officials. He rushed forward and fell down the shaft and was skilled. All forty-three horses in the colliery were killed. The damage was quickly repaired and the pit re-opened on Tuesday morning.

The bodies of the fourteen men were found in the positions where they were supposed to be working

Those who lost their lives were:

  • Thomas Morgan aged 34 years collier.
  • John William aged 20 years, collier.
  • Evan Griffiths aged 20 years, collier.
  • Gwilym Owen aged 34 years, collier.
  • John Hamer aged 35 years, collier.
  • William Evans aged 30 years, collier.
  • William Havard aged 25 years haulier.
  • John Jones aged 25 years, haulier.
  • Thomas Lewis aged 35 years, labourer.
  • James Preece aged 34 years labourer.
  • William Scott aged 48 years. labourer.
  • James Beavan aged 39 years, labourer.
  • John Davies aged 46 years, roadman.
  • Isaiah Morris aged 28 years, roadman.

The effect of the explosion was violent at the air crossing in the main intake appeared to have been the centre of the blast.

The inquest was opened by Mr. Martin Edwards and all interested parties were represented. All the witnesses agreed that the ventilation of the mine was good and in fact it was passing more strongly just before the explosion.

Several shots had been fired on the north side by a man appointed for the purpose about 2 to 3 hours before. He followed the safe procedure of seeing that there was nothing smouldering after the shots. He did not fire one shot in a hole in the roof and the cartridge was afterwards found intact. The evidence seemed to rule out the possibility of the explosion being caused by shot firing.

Some matches were found in the pocket of one of the victims but although this was against the rules, there was no evidence to show that a man had been smoking. From the evidence of the wreckage, it was evident that the force of the explosion divided east and west on the main intake from an air bridge.

Several theories were put forward as to the origin of the explosion. Mr. Wales thought that gas had accumulated in the drifts to the deep of the south of the shaft and had been ignited by the hitchers who used unprotected lights at the bottom of the shaft while Mr. Bain and Mr Cadman thought that the point of origin was near the main road and radiated east and west. There were objections to all these theories and considerable charring and coking was found in the northern and western extremities of the colliery.

It was thought possible that the flame might have been forced through one of the Clanny lamps but the mine was dry and dusty and the dust only periodically cleared out. The Inspector thought that this had contributed to the explosion. He went on to say:

Until comparatively recently dust was not considered an element of danger in coal mining, but since exhaustive experiments by Professor Able and many scientific societies and private individuals both at home and aboard, it has been conclusive that small particles of finely divided matter, if mixed with a small percentage of explosive gas, or subjected to a small explosion, enormously increase its force and extent.

The jury returned the following verdict:

We find Thomas Lewis came to his death through an explosion of firedamp which occurred at the Pochin Pit on the 8th, inst. but how the explosion occurred we have no evidence to show.

 

Saturday 8 November 1884. Worcester Evening News

TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOSION. FIFTEEN LIVES LOST.

A fatal explosion, including it is feared the loss of fifteen lives, took place at ten minutes past nine o’clock on Saturday evening, at Pochin Colliery, in the Sirhowy Valley, about three miles from  Tredegar, which belongs to the Tredegar Coal and Iron Company. The shock was felt at the signal box at Bedwellty pits, about a mile away, and as soon as the situation was realised the officials of the London and North -Western Railway placed an engine and van at the disposal of the colliery officials. Mr. Colquoun (the General manager), Mr. Stratton (the mineral agent), Mr.W.Hamilton (engineer), and others proceeded to the pit’s mouth, hundreds of persons at the same time hurrying thither from neighbouring cottages. It was known at the time that there were 15 men in the pit engaged in repairing the pit roads in addition to an engineman working an engine halfway down the pit. The cries of the latter were heard, and he was, after some time, rescued by an exploring party, which was organised under the direction of Messrs. Stratton and Reynolds.   The force of the explosion had blown the engine house and ventilating fan at the pit’s mouth to atoms, some heavy pieces of timber being found a hundred yards away. The cage was closely jammed against the top, and the angled roofing was scattered in every direction. The exploring party were only able to penetrate a little way into the workings owing to the absence of ventilation by the destruction of the fan, and they only found four bodies in their first descent. Three of those identified, Gwyllym Owen, Evan Griffths and John Daniels, but the fourth body was mutilated beyond recognition. It is considered as beyond doubt that the other eleven men are dead in the pit, as they would not live after the explosion.

The names of these men are:

  • John Morris,
  • Thomas Morgan,
  • John Williams,
  • William Evans Morgan,
  • John Williams,
  • Wyndham Evans,
  • John Hamer,
  • Thomas Lewis,
  • John Bruce,
  • William Scott,
  • John Bevan,
  • William Harvard,
  • John Jones.

A fatal accident occurred about two hours after the explosion. Ropes had been placed around the pit’s mouth to keep back the crowds of friends and relatives of the unfortunate miners but one of these, a man named Williams stated to be under the influence of drink, offered assistance, but was prevented from approaching the pit’s mouth by officials. He, however, rushed forward again, evading them, and approaching too close fell down the pit. He was subsequently found at the bottom a mangled corpse. Great confidence was placed in the safety of this colliery as being one of the best ventilated pits in South Wales. Had the explosion occurred in the daytime, or on any other night except Saturday night, the consequences must have been much more disastrous, as between three and four hundred men are employed. The cause of the explosion is not yet clear. The ventilating pan was restored about midday yesterday and an exploring party again descended, and four other bodies were recovered, all in a dreadfully mangled condition. The workings are not very much damaged and it is expected work will be resumed early next week.  Telegraphing at 10.30 last night a correspondent says: Forty-three horses which were in the pit at the time of the explosion are killed, and a large body of men have been to-day employed in digging a hole near the pit in which to bury them. The exploring party is still in the pit and, the ventilating fan is now working successfully, they are expected to recover the remaining bodies during the night.  Several of the bodies already recovered were found in the main level, making it appear as if they were trying to escape. The rescued engineman is progressing favourably.

 

REFERENCES
The Mines Inspectors Report.
Report to the Right Hon. The Secretary of State for the Home Department of the circumstances attending an explosion which occurred at the Pochin Colliery, Tredegar, on the 8th November 1884 by Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, Barrister-at-Law.
The Colliery Guardian, 14th November 1884, p.781, 20th March 1885, p.467.

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

Return to previous page