TARNEI. Pontardawe, Glamorganshire. 1st. November, 1909.

The Tarnei Colliery was thought to be a small drift mine about halfway between Pontaedawe and Ystalyfera. At about 2 p.m. a torrent of water came rushing down the main drift which overwhelmed everything in its path. The officials tried to reach the men but could make no progress against a shoulder-high surge. There were about 100 men at work in the pit at the time but only five lost their lives.

They were:

  • Benjamin Griffiths aged 18 years.
  • David Edward Rees aged 18 years,
  • Issac Rees aged 38 years,
  • Evan Thomas aged 19 years
  • Evan Harris, a boy who was missing two days after the accident and was presumed dead.

Those who were injured by the flood were:

  • David T. Davies,
  • Evan Evans,
  • Jenkin Jenkins
  • Evan Roderick.

It was assumed that the water came from long-abandoned workings, of which there were no records and into which the men holed.

 

REFERENCES
”And they worked us to death” Vol.2. Ben Fieldhouse and Jackie Dunn. Gwent Family History Society.

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

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