BURNYEAT’S NEW SINKING. Ynysddu, Monmouthshire. 13th. August, 1904.

The accident occurred in a sinking pit, which was known as the West Pit, and was the property of Messrs. Burnyeat, Brown and Company, Limited. It was in the Sirhowy Valley, between Ysysddu and Nine Mile Point.

Two pits, the East and West Pits were being sunk with diameters of 21 feet inside the walling, to the Black Vein Seam of steam coal between two well-known faults, the Merthyr Vale or Pengram and the Risca which run down the valley. At the time of the accident, the East shaft was sunk to 230 yards and the West shaft at a depth of 172 yards. There were 17 men working at the bottom of the West shaft which was walled with 12-inch brickwork to within about five and a half yards of the bottom. As the fault had been met, the men were engaged in preparing a bed for another wall walling curb in order that this length could be bricked up and made secure for the resumption of work on the following Monday. A previous length of walling, about 13 feet was built on ground that was not good. The curb on which it was built had two iron plugs in the ground that would hold them and the remainder of the curb was supported on props.

One side of the shaft was cut through a fault the two walls of which were about four and a half feet apart. The list or leader, the intervening space, was composed of soft shale, which, when the water got to it, was washed away. The result was that suddenly and without any warning, the first fall occurred carrying away almost the whole of the last length of walling and fell on the 17 men at the bottom of the shaft. One man noticed something and as the bawk or kibble was leaving the shaft bottom he jumped in and on reaching the surface, he gave the alarm.

The foreman sinker, with others who were close at hand, immediately and were soon followed by the manager and further assistance. Nine others were rescued but while work was going on to get to others who were alive and were talking to the rescuers, there was a second fall and the men had to go up in the kibble. This fall carried away about 6 to 7 yards of the next length of the walling.

It was too dangerous to make further descents to recover the men at the bottom of the shaft who were now presumed to be dead. Falls continued until the cavity reached a height of 18 to19 yards from the bottom. Steps were taken to secure the sides and this involved the shaft being filled to with 6 feet of the top of the fall so that men could have a solid footing to work on while fixing a heavy baulk framing across the shaft. The frame rested on the walling at one end and the other on the floor wall of the fault and was hung with chains and plungers. When this was completed, ashes were filled out to allow for another framing to be put lower down. Cogs were inserted and temporary walling built and the bodies were recovered on the 28th of August.

Those who died were all sinkers:

  • William Everson aged 21 years,
  • John Gabb aged 21 years,
  • William James aged 28 years,
  • Joseph Norman aged 36 years,
  • William Ridout aged 30 years,
  • Samuel Wall aged 24 years,
  • Thomas Richards aged 47 years.

Among those rescued were:

  • William Davies aged 43 years.
  • John Horne aged 48 years.
  • David Jones.
  • Evan Jones aged 24 years.
  • Martin Jones aged 42 years.
  • Christopher McQuirk aged 41 years.
  • James Perks aged 33 years.
  • Mat Smith aged 41 years.
  • Thomas Thomas.

Mr Martin, the Inspector commented:

Three or four of the ten men who escaped were more or less seriously injured, and the rest had marvellous escapes. The rescuers fully maintained the noble characteristics of miners who are at all times ready at risk to themselves, to render help to their comrades in danger. Great credit is also due to the mining engineer or agent, the manner, foreman sinkers and others employed for the safe and successful manner in which the work of securing the side of the shaft and working their way down to the bottom was carried out. It was an exceedingly difficult and dangerous piece of work and was affected without injury to anyone, showing that is it is not always at the really dangerous undertakings that accidents occur.

 

REFERENCES
Mines Inspector Report 1904. Mr. Martin.
Colliery Guardian, 19th August 1904, p.336, 26th August, p.408, 2nd September, p.451.
”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.

Return to previous page