MILFRAEN Trerthen, Monmouthshire. 4th. March, 1902.

The colliery was the property of the Blaenavon Iron Company, Limited. The shaft was 240 yards deep and had two cages that ran in four rope guides made of seven-eighths inch steel rope. They had worked for some years and had 8 to 9 inches clearance from the girders. There was an accident in which the men were flung out of the cage to the bottom of the shaft to their deaths.

Those who lost their lives were:

  • Edward Stallard aged 53, collier,
  • William A. Stallard aged 15, collier’s boy,
  • Elias Griffiths aged 13 years, collier’s boy,
  • Elias J. Griffiths aged 13 years, collier’s boy,
  • David Phillips aged 37 years, collier.

Nothing was found to indicate that the cage had struck the wall and the accident could be accounted for only by too much slack in the hope and the cage getting into a swing by being picked up too quickly. This was denied and the possibility of larking about was considered and dismissed and one of the men was subject to fits and was in the cage and it was thought that the others were trying to subdue him but this theory was also dismissed.

Thicker guide ropes were substituted to provide greater stability and so reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of such an accident.

 

REFERENCES
Colliery Guardian, 7th March 1902, p.505.
”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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