Victoria Colliery No 1 Pit Explosion – 1871

VICTORIA. No. 1 Pit. Monmouthshire. 2nd. March, 1871.

The head viewer at the colliery was Mr. James and Mr. David Evans was his underviewer. The No.1 Victoria Colliery was the property of the Ebbw Vale Iron and Steel Company and worked the Old Coal by the cross-heading method. There was one large shaft at the colliery with two cages and the mine worked the upper ironstone and the coal at a lower level. The ventilation in the pit had a long way to travel and when Mr. Brough visited the pit the year before the accident, it was pointed out to him that another pit was to be sunk about 60 yards deeper to the Old Coal so that there would be another source of air in that seam. The plan was delayed.

On the day of the disaster, Mr. James met David Evans at the No.8 Pit who reported to him that they had been through the No.10 workings and found the ventilation very good and that he was well satisfied with the condition of the work.

Jonathan Price, fireman, heard the explosion and immediately went down the pit to search for his son. He took a wrong turning and was killed by the afterdamp. The men that had gone down with him, found some bodies but by this time there was great consternation at the surface As an anxious crowd that had gathered as the men had been down the pit along time and there had been no news.

John Evans, the overman, went down and found the body of Jonathan Price and tried to pull it to the pit bottom but conditions were so bad that he failed to do this and was greatly affected by the gas. Other bands of explorers worked below. until all the bodies had been recovered.

Those who died were:

• Francis Adams aged 21 years, collier, single of Briery Hill.
• John Chapman aged 23 years, collier of Old Pitty, left a wife and child.
• Samuel Cooke aged 18 years, collier, single of Bee Row.
• John Evans aged 31 years, collier of Shop Row, Victoria Town, left a wife and five children.
• Charles Ford aged 20 years, collier, single of Powell’s Row.
• John Gallope or Gallop aged 30 years, collier of Briery Hill, left a wife and six children.
• Joseph Gallope or Gallop aged 25 years, collier of Old Pitty, left a wife.
• James George aged 24 years, collier of Briery Hill, left a wife and child.
• Joseph Harris aged 12 years, doorboy of Powell’s Row.
• Thomas James aged 21 years, collier Briery Hill, single.
• Thomas Mitchell aged 39 years, collier of Victoria Town, left a wife and ten children.
• Phillip Phillips aged 59 years, collier, of Bee Row with a wife and father.
• David Phillips aged 21 years, collier, single of Bee Row. Brought up alive but died two days later.
• William Plummer aged 24 years collier, of Victoria Town, left a wife.
• Jonathan Price aged 50 years, fireman of Powell’s Row, left a wife and six children.
• John Price aged 18 years, collier, single, son of Jonathan, Powell Row.
• James Tanner aged 58 years, collier, single of Briery Hill.
• George Tury aged 18 years, collier, single of Briery Hill.
• George Williams aged 23 years, haulier, single of Briery Hill.

Badly burnt were:

• William, Ashman, James Jones, haulier, married.

Three horses and a collier’s dog were also killed.

The disaster left fifty-five widows and many orphaned children. The inquest into the disaster was conducted by Mr. H. Brewer, Coroner. John Evans, the overman at the No.1 Pit did not find gas on the morning of the disaster and he thought a fall had occurred which released gas that was ignited at the naked light of one of the hauliers. John Jones a haulier said that he had taken two or three journeys out and had stopped in the heading when he saw a flame coming towards him but he heard nothing. He was knocked over and burnt.

Mr. Lionel Brough, the Inspector stated his report of the accident by saying:

The most deplorable event of the years happened at the colliery, whereby nineteen industrious and well-conducted workmen were cut off from this life in that duration of time counted by seconds, and but by very few even of them.

The only fact that was evident after the explosion was that the explosion took place in Joseph Gallop’s stall by a naked light even though safety lamps were used in the mine. It was probable that the light was taken into the place by someone else.

It was thought that something had happened to a journey of tubs but it could not be known for certain for all that knew were killed. The sheet door that prevented the air from being cut off from Gallop’s working place may have been left open by one of the hauliers or it might have been burst through by a frightened horse. A dead horse was found on top of it.

A man named Thorley stated that the roads and gobs were being squeezed and getting smaller which constricted the flow of air. The Inspector thought that this had caused the build-up of gas but the fireman, Price, had ordered a spout hole to be made and put Gallop to do the work with a safety lamp. There was an idea put forward that the Davy lamp had caused the explosion by the Inspector said that there was not enough ventilation to blow the flame through the gauze and that the gas was probably ignited by someone bringing in a naked light.

The jury brought in the verdict that:

That the explosion in the No.1 Pit was purely accidental but we strongly recommend that in future when any spout hole is to be made that it at once be exacted for the further safety of human life.

REFERENCES
Mines Inspectors Report, 1871. Mr. Lionel Brough.
Colliery Guardian, 10th March, p.262, 31st March, p.364, 6th April, p.273.
”And they worked us to death” Vol.1. Ben Fieldhouse and Jackie Dunn. Gwent Family History Society.

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