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Accident at Alfred Watney’s Gwendraeth Works Colliery

The Coal Industry

Newspaper reports of the Gwendraeth Works accident

The Cambrian 14th May 1852

The Cambrian 21st May 1852

The Cambrian 21st May 1852

The Cambrian 25th June 1852

The Cambrian 13th August 1852

The Cambrian 24th March 1854

Coal mining has always been an arduous and hazardous occupation especially in the early days when men, women and children worked in the local pits. Gases given off by the coal were dreaded by every one underground and carbon dioxide called ‘choke damp’, suffocated anyone who breathed it. Methane, another danger and known to miners as fire-damp, mixed with air and became explosive thus preventing them carrying a naked light. Other hazards included roof falls, injuries from using tools and machinery and accidents involving the cages, which carried the miners up and down the pit shaft. One of the most dreaded dangers, especially in the Llanelli pits, was the fear of flooding.

The following newspaper reports capture the typical working conditions of local miners. They cover an appalling ‘accident’ at a colliery belonging to Alfred Watney who had married Helena Eliza Raby (the only daughter of Alexander Raby, junior) on 10 August 1848. In 1851, the year before the accident happened,

Alfred Watney aged 26 was living with his wife Helena, also aged 26 and their two children Edith Helena aged 23 months and baby Alfred, at Coalbrook House, Pontyberem.

In the 1851 census he was described as an Iron and Coal Master (from Wandsworth, Surrey), employing 200 men. Also, according to the same census, John Ord aged 35 a Colliery Agent from Jarrow, County Durham, was living at Coalbrook Lodge with his wife Jane aged 27 from Swansea, and his two children, Martha aged 8 and John Ord aged 4, who were both born at Llangennech.

The Accident

Although the mine had previously been flooded, sufficient pumping equipment had not been installed to cope with the water accumulating in the pit. Also on the day of the flooding the equipment that carried the cage up and down the pit shaft was damaged and the men could not be rescued. Great volumes of water were being lifted from the pit and it may have been the overloading of equipment that caused the damage. On the day of the accident, John Ord was the overman, Thomas Williams and Rees Davies were his deputy overmen, William Rees was bankman,

Joseph Williams was engineer, John Wilkins was fireman and Thomas Evans was engine man. It is interesting to note that after the flooding Thomas Evans (the engine man) was no longer working for Mr Watney and was working for a Mr Fothergill of Aberdare. The only man underground who survived the catastrophe was David Evans.

The coroner brought a verdict of “Accidental Death” but drew attention to the fact that coal masters and overmen should be aware of the potential dangers of deep workings and cross workings unique to the parallel valleys in South Wales (which descended to the sea), and the danger of tapping in to old mine workings.

Newspaper Reports on the Accident at Alfred Watney’s Colliery at Pontyberem

1852 The Cambrian, Swansea, 14 May

DREADFUL COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT THE GWENDRAETH WORKS

TWENTY SEVEN MEN DROWNED

Gwendraeth Colliery near Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire, like the unfortunate locality of Aberdare, has this week been the scene of a most heart-rending catastrophe. This colliery, as most of our readers are probably aware, is situated at the upper part of the valley which is formed by the Gwendraeth river and is distant about three miles and a half from the village of Llannon, and a mile from that of Pembrey. The circumstances under which the calamity took place are, so far as we have been able to collect the particulars amid the confusion and distress, which that morning prevailed in the neighbourhood, as follows:

On Monday evening the colliers, to the number of about twenty eight, were at work and everything appeared to go forward as usual, when about ten o’clock at night the water broke into the pit. The irruption appears to have been so sudden, that the unfortunate men, with one solitary exception, had not sufficient time to escape. The filling of the pit was almost instantaneous. Out of the eight and twenty human beings in the colliery at the time, one man only was left to tell the tale of the terrible casualty. He probably availed himself of the aid of machinery in operation at the works in effecting his escape. Up to Wednesday morning none of the bodies had been recovered, as the pit was filled with water to such an extent, that we are informed it prevented the engine working.

As to the cause of this fatal calamity, it is as yet, to some extent conjectural. It is however, supposed that there were old colliery workings in the neighbourhood, and that the water from these broke in upon the pit. In confirmation of this, it is said that the water has been for some time “gaining” in the pit, and that Mr Watney, the manager, was, in consequence, sinking a new pit at a short distance from that which has been the scene of the terrible loss of life which is our painful duty now to record.

Several of the unfortunate men were married, and had large families.

The scene of confusion and distress that presented itself in the immediate vicinity of the scene of the calamity may be imagined but cannot be described.

Mr Watney has done everything in his power to relieve the sufferings of the wives and children of the unfortunate men. The Government Inspector is expected to arrive, and also some of the leading partners of the firm, when measures will be adopted to clear the pit, should it be determined to resume the work at that particular place.

1852 The Cambrian, Swansea, 21 May

THE RECENT COLLIERY ACCIDENT

IN CARMARTHENSHIRE

We regret to state that from the peculiar nature of this accident not one of the 26 unfortunate men who were drowned by the terrible accident at the Gwendraeth Colliery has been recovered. The origin of the catastrophe is still unknown but it is not true as reported in some of the papers, that it arose from the canal being approached too near, and the waters from it breaking into the colliery. It is believed to have risen from an accumulation of water in an old working, which had been tapped.

A public subscription is being established for the relief of the widows and orphans. In the meantime Mr Watney, the proprietor of the colliery has administered to their immediate wants.

It was a most fortunate occurrence that the accident happened at night instead of by day, or the loss of life would have been near four times greater, the number of men working in the pit by day being 100 and by night 27. Of the latter all were drowned but one, namely David Evans, who gives a graphic narrative of his escape. He states, that at ten o’clock at night when all the 27 men were at work in the pit, himself with two other men and two boys were at the bottom of the shaft engaged near an empty “cage” when they heard a fearful roar in the further end of the pit, accompanied by a rush of air, which nearly overpowered them. They all jumped into the cage, which is used to winch the men up and down the shaft, and gave the usual signal for the engineer at the top to wind them up. The signal had hardly been given, however, when a vast body of water, rushing with a tremendous speed from the extreme end of the pit, dashed the cage from its position and rendered it impossible for the engine to remove it. Each man then struggled for himself and Evans has a very indistinct recollection of the manner of his escape.

He says he caught hold of the wooden guider by the side of the pit and commenced the ascent. He saw another attempt to get up by means of the rope, but he was washed away by the water. A boy named David Harris grasped Evans by the coat tails and they ascended a few feet in this manner, when the water, which was shooting up in the centre, forced the boy from his hold, and he was drowned with his companions.

David Evans, thus relieved from his burden got to the top of the shaft, the only survivor. He was in a state of insensibility for sometime, but recovered in the course of the night. The water is so muddy and thick that the pumps can only be partially brought into action, and it is a matter of doubt whether the bodies will ever be recovered. At the place over the spot where the water rushed in there have been large slakings [Slake = mud: slime: mud-flat] in the surface of the field, which bear out the supposition that there had been an accumulation of water in an old working, which had burst into the pit. A large portion of the field over the pit was sunk from 10 to 12 feet. An inspector of mines has examined the locality.

1852 The Cambrian, Swansea, 21 May

CARMARTHENSHIRE

THE COLLIERY ACCIDENT

AT GWENDRAETH

We understand that a meeting of the inhabitants of Llanelly is about to be convened, for the purpose of affording relief to the widows of the unfortunate men.

1852 The Cambrian Swansea, 25 June

CARMARTHENSHIRE

THE ACCIDENT

AT THE GWENDRAETH COLLIERY

The bodies of the unhappy men who perished in this colliery have not yet been brought up. Coffins are prepared for their reception and it is expected that will shortly be found. Every effort is being used to clear the pit. The excavators employed have cleared about 40 fathoms of the shaft, and are now engaged in clearing the rubbish from an old working, which is indispensable before they can proceed further. Near the spot were the surface of the ground is sunk, two shafts are made, and large pumps placed in them. These pumps are worked by a wheel propelled by water conveyed from the canal in troughs. The water then runs through a temporary channel into the Gwendraeth. Hopes are entertained that the colliers will shortly be enabled to resume their employment.

1852 The Cambrian, 13 August

THE LATE COLLIERY ACCIDENT

AT GWENDRAETH

In consequence of the workmen who have resumed labour at this colliery having discovered one of the missing men, an inquest has been held by Mr Bonville, one of the county coroners, on the body of David Jones.

The enquiry took place at the New Inn, Pontyberem; it excited much interest, and was attended by a large number of persons. Mr Mackworth the Government Inspector for Wales, was present; Mr Watney, the proprietor, and Captain Scott of the county constabulary, were also in attendance.

The preliminary enquiry was held on the 21inst.

David Jones collier, employed by Mr Watney, examined: Found the body of David Jones on Friday night. Knew him from his clothes. Found him about 26 fathoms from the bottom of the shaft.

There was a good deal of water in the pit for a few days before the accident.

Morgan Sanders, collier, in the employ of Mr Watney, examined: Was present at the finding of the body. He was in the pit until three quarters of an hour of the accident, keeping water from going into the incline. He thought the water was less than usual at the time, and that the spring was broken. He had known these workings seven years.

Never heard of old workings here. The water he was turning came from a fissure in the rock, and the coal was as good there as anywhere.

He was called back to the pit by a boy named John Williams saying there was something the matter. Carriage and guiders all right when he left. The persons he left at pit top were there when he returned, and he saw a carriage taken off and weights substituted. I went to the top of the loophole at 8 p.m. on the 10th of May when the accident happened. Four men were at work. D Jones and D Williams were then cutting rabbets to receive planks. Four props in top of top-hole to make bay or dam, and intended to put clay behind. Planks to be 3 inches thick. Sounded the roof with mandril two or three feet from hole. Water came perpendicularly down as much as my leg – it was neither clear nor dirty. It came all across the top hole, which is 5ft wide. No sand came out. He returned the whole of the water, and as he passed the place at a quarter past eight, it had not increased.

Richard Rule, collier under Mr Watney was examined, and also proved that he was present at the finding of the body.

William Rees, bankman at the time of accident examined: First thing he knew was the guiders and sliders of carriage broken and carriage thrown across collar-board and stuck there. Heard a rush of air. Engineer Joseph Williams, John Wilkins, fireman and Thomas Evans were there also.

When the turned carriage was taken up by the engine, we after that heard five knocks from the bottom; which we thought for men to be brought up, but by the rush of air we thought firedamp, knocks came at the same time. We then put on a weight as else rope and chain would not go down, and as doing so heard a single knock, and therefore did not let it go down as customary. Heard five knocks in level. Five knocks we thought to be mistaken as the proper number. One knock is to stop engine; two, slack back; three, coal to be brought up; four, men to be brought up; five, used often as four. It would generally take six or seven minutes to take carriage off, and put on weights, but not near so much this time. There were two single knocks given as return signals.

He fetched Thomas Wilkins who looks after the pit, from the village, as fast as he could run. He went down by rope and brought the Thomas Evans out of the pit to Gwendraeth Level, and Thomas Evans followed him up to the top by the whim rope. He did not try to move the engine.

John Wilkins, pitman and collier, examined: At the mouth of the pit, when the accident happened, the carriage came out of the guiders. Fire knocks from bottom, their engineer knocked once and they knocked in bottom of pit once. Then he went to fetch Morgan Sanders and David Harry. The guiders were not broken before the accident. Carriage sometimes get out of guiders. Mr Ord sent me to fetch Morgan Saunders.

Thomas Evans, engine-man at Gwendraeth Colliery examined: At the time of the accident, the first thing heard were five knocks repeated immediately from the bottom of the pit. We were raising water.

We began at six and raised between six and ten, 78 tanks of water, each of 15 cwt. The carriage was jammed across that collar board.

William Rees, on seeing the carriage, then called to me and when we got to the pit, heard a rush of air. Thomas Evans knocked several times on his way up, he called for the rope of the whim. Then as Wilkins went down put it to him. When the 2nd five knocks were given, steam and smoke came up the pit, which he thought from fire below put out. After he had got weights on, he knocked four knocks, but there was one knock returned to stop.

The inquest was adjourned.

THE ADJOURNED INQUEST PM THE 11th

Thomas Evans was the first witness called. He said, I left Messrs Watney’s employ five weeks back. I am now working with Mr Fothergill Aberdare. I went to work at 6 p.m. on Monday, the 10th of May. I had to mind the ventilating fan, feed the horses, and look after the stable. I saw David Jones and David Williams come out of the work about four hours before the accident happened. They went to the fire to eat bread and cheese, and they were very wet. They waited till the other two, Thomas Richards and David Rees came out of the top hole. These four only were to leave work at ten o’clock. There was no danger in the top hole as far as they said. They said it was about the same.

When I first felt wind, was about eight to twelve yards from the pit, in the main road. The wind put out the light, it came from the sea side. I thought it was the damp and threw myself down on my knees. The water ran up as high as my chest. I endeavoured to get light, but failed.

The water was rising all the time, and put the furnace out. I went to the bottom of the pit and knocked, first four, and then five times, as quick as possible and there was one knock after each time from the top. All the lights were put out. David and John Harris (boys), David Jones, and David Williams were in the carriage before the men. When I knocked I understood, by the single knock that there was something wrong. When I got onto the carriage, the water was up to my chest.

When I heard the second single knock, all were drowned except David Jones and myself. I was still in the carriage. I then caught hold of the guider, and came up by it from twelve to thirteen yards.

David Jones was coming up the other side of the pit by another guider, and the last word I heard was ‘O Lord, I shall never come from here.’

The water stopped at twelve or thirteen yards up. I called to the person above to send some men and light down by whim rope. Thomas Williams came down by rope as soon as he possibly could to the Gwendraeth level. He asked me what was the matter. He then sent down rope to connect. He went up before me to tell Mr Ord.

I cannot tell how long after the accident it was that he came up it might he about an hour. When I got up I saw William Rees, Mr Watney, Mr Ord and others. I saw the carriage on the bank, but don’t know whether the guider was broken. I asked them why did they not bring me up at first, and they said because the carriage was broken. As I was coming up the pit, I gave a signal not to send carriage down. I tried to get a light before going to the carriage, but failed. There was great steam and smoke. There was no more water than usual. The engine had been winding water from 6 p.m. up to the time of the accident. Heard no one say there was danger from water coming on. I did not see Mr Ord after six o’clock that evening.”

John Ord, overman at Gwendraeth Colliery for the last five years examined: He said that he had been at Llangennech coal works for five years, and there was much water and old workings there – and he had been deputy overman at Thornley Colliery, Durham, before that working at Gras and Ddugaled coals when he first came. No other seams worked since he came. Shaft sank to Pumpchwart when he came. The boring had been made by Mr Stort before he came to this colliery. (Copy of borehole made June 24th 1848 by Messrs Stort). The shaft was sunk 82 yards from Gwendraeth to the Pumpchwart coal; total depth 150 yards. The top holes where the water broke in had been driven up 400 yards from the main level and upwards of 90 yards beyond the stall workings. The top holes were double, six feet wide, with ten yards of pillar between and the crossings were ten yards apart, and six feet wide.

The last crossing was about six yards behind the fall where the water broke in. The average size of the coal was ten inches to the yard. The top of the coal in the top hole where the water broke in was 32 yards below the surface of the valley. I know this from the borehole 12 or 14 yards in front of this, which shows the coal at 28 yards below the surface of the field.

They bored 18 inches into the coal, not through it. Band in the middle of the chasm – for six yards down clay and gravel; then three or four yards of water and gravel; then nine or ten yards of blue ground – dry and hard blue clay; no rock over coal. Within three yards of the coal, clay got blacker and harder. The Pumpchwart is a hard coal 5 feet 9 inches thick. Blue shale roof 805 feet thick, and strong measures above – stands well without props. The floor is 18 inches, of hard fireclay called “Bottom stone” and a strong rock under fireclay at least four feet thick. There is no prop in top holes above the stalls, and the roof had not given way at all. The feeder of water had broken in 130 yards lower than the end of the top hole about eight months before.

The engine was raising 400 or 500 cubic yards of water per week, after the first feeder had broken in, about double what it had been winding before the first feeder had broken in. Uniform supply of water from first feeder in wet and dry weather, and no alteration after second feeder came in. The second feeder came in two days before the accident, in left hand top hole. One side of the fall was a little before the other and water came in the middle. It increased up to Sunday, and remained the same afterwards. I saw it first at 11 o’clock on Saturday morning.

I told the men to turn it through the old workings. I saw it again at seven o’clock on Monday morning. Water seemed coming in from top of the coal, between coal and rock, and came from a faig or fissure in the rock, on the coal.

The water ran naturally, and a 2½ inch diameter pipe would take it.

Some of the men had to put three props to make a bay for the purpose of damming back the water. They began to put them in about one o’clock. I saw it between one and two o’clock – one prop was put up.

Morgan Sanders, who was turning the water, came to me at 9 p.m. and said that the water was getting less; but he said nothing of having seen the hole. Four men were sent in at one o’clock to make the dam.

I told them to cut a place in each side of the coal sufficient to receive a five inch plank, and to have three props. The face of the coal was propped by trough prop. The right side of the face had been moved forward about an inch. At every 18 or 20 feet there is a slip. Coal sometimes moves forward where there is no water.

The roof and floor are of regular slope. On this land, wild faig, the width of my fingers. seemed to run north east and blue clay in it.

These faigs are not uncommon in the roof with clay in them. The four men were to leave work at ten o’clock p.m. I gave no orders besides those mentioned. I told two of the men to come and tell me when they came out. I gave no orders to come out in case anything particular occurred. The water on Sunday was doubled, but not as much as the engine could wind.

At half-past ten o’clock the engine was not winding four inches of water in the bottom of the pit. Thomas Wilkins told me of the accident, when he got to put the carriage unhooked, and weights put on to the rope. I heard no signals but Thomas Evans calling up pit. I send Thomas Wilkins down to him with rope, and in about ten minutes Evans was brought up. Since the accident the pit has been cleared out. The water rose nearly 100 yards from the bottom and it is now clear to 35 yards from the bottom. An additional ten-inch pump has been set to work in the pit, and four 7-8 inch pumps set to work in the chasm to keep down the head of the water. There are no workings in the Pumpchwart coal within 1½ mile of this place. I do not know what thickness of gravel is in the bottom of the valley.

Did not know where the Pumpchwart cropped. I never saw any place on the opposite slope of the hill where Pumpchwart was supposed to crop. I suppose the Gwendraeth cropped at the furnaces, about 200 yards SE of chasm. Began to sink a pit two or three weeks before the accident, in the chasm, to a depth of nine feet. Stopped on account of the water. Had iron-cylinders, 10 feet long, made to put in pit. It was intended to drive the top holes five or six yards further, and then by a level head to top hole, to communicate with this pit, which was to be used on for air. They expected to go about eight to nine fathoms below the surface. He had seen the mark of the borehole in the field, and Mr Watney had told him that at eight or nine fathoms down they had met the rock. This borehole was 10 or 12 yards more to the rise than the extremity of the top hole. They told me that the wind had broken the guiders. The slips in coal run gently northeast, but the slip, which had given in the top hole, ran northwest. Thomas Williams and Rees Davies were his deputy overmen. Water had not increased so much as to make them resolve on putting down pumps.

Daniel Harries, deputy overman seven years in Mr Watney’s employ and 11 years in all at Gwendraeth, examined: He was born here, and worked as a collier in this valley, and his father was a collier here before him. He worked in the top hole, where water broke in, from six in the morning; till half-past two on the 10th of May. He raised the bottom coal, and put in three props 6½ feet long, by Mr Ord’s orders, who came to see the place; and he prepared for a fourth prop, which was intended to support the coal. The coal had moved a little at slip. The water would have filled in three-inch pipe, and came in most at right side, and came out between the coal and top stone. There was fissure diagonally across the top hole – crack, as wide as his fingers. He felt hard rock at the back, soft stuff in its rear and other “figs.” There might have been a fault at the back as he found it so in the Ddugaled old workings, in Pumpchwart, nearer than Cwm Mawr, 1½ miles above this colliery. Made many inquiries, and never heard of old workings here. Recollects Stort boring to find Pumpchwart coal, and the general belief was that he could not find it, that it was not there. On the Monday he did not think there was any danger – no more than in this room.

He thought the planks and puddle which Mr Ord was about to put would stop the water. He did not, as a master collier, think it was necessary to bore through the coal to find the water. He has known the fissures to run up for seven fathoms and to bring down a large quantity of water. The fissures sometimes run obliquely. The water was rather clear that was coming in. No sand was coming in. The irruption is sand, gravel and clay, with small quantity of coal. He knows cases of bars or sand taking top stone and coal and thinks this is the case of the accident. The dam was made to prevent the water injuring the colliery, not to save the coal. When the alarm was given, he thought it was the fire damp – never thought that the water had broken in. No one thought there was danger or he would not have allowed his sons to go to work.

Mr Ord was underground every day, and Mr Watney often. He was down on the 3rd.

The coroner having summed up the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death.”

The Government Inspector, during the inquiry, remarked on the several points which arose during the investigation, from which we gather his opinion on the evidence produced to be that the bankmen and engineer were not aware of what had occurred, except that the rush of air had broken the slider, and thrown the carriage at the pit top out of gear, which prevented their attending to the danger signal and rescuing the unfortunate men at the shaft. He was also of the opinion that it is not unusual that a mine working within 40 yards of surface water should be drowned out; but under no circumstances which he had heard detailed of the remarkably strong roof and floor and the precautions which had been taken, it was extraordinary that so extensive an irruption should have taken place without a moments warning; under the ordinary circumstances it would have been the overman’s duty to have kept leading and stout bore-holes five or six yards in advance, but he was not prepared to say that in this case it would have been successful.

Under all the circumstances, he had arrived at the conclusion that he could not, on the evidence which had been given, attribute blame, but must regard this catastrophe as a visitation of Providence, which human foresight had been powerless to avert. At the same time, he thought the bearing on the future of the experience here obtained must not be overlooked.

There are many coal workings in a similar situation, and especially in those parallel valleys in South Wales, which descend to the sea. In consequence also of the deeper workings now proceeding in South Wales where cross-workings have been exclusively carried out, there is constantly increasing the danger of tapping old workings, and it behoves coal-masters and overmen in all these cases to adopt the precautions to which he had referred, and to have “air operations on the most accurate and complete plans that can be procured, and to study minutely the geological features of their respective districts. He added that in any future workings of the property it will not be safe to work within 60 vertical yards of the surface of the valley, and even this limit should be approached with extreme caution.

This terrible accident did not seem to deter the Watney’s from continuing their mining operations because the Cambrian reported the following in 1854:

1854 The Cambrian, Swansea, March 24

GWENDRAETH IRON WORKS

We understand that a very valuable vein of Black band has been discovered by Mr Watney in the immediate neigbourhood of his works on the Marchogllwyn estate and that he intends putting his Iron Furnace at Gwendraeth into full operation without delay. Black-band is extensively used in the manufacture of iron in Scotland, and the vein in question is particularly rich in that mineral.