Bargoed Colliery

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Aller, Joseph, 06 May 1925, (accident: 02 May 1925), aged 35, Haulier, Horse bolted and crushed him by tram loaded with rails. Died 6th

Ayres, Frederick, 19 Oct 1923, aged 24, Timber Drawer, Killed by a fall of roof [More information ...]

Beckett, James, 28 Nov 1907, 9 p.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 26, Pitman, When about to signal from a staging at one of the lodge-rooms where he and two other men were engaged about the pumps, he overbalanced and fell some 400 yards down the shaft. He was thoroughly accustomed to the work and place, but is said to have been at times inclined to be venturesome

Birchell, George, 11 May 1908, aged 23, Collier, He and two others were engaged widening the main dip to allow of an electric cable and some air pipes being carried down. The stone which fell might apparently have been got down, but they decided to get some more coal out first, and, although it is alleged that it sounded solid when struck with a hammer, they set three sprags against it. Probably the removal of some of the coal let it off, as there was a smooth or natural parting on the upper side of the stone, and a rough one or "break" at the back which could not be seen

Cleary, James, 10 Sep 1899, aged 30, Banksman, When passing in front of the engine house, he was struck by a beam of timber which had been released, in consequence of the lash of the end of the rope which broke on leaving the drum, the engine having run wild while water-winding owing to the breakage of one of the eccentric straps

Coleman, George, 12 Sep 1903, aged 44, Haulier, Fall of roof on the roadway from a hidden slip. He was sought for in consequence of delay in bringing empty trams into the workings, and was found as described. It would seem that between his passing the place on his way out and returning to it again a fall occurred, which the horse got on to before stopping. Apparently deceased was behind the set, having held a door open to allow of the horse passing, and on finding how things were, he got into the first tram in order to disengage the horse by pulling the pin out of the gun and while doing so a further fall crushed his head on the front end of the tram

Davies, Andrew, 14 Feb 1911, aged 28, Collier, Fall of roof at working face. While setting a post under some overhanging clod, it fell on him

Emery, George, 21 Nov 1905, (accident: 08 Nov 1905), aged 48, Repairer, A small stone from the roof fell and struck his head as his comrade was moving a lagging on a roadway where they were repairing. He appears to have taken no notice of it at the time and continued work, but fainted on going to work the next night. He died on the 21st November, and the doctor considered that his death was the result of the accident, which at first was apparently very trivial

Evans, Lewis John, 07 Apr 1924, (accident: 25 Mar 1924, 8.25 p.m., 7th hour of shift), aged 38, Engine-driver, He had started walking to the pit, before the haulage ropes had stopped, near the end of the shift. He was following behind a loaded journey on a road, rising 1 in 18, and caught up with the latter, which had been stopped between two ventilation doors. When the journey restarted it travelled about 20 yards, when the haulage rope broke and he was caught by the runaway trams. He died from his injuries on the 7th April. Oil flame safety lamp used

Evans, Richard E., 11 May 1912, aged 17, Repairer, Fall of side on Return airway. Whilst carrying out repairs he was killed by a fall of side 17 feet long by 3 feet wide

Frost, Joseph J., 13 Dec 1906, aged 27, Coal Trimmer, He was walking across the sidings toward his working place some 40 or 50 yards distant, and not noticing the locomotive pushing two trucks up the main line, he walked straight in front and was run over

Harrhy, Ivor, 14 Oct 1908, aged 23, Electrician, He had the controller (tram car type) of a 50-h.p. 3-phase induction motor, for underground haulage engine out of its box or case, and was examining it the third time for a defect, when, having omitted to disconnect the current by knocking out the switch at the panel, he touched the terminal and received a 3,000-volt current, although standing on a solid rubber mat. Apparently he must have been touching the box or case at the same time, and thus destroyed his insulation

Harrison, Gomer, 03 Dec 1907, (accident: 26 Apr 1907, 1.30 p.m., 7th hour of shift), aged 33, Collier, Fall of roof-clod at the face of his rippings from an unseen slant. He died on the 3rd December from the result of his injuries

Hawkes, John, 16 Jan 1914, (accident: 09 Jan 1914), aged 32, Haulier, Fall of roof as he was taking his horse and tram up a heading road. The tram left the rails and disturbed the timbering at the spot where the fall occurred. He died January 16th, 1914

Hayes, Frederick, 23 Nov 1910, (accident: 07 Sep 1910), aged 25, Collier, Strained himself while lifting a lump of coal into tram. Died 23rd November, 1910

Hellings, Arthur E., 21 Sep 1909, aged 44, Sheaveman, He appears to have been putting hangers for haulage rope sheaves in some of the arms of double timber on one of the engine planes. Apparently the hammering knocked out or disturbed the arm he was engaged at, with the result that the "collar" and a large stone resting upon it fell and killed him. He was alone at the time, so that the matter is one of surmise, but no other explanation suggests itself

Helps, Herbert W., 19 Oct 1923, aged 17, Assistant Timberman, Killed by a fall of roof [More information ...]

Howell, William, 20 Apr 1909, aged 28, Ripper, He and others had been engaged for some time in securing a very dangerous place on the south-west double parting. It was seen by Mr. Robinson about a month previously, and side walls and girders were then being put in. The place was lagged on the girders, its height from top to bottom being about 30 feet, and the work was drawing to a close when a large fall occurred, discharging the whole of the framing, &c. In trying to escape, he unfortunately, jumped into danger instead of away from it, and was caught under the fall

Jones, Gwilym L., 31 Aug 1905, aged 17, Rider, When riding a full journey he thought one of the trams in front had got off the rails, and in order to see, he intended to jump between the trams of an empty journey standing on the rails, but missed it, and was crushed

Jones, W. J., 02 Jul 1910, aged 24, Rider, Fall of roof on double parting while he was spragging trams. A length of old crushed arch had been taken out at the spot and the new arch was not yet built. After the accident a temporary staging was erected between the old and new arching

Jones, Wyndham, 06 Feb 1924, 10.30 a.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 14, Conveyor Engine Boy, While attending to a conveyor engine in a thin seam, a fall of roof, caused through a sudden squeeze in conjunction with clay joints, buried him completely and killed him outright. The conveyor was not working at the time. Oil flame safety lamp used

Lewis, Albert, 08 Sep 1910, aged 16, Collier's boy, Fall of roof at working face. Deceased knocked a post out which he should not have been allowed to do

Lynham, Richard, 03 Sep 1906, aged 40, Charger, Richard Lynham, 40, charger, at Bargoed Coke ovens, died suddenly from heart failure due to heat stroke when at work on the 3rd September [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Parfitt, James Alfred, 29 Aug 1903, aged 20, Engineman, On leaving the cage at the bottom landing he apparently turned sharp round as if to cross the pit and walked into the sump, falling through a space of about 13 to 15 inches. He was drowned

Parry, David, 25 May 1904, aged 50, Haulier, A full tram which having been off the rails had been lifted on again, was allowed to get in motion before he succeeded in hitching his horse to it, on a gradient of 3½ inches to the yard, which resulted in his being carried down in front of it for some distance and then run over. The three colliers who lifted the tram on the rails failed to take proper steps to hold back the tram, they allege that there were two sprags in the wheels, but had such been the case the tram would not have been likely to run away in this manner

Phillips, John, 29 Jul 1901, aged 40, Sinker, Some bricks from the walling of the sinking shaft, which had been taken out and replaced a few days previously, fell down, and striking his head, killed him. The bricks are alleged to have been displaced owing to the ground behind being soft, and water having got into it. I attribute it to inefficient workmanship

Phillips, John, 27 Mar 1908, aged 34, Collier, Fall of roof at the face. It came from an unseen or unnoticed "slant" owing to insufficient timbering. Instead of setting timber close together, he and his comrades had not even put them up within the maximum distances. Error of judgment may be allowed, but there was also carelessness on his part and his butty's

Price, Thomas Charles, 03 Dec 1903, aged 21, Collier, Thomas in pulling coal released a false slip, from which a large stone, weighing about four tons, fell and knocked out a post that was placed under it; although it was tested twice the thickness of the stone evidently deceived the men, and caused it to sound good. The roof, which is strong in this part of the seam, was apparently trusted with less timber than elsewhere [More information ...]

Purcell, Patrick, 08 Oct 1912, aged 22, Assistant Timberman, He was caught and run over by a tram he was filling with dust, on a heading, as he attempted to lower it down the inclined road

Reed, Thomas, 19 Feb 1900, aged 46, Sinker, Fall of ground, where he and others were making a water reservoir, for an intermediate lift, in which to collect water from above, for pumping, with a view to keeping it out of the pit bottom. They were walling one part, and had set timber to secure the remainder, pending its being walled. One of deceased's comrades was injured at the same time

Robinson, Ernest, 28 Apr 1913, aged 27, Collier, Fall of roof at working face. A fall took place, at the face, from two slips, killing him instantly

Robinson, William, 10 Jan 1914, aged 58, Screenman, While walking along the siding to the coal washery, where he was employed, he was knocked down by a locomotive engine and received fatal injuries from which he died the same day

Rudge, Henry, 29 Oct 1909, aged 43, Collier, As the men in the morning shift were going into their work along the main East Haulage Road, on deceased and a man named John Davies reaching a certain point a fall of roof occurred which fell more or less upon them both. Davies was practically uninjured, while Rudge received injuries from which he died the same day. The road appeared to be in good order, no squeeze at the place and no broken timbers. Apparently a ball of "mine" or ironstone loosened from the sides, above the collars, falling over against the laggings, displaced them, causing them to fall between the double timbers and let down the loose stone which was resting upon them. About two trams full fell

Satchweel, Aaron, 07 Jul 1905, aged 62, Fitter, In consequence of the breakage (at a flaw) of the chain belonging to a chain block by which the main exhaust tube of a new set of coke ovens was temporarily suspended, the tube, in the erection of which he was engaged, fell and crushed him. The weight on the blocks was well within its working load

Saunders, Andrew, 29 Aug 1924, (accident: 14 Aug 1924, 9.10 a.m., 3rd hour of shift), aged 45, Haulier, He was standing at the corner of a stall road while the horse was pulling in a tram of rubbish off the heading. The back end of the tram jumped the rails due to the points not being properly set, and he was crushed by the derailed tram against the arm of a pair of timber. He died from his injuries on the 29th August. Electric safety lamp used

Stevens, George, 14 Oct 1913, (accident: 10 Oct 1913), aged 39, Night Overman, He was crushed between a full journey and a door frame as be was opening the door for the trams to pass through. He died from his injuries on October 14th, 1913

Tale, Joseph, 29 Apr 1908, aged 20, Painters' Labourer, He was engaged painting the inside of a house in which a 5-h.p. motor is situated for working the dampers of the coke ovens, the arrangement working automatically by a clock for changing the flow of air to the ovens every half-an-hour. He had the outside of the press (with glass, &c.), to paint, but not the inside. He appears, however, to have opened the press door, and to have been painting inside, and to have touched some bare terminal, receiving a current of 400 to 500 volts. Artificial respiration was at once tried, and "first aid" given, but without avail

Thomas, David, 25 Jan 1913, aged 35, Timberman, Fall of roof while widening a level road. He was at work, with two others, taking off a piece of side on a level, to make a double road. A piece of the roof broke off and fell upon him

Thomas, John, 03 Dec 1903, aged 20, Collier, Thomas in pulling coal released a false slip, from which a large stone, weighing about four tons, fell and knocked out a post that was placed under it; although it was tested twice the thickness of the stone evidently deceived the men, and caused it to sound good. The roof, which is strong in this part of the seam, was apparently trusted with less timber than elsewhere [More information ...]

Tyrer, James, 30 Jun 1899, aged 43, Foreman, When ascending the sinking pit in a tram slung by chains, the tram struck a "byatt" and he was tipped out. He fell a distance of 130 yards

Watson, Peter, 15 Aug 1914, aged 34, Second Banksman, As he was sending down a cage load of men from the bottom surface deck, he fell forward as the cage descended and was caught between the top band of the cage and the surface collar board. It is doubtful whether he gave his signal to the banksman to say he was ready

Webster, Thomas Stanley, 14 Dec 1906, aged 16, Labourer, He was working on the top of the coke ovens, and, the place being enveloped in steam from the cooling of the coke, he was unable to see and stepped in front of one of the hopper trams which a filler was pushing to one of the ovens. He was crushed internally — one kidney cut in two — but showed no external bruises. He walked home, and did not think his injuries serious, but on being taken to Cardiff Infirmary in the afternoon, he was operated on and died the same evening

White, Philip, 10 Dec 1907, 3 p.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 18, Rider, Crushed under the first tram of a journey of 26 trams which he was bringing out to the shaft. It occurred about 100 to 150 yards from the shaft in an arched road 16 feet wide and nine feet to 10 feet high. The trams were gravitating to the shaft at a (usually) moderate speed, less than four miles an hour. No one saw it occur, and no one can suggest how he got under the tram. He must have been spragging and stumbled, but the place was level and quite clear of rubbish. He was found by a labourer, who, in passing, heard him groaning, and he died on being brought to the surface

Williams, Edgar, 05 Aug 1932, aged 9, [Not Employed], The boy climbed a pole, got into contact with overhead electric wires, and received a shock of 3,000 volts. He fell from the top, and his clothes caught on a hook. He was suspended until released

Williams, Isaac, 08 Sep 1914, aged 22, Collier, Fall of roof in working place

Williams, John, 14 Dec 1909, aged 40, Collier, Fall of roof at the face as he was getting coal down. A "face slip" was released on the previous day in the place above ; this with two side slips let the fall down, and it discharged three posts which were set under it. The roof in this place was full of slants and the fireman cautioned him to be careful, which he said he would be. The place appeared to be fairly well timbered in consequence, but a squeeze caused it to be specially treacherous

Williams, Owen, 07 Jul 1908, aged 38, Timberman, While engaged cutting out a pair of double timbers at a parting, on a heading where he was repairing, a fall of roof occurred and killed him. A ringer and chain would apparently have been of no use until the arm was cut through