	Blaenhirwaun Colliery	Index	Blaenhirwaun Colliery

Blaenhirwaun Colliery

Location:	Cross Hands 9½ miles [15 km] ESE of Carmarthen
Map Ref:	(Sheet 159 Swansea and Gower) SN552133, 51° 47' 57" N, 4° 6' 1" W
Opened:
Closed:
Owners:	S. R. Anthracite Collieries Ltd.
	New Blaenhirwaun Anthracite Collieries Ltd.
	1947 - National Coal Board (N.C.B.)
Output:	1947 - Coal: Anthracite. (100,000 tons)
Employment:	1923 - 592 (451 below, 141 surface)
	1933 - 420 (330 below, 90 surface)
	1940 - 550 (440 below, 110 surface)
	1947 - 506 (411 below, 95 surface)
Notes:	Current Status - Page under construction! and is far, far from complete!

Description

Disasters (5 or more killed)

6th

Sep

1955

Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by sparks produced by friction between fan blades of compressed air turbine fan and pieces of stone, 6 lives lost (Show Names)

Those entries marked with , signify a disaster for which a memorial has been erected or for which we have images concerning the disaster, alternately their name may be mentioned on a memorial plaque. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the appropriate web page for the memorial.

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

						Davies, David, 30 May 1928, aged 26, Hitcher, There had been a stoppage due to compressed air supply and haulage started after it was restarted. He was heard to shout and was seen scrambling along double parting — ankle and pelvis fractured — fatal injuries
						Davies, Evan, 23 Mar 1925, aged 60, Labourer, As cage was descending it jerked and thought it had struck something at bottom — found that he had fallen out and had been killed
						Davies, John D., 27 Nov 1924, 6.0 a.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 48, Ostler, The hitcher, thinking all was clear, lowered some full trams ready for the day shift to hitch up the pit. After this he had proceeded about 8 yards from the shaft when he heard a shout. Returning, he found deceased under the cage. Deceased unfortunately lost his life through foolishly attempting to cross the pit bottom while the cages were in motion, violating General Regulation 22 in doing so. He died the same day
						Davies, Rees, 11 Dec 1924, 3.0 p.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 40, Assistant Repairer, A pair of timber had "screwed up," owing to side pressure, and he decided to stand a post under. On returning with his tools, the timber collapsed, and a piece of side and top buried him
						Davis, J., 06 Sep 1955 [More information ...]
						Derbyshire, W., 29 Jan 1926, (accident: 06 Jan 1926), aged 29, Collier, Walking out to pit bottom when there was a fall of stone - spine fractured. Died 29th
						Evans, David, 28 Oct 1925, (accident: 26 Aug 1925), aged 65, Roadman, Empty trams at top of dip had been pushed there by hitcher who forgot to put rope on. Trams accelerated and became derailed and caught him — fractured thigh and pelvis. Died 28th Oct
						Howells, N., 06 Sep 1955 [More information ...]
						Morris, R., 06 Sep 1955 [More information ...]
						Pennington, D., 06 Sep 1955 [More information ...]
						Phillips, A. C., 06 Sep 1955 [More information ...]
						Richards, W. H., 06 Sep 1955 [More information ...]
						Sims, S. E., 06 Jan 1925, aged 25, Hitcher, Two of five trams jumped rails, engineman stopped while he rerailed when second shackle broke and two trams ran back on him — skull fractured

						13 names found

If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.

For those names marked the text of the Mines Inspectors report into the incident is available online. Click on the icon to display the report.

Those names marked with , were killed in a disaster for which a memorial has been erected or for which we have images concerning the disaster, alternately their name may be mentioned on a memorial plaque. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the appropriate web page for the memorial.

Those names marked with , have a web page providing individual details of the accident, the page may also include a photograph of the deceased. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the web page.

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this page have been kindly provided by Ian Winstanley of the Coal Mining History Resource Centre (CMHRC) and are marked with . The CMHRC is available here.

more information on some of the fatalities shown above

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Blaenhirwaun Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Blaenhirwaun Colliery

Memorial Images:

Memorial: 1955 Blaenhirwaun Colliery Disaster

Credits

Sources:

1923 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
1924 Mines Inspectors Report, Swansea Division (No. 7) by W. J. Charlton, H.M. Inspector of Mines [DMM Ref: L-01624 - Tom Bainbridge Collection]
1933 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
1940 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
1947 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
OS Grid Reference from Adit Now website