Cilely Colliery

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Bishop, George Edmund, 15 Mar 1924, 9.15 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 32, Collier, He was working on the clod, 2 ft. 6 ins. thick, between the bed of the top coal and the lower portion of the seam. His collier boy was filling the rubbish into a tram, when a small fall of top coal — which is kept up as roof in the face — occurred and the boy was pinned under the fall. The collier, when going to release the boy, was caught by a larger fall, which extended to the road and discharged five pairs of timbers. This fall consisted of about 50 tons of coal and clift above, which had given way from a false slip in the face that had been exposed by working away the clod. He was buried by the second fall, but spoke to the men attempting his rescue for about an hour's time. Their heroic efforts, however, proved unavailing, as his dead body was recovered 11 hours later. The boy escaped with slight injuries only. Electric safety lamp used

David, Edward, 13 Jan 1903, 11.30 a.m., aged 43, Sinker, Deceased was knocked down by a runaway water tank as he was walking up a dip. The tank, containing water for the horses, was allowed to run down a gradient of 2½ ins. per yard with two sprags in the wheels. Instead of turning into the first heading, 10 yards down, as it was intended to, it continued down the dip, where the gradient increased. The haulier who started the tram should have accompanied it, and seen that the pointers had been put right

David, William, 02 Apr 1880, aged 19, Stoker, Bursting of a naphtha lamp in engine house

Davies, Evan, 13 Aug 1903, 2.30 p.m., aged 58, Fireman, Fall of roof. On road, cliff, 6 ft. by 4 ft. by 3 ft. thick, fell from a diagonal "slant" in the roof of a stall mouth. The roof was unsupported. Two feet nine seam

Davies, William, 16 Jan 1877, aged 17, Collier, Killed by a fall of coal

Evans, David, 29 Jul 1903, 12.30 p.m., aged 26, Collier, Fall of roof. At face, coal, rock, and cliff, 12 ft. by 10 ft. by 5 ft, thick, crushed four props out, and buried deceased, who was shovelling coal along the face. There was a smooth "slip" each side of the fall, and a glassy bed above. Red seam

George, Evan, 17 Nov 1909, aged 55, Collier, Fall of side. At face, coal, 6 feet by 18 inches by 6 feet thick, crushed a sprag out and fell on deceased as he was working at it with a mandril. Jubilee seam

Goodman, James, 29 Jul 1913, aged 41, Underground Labourer, A tram of rubbish was being taken to the face by a haulier, when the pin of the "gun" rose and the tram running back 40 yards jumped the rails and killed him as he was standing by the side of the road

Greening, James, 18 Jun 1914, aged 32, Rider, He was overpowered when attempting to take a loaded tram down an incline and crushed between it and a tram standing 35 yards below. There appears to have been some misunderstanding as to attaching a rope at the rear of the loaded tram

Grother, Richard, 27 Jul 1892, 4 p.m., 9th hour of shift, aged 23, Collier, Fall of roof (coal) in a narrow cut ; not propped at spot

Halfyard, Thomas, 16 Jul 1904, 3.30 a.m., aged 15, Shackler, Five trams of coal were drawn up an engine plane, and, instead of bringing them to rest after detaching the rope, the rider allowed them to run unattended, down a road dipping 2 ins. per yard. They knocked down a door which deceased was about to open and ran over him

Hanover, John H., 17 Aug 1901, aged 35, Assistant Timberman, Fall of roof. On road, cliff, 9 ft. by 2 ft. by 9 ins. thick fell out over a "flat" on to deceased. One arm of "flat" was previously broken. Six feet seam

Harris, Thomas, 03 Mar 1909, aged 47, Collier, Deceased and his partner were lowering a tram containing four pieces of timber into their stall which dips 9 inches per yard. They spragged the four wheels, the partner held back behind the tram, while deceased was checking it in front, when it overpowered them and crushed him against the face. On such a gradient the method employed was very risky and a rope or chain should have been used

Humphries, Samuel, 09 Apr 1927, (accident: 23 Feb 1927), aged 56, Collier, Fall of roof. Died 9th Apr. from septic poisoning

James, John, 11 May 1900, (accident: 04 May 1900, 4.30 p.m.), aged 56, Collier, He was assisting to erect a large 9-ft. long "collar," which slipped and fell on him. Died May 11th

James, Thomas, 06 Aug 1885, aged 51, Fitter, Lifting jack slipped killing him

Jones, David, 25 Dec 1903, (accident: 24 Dec 1903, 1.30 a.m.), aged 35, Assistant Repairer, Fall of roof. On road, cliff, 12 ft. by 7 ft. by 18 ins. thick. Deceased knocked out a "flat" on a stall-road, and a fall of roof took place, which injured him so severely that he died next day. Red vein

Jones, Thomas, 02 May 1899, aged 21, Collier, [Fall of roof] At face, fireclay, 6 ft x 4 ft. x18 ins. thick, from a slip between two props 6 ft. 4 ins. apart. Two feet nine seam

Lewis, James, 30 Jul 1883, aged 38, Timberman, Fall of roof

Lloyd, Evan, 14 Apr 1902, (accident: 21 Sep 1901), aged 50, Collier, Deceased was pulling a slip of coal down, and when it fell a small stone fell with it and cut his wrist. He worked for several days. He was seen by a medical man on the eighth day, and was found to be suffering from blood poisoning. He died on 14th April, 1902. Six feet seam

Morgan, William, 01 Mar 1898, aged 45, Collier, Fall of roof at face, coal roof 5½ft. x 1¾ft. to nothing x 1½ft. thick at edge of rippings on side a flat (timber crown). Four feet seam

Morris, Evan, 09 Jun 1910, aged 58, Sinker, Deceased was working on a walling stage 87 yards from bottom of shaft, and while filling bricks into a rectangular cradle suspended on winding rope he slipped on the wet planks and fell through a hole in the staging on which the cradle rested

Palmer, J., 29 Mar 1877, aged 57, Collier, Killed by fall of stone

Richards, David John, 19 Sep 1924, (accident: 18 Sep 1924, 8.45 p.m., 7th hour of shift), aged 35, Fireman, He was walking along a horse haulage road, and, when passing the entrance to an old road, a stone fell from the roof and caught him, causing such injuries that he died the following day. The ground was strong clift, and was not timbered at this particular place, although there was a pair of timber on the outbye side. A slant was revealed, after the fall parallel to the timber and a clean break at the side; the bed above being "glassy." Oil flame safety lamp used

Thomas, Thomas, 02 Aug 1910, aged 36, Pit Carpenter, Struck by a plank, 6 feet by 11 inches by 3 inches, which fell down the shaft from the surface while he was attending the bottom signal. It was a new shaft and cages were being put in and while some planks were being removed at the pit top one of them accidentally fell down shaft

Wiggin, Henry, 24 Nov 1907, 8 p.m., aged 51, Sinker, A length of walling had been completed, and it became necessary to remove and hang up the walling stage, which is in two halves, to beams in the side of the pit. One half had been pulled over on to the other, and the winding rope had been attached to a link at one end of the half stage ; signal was given to pull up quietly, and deceased and another sinker, holding on by the chain from the winding rope, and changing their foothold continually as the half stage gradually assumed a vertical position, went up with it. Just as the half moon swung free, deceased, who by this time was standing on the rim, lost his hold and fell to the pit-bottom

Wile, John, 11 Jun 1902, 3.30 a.m., aged 20, Rider, Fell off rope, or slipped as he got off rope to stop journey, and was run over. He was riding up a dip having a gradient of 1 in 12

Williams, Arthur, 16 Oct 1913, aged 19, Rider, He probably fell off a journey of full trams, and was run over, as they were being hauled up an incline by a small crab engine

Williams, David, 09 Oct 1896, aged 65, Siding man, Crushed between a full waggon and wall on sidings

Williams, J., 06 May 1896, aged 22, Haulier, Run over by tram, the gun on which he was riding having become detached causing him to fall in front of the tram

Williams, Robert, 21 Jun 1906, 2 p.m., aged 68, Lamp locker, As five trams of coal were being drawn up a road, rising 16 ins. per yard, a link of the short chain, connecting the rope to the trams broke, and the journey ran back and killed the deceased. The link was 6 months old. I advised that a stronger chain should be used in future. This has been done

Williams, T., 06 Dec 1883, aged 42, Hitcher, Explosion of gunpowder