Fforchwen Colliery

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Beard, Samuel, 06 Jan 1908, aged 66, Labourer, Owing to the pointers not having been altered a journey of empty trams was run unexpectedly into a double parting, where deceased was cutting cog wood, and crushed him to death. The pointers had not been altered through a mistake of the two riders in charge of the journey

Bosanko, Thomas Henry, 03 Apr 1913, aged 35, Carpenter, His clothing got caught in a revolving shaft, pulling him around also. His head struck a girder, causing fatal injuries

Bowen, Evan, 09 Sep 1924, 3.0 p.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 40, Master Haulier, He had finished superintending traffic on a passbye and was about to leave when a fall of side occurred, where repairing work was in hand, and which discharged temporary timber that had been put up. He was injured by the fall and died shortly afterwards. Electric safety lamp used

Bowen, John, 23 Mar 1903, 1.50 p.m., aged 32, Collier, Fall of roof. At face, cliff, 15½ ft. by 5¼ ft. by 2 ft thick, fell while deceased was fetching coal from the face. It was quite unsupported, because, it was said to have been so strong. Seven feet seam

Davies, D. H., 27 May 1911, aged 28, Traffic overman, Crushed by trams near pit bottom owing to trams running in insufficiently spragged

Davies, John, 04 Dec 1902, 3.65 a.m., aged 39, Repairer, Fall of roof. On road, clift, 7 ft. 10 ins. by 4 ft. by 9 ins. thick, fell as deceased was walking out at the end of his shift. Seven feet seam

Davies, Lewis, 18 Apr 1905, 2.30 a.m., aged 32, Assistant Repairer, Fall of roof. Cliff, 12 ft by 3 ft. by 1 foot thick, fell on deceased owing to the collar of a pair of timbers breaking on a double parting. The parting was undergoing a heavy squeeze. Seven feet seam

Davies, Philip, 28 Mar 1908, (accident: 20 Mar 1908), aged 37, Rider, Deceased was engaged in getting a journey of empty trams together at the pit bottom. One tram with the crossbar end forward had two 13-feet timbers on it, and, as the solid end of the next tram was the nearest, it became necessary that the overhanging ends of the 13-feet timbers should be lifted a few inches, so that the empty tram could be pulled under them and shackled. Deceased got under one piece of timber and another man got under the other. They were both lifting, preparatory to pulling the empty tram towards them, when deceased either slipped or he was overpowered by the weight of the timber. He fell, and the timber slid forward and crushed his head against the rail. There were other men near who could have helped him if called, but, although the timber is admitted to have been heavy, he must have been confident of his ability to manage it himself. He died in eight days

Davies, Thomas, 04 May 1908, aged 18, Collier, Fall of roof. At face, cliff, 5 feet by 3 feet by 15 inches thick, fell from a smooth diagonal slant in the roof, as deceased was pulling down a slip of coal. The stone had evidently been supported by the coal. Seven feet seam

Dodge, William, 04 Oct 1906, 7.30 a.m., aged 27, Labourer, Fall of roof. On road, cliff, 6 ft. 6 ins. by 3 ft. 2 ins. by 8 ins. thick, fell on him as he was clearing a small fall on an untimbered roadway. The roof had been tested in his presence by the fireman and pronounced safe, 1¾ hours before. Seven feet seam

Duggan, Humphrey, 11 Dec 1906, 10 p.m., aged 32, Repairer, Fall of side. On road, fireclay, 27 ft. by 7 ft. by 2 ft. Deceased was widening a heading, the sides of which were supported by "spangers" and short sprags. He had removed two spangers with a prop-withdrawing machine, and was straining at the third, when the above large fall of side took place. He should have proceeded from one end, securing the ground as he went along

Dumford, Frederick, 29 Dec 1914, aged 56, Coal Trimmer, While trimming a full wagon at the screens it was bumped into by another and he overbalanced and fell between the wagons receiving fatal injuries

Ellis, Griffith, 29 Aug 1924, (accident: 18 Aug 1924, 2.30 p.m., 8th hour of shift), aged 58, Collier, Whilst coming out towards the pit at the end of the shift, he was overtaken by a journey of 16 loaded trams which were let into a passbye, and was so badly injured that he died on the 29th August. The manholes were in order, and he should have taken refuge in time. Electric safety lamp used

Grunter, W. J., 24 May 1910, aged 17, Collier Boy, Crushed by train while assisting haulier, owing to the movement of a tram through failure of a scotch to hold it

James, David John, 15 Oct 1924, (accident: 14 Oct 1924, 1.10 p.m., 7th hour of shift), aged 43, Collier, He was working away some "bastard" coal at the top of the seam when a stone fell from the roof, causing injuries from which he died on the following day. The cavity after the fall revealed slant breaks above the coal parallel with the face, with a smooth above. Electric safety lamp used

Jones, Thomas, 05 May 1913, aged 33, Timberman, Fall of roof on main haulage road. Without the slightest warning, a large fall came as he was preparing to put up additional timber

Lewis, Thomas H., 25 Mar 1907, (accident: 23 Mar 1907, 11.45 a.m.), aged 42, Oiler, Deceased, when probably standing on one of the rails of the fencing of the screening machinery, was struck on the head by the metallic fastener of a rapidly moving belt. Deceased is said to have been given instructions that no oiling was to be done while the machinery was in motion. There was no witness of the accident and deceased never regained consciousness up to the time of his death on March 25th

Lewis, William, 23 Apr 1909, aged 41, Collier, Fall of roof. On road. Deceased was turning a new stall off the side of a heading and was working on the coal when a sudden squeeze came on. He sprang into the heading for safety, when the cliff roof for a length of 26 feet 6 inches by 11 feet by 6 feet thick, crushed out six pairs of new timber and buried him. Two long slants parallel to the heading were visible after the fall. Had he stopped in the face he would have been safe. No. 2 Yard seam

Morris, John, 18 May 1901, aged 29, Collier, Fall of roof. At face, cliff, 9 ft. by 3 ft. by 13 ins. in thickness, fell on him. Seven feet seam

Smart, T. H., 15 Apr 1913, (accident: 03 Apr 1913), aged 40, Ropeman, In crossing between the trams of a full journey, which was waiting on a double parting to be drawn out, the rope started and he was crushed between the trams. He died from his injuries on April 5th, 1913

Thomas, Rees, 15 Jul 1908, aged 36, Collier, Fall of roof. At face, cliff, 9 feet by 3 feet by 19 inches thick, fell from between two slants running parallel with the face, as deceased was cutting coal. One prop was said to have been discharged. Seven feet seam

Williams, Edward, 14 Feb 1924, (accident: 13 Feb 1924, 12.0 noon, 5th hour of shift), aged 56, Haulier, He was taking in two empty trams attached to his horse, when one of the trams got derailed at a part of the roadway, where repairing work was being carried out. When replacing the tram on the road, a fall of roof occurred and caught him, causing injuries from which he died on the following day. Electric safety lamp used

Wooton, William, 01 Apr 1915, aged 31, Haulier, Whilst proceeding to the stable with his horse, was knocked down by a full tram of coal, which was attached to an endless rope ; address: 14 New Street, Godreaman