MineArchiveAberaman Colliery roof fall, 1894
On the night shift of 14 November 1894 a shot fired at Aberaman Colliery brought down a fall that buried three men; two were dead when they were dug out two hours later.
| Date | 14 November 1894 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Aberaman Colliery |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (Simon Thomas (46), of Aberaman, and John Evans (41 or 46), of Cwmaman, rippers. John Thomas, of Cwmaman, was severely injured.) |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A hole was fired, and when the men went in a fall came down behind them.
What happened
On the night shift of Wednesday 14 November 1894, at Powell Duffryn's Aberaman Colliery, a hole was fired and, as the men went to clear it, a fall came down behind them and buried three. They were dug out after two hours: Simon Thomas of Aberaman and John Evans of Cwmaman were dead, and John Thomas of Cwmaman was severely injured.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Simon Thomas, 46, ripper, and John Evans, 41, ripper, were killed by a fall of roof at Aberaman Colliery on 14 November 1894. 1
- A shot was fired which brought down a fall engulfing three men; two were killed and one injured. 2
- After a hole was fired a fall occurred behind the men, enveloping three; they were extricated after two hours, Simon Thomas and John Evans dead and John Thomas severely injured. 3
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On the night shift of 14 November 1894 a shot fired at Aberaman Colliery brought down a fall that buried three men; two were dead when they…”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
A short report of the double fatality on the night shift.
View sourceSources
- (secondary) Aberaman Colliery - Northern Mine Research Society — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) Mining fatalities, 1894 - Welsh Coal Mines — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) Colliery accident at Aberaman: two lives lost - South Wales Daily News, 16 November 1894 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026