Abercynon Colliery roof fall, 1913

A fall of about twenty-five drams of roof killed two repairers clearing an earlier fall at Abercynon Colliery on 10 June 1913.

Cause

A further fall of roof while an earlier fall was being cleared and timbers withdrawn.

What happened

On 10 June 1913 two repairers at the Dowlais Cardiff Colliery, Abercynon, were clearing an earlier fall from a roadway. They had knocked out three pairs of timber and were filling the fifth dram of the shift when the roof came down again, about twenty-five drams of it, killing John Owen, 41, and his mate Thomas, 28 or 29, named as Edmund in one record and Edward in the other.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The second man's first name is given as Edmund (NMRS) and as Edward (Welsh Coal Mines). (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Two repairers, John Owen, 41, and Thomas, were killed by a fall of roof at the Dowlais Cardiff (Abercynon) Colliery on 10 June 1913. ^1,2
• They were clearing an earlier fall in a roadway and had knocked out three pairs of timber when the roof came down, about 25 drams' worth. ¹
• The second man's first name is given as Edmund (NMRS) and as Edward (Welsh Coal Mines). (disputed) ^1,2

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: “…of roof killed two repairers clearing an earlier fall at Abercynon Colliery on 10 June 1913.”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “A further fall of roof while an earlier fall was being cleared and timbers withdrawn.”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “A fall of about twenty-five drams of roof killed two repairers clearing an earlier fall at Abercynon…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh coal mining fatalities, 1913 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Abercynon (Dowlais Cardiff) Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 7 October 2026 · Last researched: 7 October 2026