Ammanford Colliery roof fall, 1910

Two men were killed three days before Christmas 1910 when three sets of double timber collapsed on a road under repair at Ammanford Colliery.

Cause

Three settings of double timber collapsed under uneven weight from a smooth parting above and a cleavage break at the side of the road.

What happened

On 22 December 1910 repairs were in progress on a road in the No. 1 pit at Ammanford Colliery when three settings of double timber collapsed and the roof fell, killing John Hughes and James Thomas. The weight on the timbers was thought to have been unevenly spread because of a smooth parting in the roof above and a cleavage break on one side of the road.

Recorded claims

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

• On 22 December 1910 two men, John Hughes and James Thomas, were killed by a fall of roof on a road under repair at Ammanford Colliery. ^1,2
• Three settings of double timber collapsed, probably because the weight on them was uneven, owing to a smooth parting above and a cleavage break on one side of the road. ^1,2
• The accident was in the No. 1 pit. ¹
• The colliery belonged to the Ammanford Colliery Co. Ltd. ²

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Cleavage (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…collapsed under uneven weight from a smooth parting above and a cleavage break at the side of the road.”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…sets of double timber collapsed on a road under repair at Ammanford Colliery.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines fatalities, 1910 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Accident record: John Hughes, Ammanford, 1910 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 9 October 2026 · Last researched: 9 October 2026