Avon Colliery shaft accident, 1880

Four men drowned in the flooded sump of the Great Western Railway's new Avon Colliery shaft at Abergwynfi on 6 September 1880 when a rope holding their walling stage broke.

Cause

One of the two wire ropes suspending the walling stage broke, tipping the men into the water in the shaft.

Contributing factors

The inspector found the mechanical engineer had not examined the rope with sufficient care; the shaft bottom was flooded.

What happened

In September 1880 the Great Western Railway was sinking Avon Colliery at Abergwynfi to fuel its locomotives. On the afternoon of 6 September a gang was walling the north shaft from a stage hung on two wire ropes, sixteen or eighteen yards above the bottom, which was full of water. One rope broke, the stage tilted, and seven men were thrown into the water. Three were saved, one of them by catching a rope that hung nearby; Joseph Pulman, Joseph Harris, William Shepherd and Thomas Lewis were drowned, and their bodies were recovered that evening.

Rescue & recovery

Three of the seven men were rescued from the water; the four bodies were recovered by about nine that evening.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death. The inspector held that the mechanical engineer had not taken sufficient care in examining the rope.

Recorded claims

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

• On 6 September 1880 four men drowned in the shaft of Avon Colliery, Abergwynfi, then being sunk for the Great Western Railway. ^1,2
• Men walling the shaft some sixteen or eighteen yards above the bottom, which was full of water, were on a stage hung from two wire ropes; one rope broke, the stage tilted, and seven were thrown into the water. ²
• Three of the seven were rescued and four drowned; one man fell into about seven yards of water, caught a rope hanging nearby and was drawn up. ²
• The inspector considered that the mechanical engineer had not taken sufficient care in examining the rope that broke. ²
• The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death. 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: “…drowned in the flooded sump of the Great Western Railway's new Avon Colliery shaft at Abergwynfi on 6 September 1880 when a rope holding their…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…in the flooded sump of the Great Western Railway's new Avon Colliery shaft at Abergwynfi on 6 September 1880 when a rope holding their walling…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “In September 1880 the Great Western Railway was sinking Avon Colliery at Abergwynfi to fuel its locomotives. On the…”
• Sump (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “Four men drowned in the flooded sump of the Great Western Railway's new Avon Colliery shaft at Abergwynfi…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Avon Colliery, Abergwynfi — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Avon Colliery, Abergwynfi, Afan Valley — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026