MineArchiveBarrow Colliery gas outburst, 1911
| Date | 22 July 1911 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Barrow Colliery, Bryncethin |
| Region | Bridgend |
| Primary type | Gas / Asphyxiation |
| Associated types | Rescue |
| Fatalities | 3 (The manager was also overcome but survived; the three men he was with died.) |
| Context | During active mining |
A sudden outburst of gas through a borehole overcame the manager and three men driving a roadway to release an accumulation of gas at Barrow Colliery; the three men died. Collier George Edwards was awarded the Edward Medal, 2nd Class, for repeated attempts to reach them.
Cause
A roadway being driven to release an accumulation of gas broke into a pocket that outburst suddenly through a borehole.
What happened
A road was being driven at the colliery in order to release an accumulation of gas when there was a sudden outburst, which rushed through a borehole. The manager and three men working with him were overcome. George Edwards, a collier, was at home when he was sent for. With a rope tied around his legs he attempted to reach the three men who had not yet been rescued; the gas overpowered him too and he was dragged back to safety. When he recovered he made several more attempts and eventually succeeded in reaching them, attaching a rope to the bodies of two of the men so they could be pulled out. Edwards faced considerable risk to his own life throughout. The three men could not be saved.
Rescue & recovery
George Edwards's repeated, self-endangering attempts to reach the trapped men — tied by the legs and overcome by gas himself on the first attempt — were recognised with the Edward Medal, 2nd Class, gazetted 22 July 1911.
Investigation & inquiry
No formal inquiry or inquest record beyond the Edward Medal citation itself has been found.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
None found.
Memorials & commemoration
George Edwards's Edward Medal, 2nd Class, is the only commemorative record found.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- George Edwards, collier, was awarded the Edward Medal, 2nd Class, for the rescue attempt, dated 22 July 1911. 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: “…men driving a roadway to release an accumulation of gas at Barrow Colliery; the three men died. Collier George Edwards was awarded the Edward…” - Outburst (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “A sudden outburst of gas through a borehole overcame the manager and three men driving…”
Sources
- (secondary) Edward Medal Recipients — Mines Rescue History
- (primary) Edward Medal awards (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Barrow Colliery Bryncethin (Welsh Coal Mines) — Welsh Coal Mines
Record created: 14 September 2026 · Last researched: 14 September 2026