Birchrock Colliery tramway tunnel accident, 1899

On Tuesday 26 September 1899 Mary Jones, the wife of a Birchrock collier, and the baby she carried on her back were killed by a journey of loaded trams from Birchrock Colliery in a narrow tunnel on the colliery tramway at Pontardulais, which local people had been using to fetch water during a dry spell.

Cause

A loaded coal train met a woman on foot inside a tunnel too narrow to let it pass her.

Contributing factors

The tunnel, about 70 yards long and 7 feet wide, left only six or seven inches beside the locomotive; there was a manhole near by. It belonged to the Graigola company, but people had been passing through it for water in the dry weather.

What happened

The family had moved to Goppa Row, Pontardulais, only a week before from Llangyfelach. William James, driving a journey of fifteen loaded trams down from Birchrock Colliery for the Graigola-Merthyr company, whistled before the tunnel as usual and thought he saw a woman inside. He and his fireman called to her to go on ahead and braked hard, but she came out, took a step or two, went back against the wall, and was struck by the engine and rolled along until she fell. The train stopped within ten or twelve yards. The driver found her with a lighted match under the wheel of the fourth tram; the under-manager, David Davies, came to help remove the bodies. The child had been thrown outside the rails.

Investigation & inquiry

The deputy coroner, Talfourd Strick, held the inquests at Pontardulais on the Thursday. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death and passed a vote of sympathy with the husband.

Recorded claims

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

• On Tuesday 26 September 1899 a collier's wife, Mary Jones, and her infant daughter were killed by a train of loaded trams from Birchrock Colliery in a tunnel on the colliery tramway at Pontardulais. ^1,2
• The woman, carrying the child on her back, was caught in the 70-yard tunnel, which left only six or seven inches beside the locomotive; she stepped back against the wall instead of going on ahead, and was rolled under the trams. ²
• The tunnel was private property of the Graigola company, but people had been using it to fetch water during the dry weather. ²
• The inquest returned a verdict of accidental death, with the jury's sympathy to the husband. ²

Related terminology

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

• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “The deputy coroner, Talfourd Strick, held the inquests at Pontardulais on the…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the tunnel as usual and thought he saw a woman inside. He and his fireman called to her to go on ahead and braked hard, but she came out, took…”
• Journey (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…collier, and the baby she carried on her back were killed by a journey of loaded trams from Birchrock Colliery in a narrow tunnel on the…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…the baby she carried on her back were killed by a journey of loaded trams from Birchrock Colliery in a narrow tunnel on the colliery tramway…”
• Undermanager (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…her with a lighted match under the wheel of the fourth tram; the under-manager, David Davies, came to help remove the bodies. The child had been…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1899 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) South Wales Daily Post, 29 September 1899: Killed in a tunnel: the Pontardulais fatality, inquest and verdict — South Wales Daily Post (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)

Record created: 19 October 2026 · Last researched: 19 October 2026