Black Vein Colliery haulage accident, 1866

Two colliers riding against the rules on trams being hauled up the long engine slope at the Black Vein pit, Risca, were killed on 7 September 1866 when the trams left the plates.

Cause

The trams the men were riding on the engine slope came off the plates and they were crushed beneath them.

Contributing factors

Riding on the trams was forbidden, and the 'dukey' driver warned them, but men used every expedient to avoid being caught; the inspector held that only a new shaft to the deep would cure the practice.

What happened

The Black Vein pit at Risca was worked by a very long engine bank, or slope, and it was against the rules to ride on the trams. On 7 September 1866 John Morris and Aaron Short, with Edward Price, got into the trams going up the slope although the 'dukey' driver, Moses Crew, warned them. On the way the trams came off the plates, and Morris and Short were crushed to death beneath them.

Investigation & inquiry

At the inquest the colliery viewer, George James, said he had given strict instructions against riding on the dukey and would take future offenders before the magistrates. The inspector, Mr Brough, found the slope properly attended to and said that a new shaft to the deep was the only effectual remedy. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Recorded claims

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

• On 7 September 1866 John Morris, 29, and Aaron Short, 17, colliers at Blackvein Colliery, Risca, were crushed to death when the drams they were riding down the engine bank, against the rules, flew off the metals. ¹
• At the inquest the dukey driver, Moses Crew, said Morris, Short and Edward Price got into the trams going up the slope although he warned them, and on the road the trams came off the plates. ²
• The inspector said the slope was properly attended to and that a new shaft to the deep would be the only effectual remedy; the 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 in this record’s investigation: “At the inquest the colliery viewer, George James, said he had given strict instructions against…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…expedient to avoid being caught; the inspector held that only a new shaft to the deep would cure the practice.”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 7 times in this record, first in the summary: “Two colliers riding against the rules on trams being hauled up the long engine slope at the Black Vein pit, Risca,…”
• Viewer (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “At the inquest the colliery viewer, George James, said he had given strict instructions against riding…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (secondary) Glamorgan colliery fatalities, 1866 — Welsh Coal Mines website
2. (primary) Risca: inquest on John Morris and Aaron Short - Monmouthshire Merlin, 22 September 1866 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026