Blaenclydach Colliery roof fall, 1901

A slab of roof nearly thirteen feet long fell at the face in the No. 2 Rhondda seam at Blaenclydach Colliery on 11 July 1901, killing two colliers.

Cause

A large slab of roof at the face, held by a single prop where at least four were needed, fell suddenly.

What happened

On 11 July 1901 a 'cliff' of roof, 12¾ feet by 5 feet and 15 inches thick, fell suddenly at the face in the No. 2 Rhondda seam at Blaenclydach Colliery in Clydach Vale, crushing out the one prop under it and killing two colliers, Frederick Rees, aged 26, and Frederick Yelling, aged 25. At least three more props ought to have been set under it.

Recorded claims

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

• On 11 July 1901 a fall of roof at the face killed two colliers at Blaenclydach Colliery. ^1,2,3,4
• A cliff 12¾ ft by 5 ft by 15 in thick fell suddenly, crushing one prop out; at least three more props ought to have been stood under it. ^2,3,4
• The dead were Frederick Rees, 26, and Frederick Yelling, 25, colliers, in the No. 2 Rhondda seam. ^1,3,4
• The colliery was owned by the Blaenclydach Colliery Company Ltd. ^2,3,4

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: “…feet long fell at the face in the No. 2 Rhondda seam at Blaenclydach Colliery on 11 July 1901, killing two colliers.”

Sources

1. (primary) Blaenclydach Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Blaenclydach, 11 July 1901 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Fred Rees, Blaenclydach, 1901 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Fred Yelling, Blaenclydach, 1901 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 17 October 2026 · Last researched: 17 October 2026