MineArchiveBwllfa Colliery cage accident, 1878
Three men going down Bwllfa Colliery, Cwmdare, for the night shift on 8 November 1878 were thrown out and killed when their cage caught the side of the shaft and turned over, about halfway down a pit some 150 feet deep.
| Date | 8 November 1878 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Bwllfa Dare Colliery |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Fatalities | 3 (Three: Edmund (or Edward) Davies, 30, haulier, of Evan's Place, Trecynon; Morgan Rees, 25, collier, of Bellevue, Trecynon; and Thomas Rees, 21 or 22, collier, of Prospect Place, Cwmdare.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The cage left its guides and caught the side of the shaft, tipping over and throwing the three men out. The inquest heard that they had gone down without a banksman, so a door on the cage that he would have closed was left open and fouled the guide ropes.
Contributing factors
The cage had already stuck once on that descent; the men signalled to be brought back to the landing but did not tell the engineman what had happened, and started down again.
What happened
On 8 November 1878 three men set off down the shaft of Bwllfa Colliery, Cwmdare, then the property of John Brogden and Sons, to begin the night shift. They went down without the banksman, and a door on the cage that he would normally have shut was left open. The door struck the guide ropes and stopped the cage; the men signalled to be raised to the landing but did not tell the engineman why, and then went down again. The cage struck the guides a second time, caught the side of the pit and turned over, and the three fell about 75 feet to the bottom of a shaft some 150 feet deep. The Western Mail reported that they were knocked to pieces by the fall.
Investigation & inquiry
It was stated at the inquest that the accident was due to the men's own rashness in going down without a banksman.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Three men were killed on 8 November 1878 when they fell out of the descending cage at Bwllfa Colliery. 1,2,3
- The cage got out of the guides and caught the side of the shaft. 1,2,3
- The men fell about 75 feet in a shaft about 150 feet deep. 1,3
- The inquest heard that they went down without a banksman, leaving open a cage door that fouled the guide ropes. 3
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Cage (contextual relationship)
Named 7 times in this record, first in the summary: “…night shift on 8 November 1878 were thrown out and killed when their cage caught the side of the shaft and turned over, about halfway down a…” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Three men going down Bwllfa Colliery, Cwmdare, for the night shift on 8 November 1878 were thrown out and…” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…were thrown out and killed when their cage caught the side of the shaft and turned over, about halfway down a pit some 150 feet deep.”
Sources
- (secondary) Bwllfa Dare Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) Bwllfa Colliery (UK) -- named fatalities register — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: fatalities, 1878 — Welsh Coal Mines
Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 6 October 2026