Cefn Brithdir Colliery inrush, 1888

On the evening of 22 August 1888 two firemen opening up an old heading at the 'George Inn' colliery at Brithdir, near New Tredegar, disturbed a stopping holding back water and were drowned when it burst out.

Cause

Water had collected behind a dirt stopping, or pack, in an old abandoned rise heading. The men disturbed the stopping trying to creep past it, not knowing of the water, and it burst away.

What happened

Cefn Brithdir Colliery, known locally as the George or George Inn pit, stood about a mile south of New Tredegar on the Gelligaer side of the river, and had been worked for several years with a remarkable freedom from accident. On the Wednesday evening the two firemen were opening up an old heading that had been bayed up, intending to ventilate a place higher up. The overman had told them to go by a different road, but they evidently thought this the better way. When they disturbed the stopping the water burst out, in such quantity that it filled the sump and stood a foot deep at the bottom of the shaft. News that the colliery was flooded caused intense excitement in the district.

Rescue & recovery

By late that night only the body of David Davies had been found.

Investigation & inquiry

The Inspector of Mines reported that the water had collected behind a dirt stopping in an old abandoned rise heading, and that the men had disturbed it trying to get past, against the overman's direction.

Recorded claims

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

• On the evening of Wednesday 22 August 1888 water burst into Cefn Brithdir (George Inn) Colliery and two firemen were drowned. ^1,2
• The water had collected behind a dirt stopping in an old abandoned rise heading and broke out when the men disturbed it. ¹
• The men had been told by the overman to go by a different road. ¹
• The water filled the sump and stood about 12 inches deep at the bottom of the shaft. ²

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…1888 two firemen opening up an old heading at the 'George Inn' colliery at Brithdir, near New Tredegar, disturbed a stopping holding back…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “The Inspector of Mines reported that the water had collected behind a dirt stopping in an…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…had been bayed up, intending to ventilate a place higher up. The overman had told them to go by a different road, but they evidently thought…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…that it filled the sump and stood a foot deep at the bottom of the shaft. News that the colliery was flooded caused intense excitement in the…”
• Sump (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…stopping the water burst out, in such quantity that it filled the sump and stood a foot deep at the bottom of the shaft. News that the…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: Cefn Brithdir — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) 'A New Tredegar colliery flooded: two lives lost', South Wales Echo, 23 August 1888 — Welsh Newspapers Online (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 10 October 2026 · Last researched: 10 October 2026