Cwmaman Colliery roof fall, 1917

On Wednesday 2 May 1917 four men clearing a fall at the end of a double parting in the Ffaldau New Seven-feet seam at Cwmaman Colliery were caught by a second fall. The repairer Daniel Davies was killed outright and the fireman David Thomas died of his injuries; William Gough and David Cox were hurt.

Cause

A second fall of roof, about ten trams in size, came down without warning while an earlier fall was being cleared, discharging three pairs of timber.

What happened

The overman, Penry Davies, had set Gough, Cox and Davies to clear a fall at the end of the double parting, with the fireman David Thomas supervising; two pairs of timber had come out with the first fall. Gough and Thomas had examined the roof and thought it safe. A haulier, Joseph Evans, had taken ten trams of rubbish away and about two trams remained when, at about 10.25 in the morning, a second fall of about ten trams came on the pit side and knocked out three more pairs of timber. Davies was killed outright; Thomas was badly hurt and died; Gough and Cox were injured. Both dead men were pinned under the fall for a short time.

Investigation & inquiry

The coroner, R. J. Rhys, held the inquest at the Cwmaman Institute; the manager, William Jones, produced a plan of the workings, and the miners' agent and the firemen's association were represented. 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 Wednesday 2 May 1917 a second fall of roof at the end of a double parting in the Cwmaman Colliery killed the repairer Daniel Davies and the fireman David Thomas. ^1,2,3
• The men were clearing an earlier fall, with about two trams of rubbish left, when about ten trams more came down without warning and knocked out three pairs of timber. ^1,3
• William Gough and David Cox, working with them, were also injured. ³
• The inquest at the Cwmaman Institute, before the coroner R. J. Rhys, returned a verdict of accidental death. ³

Related terminology

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

• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…second fall. The repairer Daniel Davies was killed outright and the fireman David Thomas died of his injuries; William Gough and David Cox were…”
• Haulier (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…fall. Gough and Thomas had examined the roof and thought it safe. A haulier, Joseph Evans, had taken ten trams of rubbish away and about two…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “The overman, Penry Davies, had set Gough, Cox and Davies to clear a fall at the…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “A second fall of roof, about ten trams in size, came down without warning while an earlier…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the cause: “A second fall of roof, about ten trams in size, came down without warning while an earlier fall was being…”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1917 (Welsh mining fatalities by date) — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) The Aberdare Leader, 5 May 1917: Cwmaman mine fatality — The Aberdare Leader (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) The Aberdare Leader, 12 May 1917: Double fatality: inquest on Cwmaman fireman and Aberdare repairer — The Aberdare Leader (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)

Record created: 20 October 2026 · Last researched: 20 October 2026