Dinas Main Colliery explosion, 1907

At about a quarter past two on the pay Saturday of 14 December 1907 an explosion at Dinas Main Colliery, Gilfach Goch, killed seven of the twelve men underground; the fireman David Meyrick led the other four out through old workings.

Cause

An explosion in the workings, which the inquest jury attributed to shot-firing with gunpowder in a hole stemmed with small coal.

What happened

Most of the colliery's 150 men were lined up outside the pay office on Saturday 14 December 1907 when, at about a quarter past two, a loud report was heard and smoke burst from the shaft. Only twelve men had gone back down for repairs and general work after the morning shift. The iron plates covering the shaft were thrown off, pieces of the headgear landed by the pay office forty yards away, and the haulier J. Pullen, crossing the planks over the pit mouth, was blown into the air and saved himself by grabbing a rail of the framework. Searchers led by the manager went in by the horse-way, found the shaft sides torn and trams and rails thrown about, and worked through falls of roof through the night. Seven men were found dead. The fireman David Meyrick, his son Ivor, Tom Phillips, Samuel Evans and Evan Evans had been at the far end of the workings and came out by a hard journey through old workings.

Rescue & recovery

Relays of volunteers cut through falls in the main level through the night; a canary was used to test the air. The five survivors, guided by David Meyrick, made their own way out through the old workings.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest jury believed the explosion was caused by shot-firing with gunpowder in a hole stemmed with small coal.

Recorded claims

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

• On 14 December 1907 an explosion in the No. 3 level killed Nicholas White, William White, David J. Miles, John Jenkins, Richard Evans, Watkin Evans and William David; the inquest jury blamed gunpowder shot-firing in a hole stemmed with small coal. ¹
• Richard Evans, rider, and six others were killed by an explosion of gas at Dinas Main Colliery, Gilfach Goch, on 14 December 1907; William White, ripper, was the son of Nicholas White. ²
• About 150 workmen were lined up outside the pay office when the explosion was heard; only twelve men had gone down again after the morning shift, and the haulier J. Pullen was blown up from the planks over the shaft. ³
• Twelve men were in the mine; five survivors, David Meyrick, his son Ivor, Tom Phillips, Samuel Evans and Evan Evans, were at the far end of the workings and escaped. ⁴

Related terminology

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

• Canary (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…volunteers cut through falls in the main level through the night; a canary was used to test the air. The five survivors, guided by David…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Gilfach Goch, killed seven of the twelve men underground; the fireman David Meyrick led the other four out through old workings.”
• Haulier (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…of the headgear landed by the pay office forty yards away, and the haulier J. Pullen, crossing the planks over the pit mouth, was blown into…”
• Journey (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Evans had been at the far end of the workings and came out by a hard journey through old workings.”
• Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “An explosion in the workings, which the inquest jury attributed to shot-firing with gunpowder in a hole stemmed with small coal.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Dinas Main Colliery - Northern Mine Research Society — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Mining fatalities, 1907 - Welsh Coal Mines — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (primary) Colliery explosion at Gilfach Goch: seven victims - Weekly Mail, 21 December 1907 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
4. (primary) Explosion at Gilfach Goch: thrilling rescue work - The Rhondda Leader, 21 December 1907 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

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