Elba Colliery roof fall, 1889

On Thursday 18 July 1889 a fall of roof at the Elba Colliery, Gowerton, killed Peter Protheroe and Daniel Thomas almost immediately, though two doctors were quickly on the spot.

Cause

A fall of roof.

What happened

Protheroe, of Loughor, and Thomas, of Fforestfach, were so badly injured by the fall that they died almost at once, despite the prompt attendance of Drs Jenkins and Jones.

Recorded claims

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

• A fall of roof at the Elba Colliery, Gowerton, on Thursday 18 July 1889 killed two men. ^1,2,3,4
• The dead were Peter Protheroe, of Loughor and formerly of Waunarlwydd, and Daniel Thomas, of Fforestfach. ^2,3,4
• Doctors Jenkins and Jones attended promptly but the men died almost at once. ^2,3

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “On Thursday 18 July 1889 a fall of roof at the Elba Colliery, Gowerton, killed Peter Protheroe and Daniel Thomas almost…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On Thursday 18 July 1889 a fall of roof at the Elba Colliery, Gowerton, killed Peter Protheroe and Daniel…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Glamorgan colliery fatalities, 1889 — Welsh Coal Mines website
2. (primary) South Wales Echo, 19 July 1889: Double fatality at Gowerton — South Wales Echo (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) The Western Mail, 20 July 1889: Colliery accident near Gowerton: two men killed — The Western Mail (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
4. (primary) Tarian y Gweithiwr, 25 July 1889: Damwain angeuol ddwbl yn Gowerton — Tarian y Gweithiwr (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)

Record created: 19 October 2026 · Last researched: 19 October 2026