MineArchiveFerndale No. 5 Pit cage accident, 1910
On 22 September 1910 a cage lowering twelve men and boys at D. Davis and Sons' Ferndale collieries crashed onto the sump boards near the bottom of the shaft. The gates burst open and the men were thrown out; all twelve were hurt, a youth, Thomas Pope, was killed, and Charles Mason died after his leg was amputated.
| Date | 22 September 1910 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Ferndale Collieries |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Primary type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Associated types | Rescue |
| Fatalities | 2 (Thomas Pope, a youth; Charles Mason, 37 by the Welsh Coal Mines list, of Middle Row, Blaenllechau, who died on 2 October.) |
| Injuries | Twelve people in all were found with fractured limbs and other injuries; several were still in danger a week later. |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
As the cage neared the bottom something went wrong with the winding: the Welsh Coal Mines account has the rope slipping on the winding wheel some 30 feet up, the Rhondda Leader a fault in the reversing gear of the winding engine.
What happened
The cage crashed into the sump boards with a terrific thud, the side gates were forced open and the men were thrown onto the hitching plates or into the sump. At the same moment the ascending cage was carried up into the headgear sheaves, where a recently fitted detaching hook held it; without it the rope would probably have parted and the cage fallen down the shaft.
Rescue & recovery
Men at the pit bottom, among them a number of ambulance men, gave first aid and doctors were sent for. The injured were brought to the surface through another shaft.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- The accident was at the No. 5 Pit. (disputed) 1
- The accident was in the shaft of the No. 1 Pit. (disputed) 2
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On Thursday 22 September 1910 a cage carrying twelve men and boys crashed to the bottom of the shaft at Ferndale as the morning shift went down. 1,2
- Twelve people were found with fractured limbs and other injuries. 1,2
- Thomas Pope was killed and Charles Mason, whose leg was amputated, died on 2 October. 1,2
- The accident was at the No. 5 Pit. (disputed) 1
- The accident was in the shaft of the No. 1 Pit. (disputed) 2
- Something went wrong with the winding (the rope slipping on the wheel by one account, the engine's reversing gear by another) as the cage neared the bottom. 1,2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Cage (contextual relationship)
Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 22 September 1910 a cage lowering twelve men and boys at D. Davis and Sons' Ferndale…” - Detaching Hook (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…was carried up into the headgear sheaves, where a recently fitted detaching hook held it; without it the rope would probably have parted and the cage…” - Headgear (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…sump. At the same moment the ascending cage was carried up into the headgear sheaves, where a recently fitted detaching hook held it; without it…” - Sump (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…and boys at D. Davis and Sons' Ferndale collieries crashed onto the sump boards near the bottom of the shaft. The gates burst open and the…” - Winding Engine (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “…30 feet up, the Rhondda Leader a fault in the reversing gear of the winding engine.”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines fatalities, 1910 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) Rhondda Leader, 1 October 1910: The Ferndale cage crash, condition of the injured — Welsh Newspapers Online (National Library of Wales)
Record created: 11 October 2026 · Last researched: 11 October 2026