Fforchaman Colliery explosion

A collier at Fforchaman bored a hole and charged it with powder on the first morning back after an idle day, in a pit where blasting was prohibited under any circumstances. He had been refused permission to use powder a few days before and was cautioned not to fire the shot. He fired it, and the firedamp explosion killed him and two others and burned eleven more.

Cause

A shot fired with powder in a pit where blasting was prohibited under any circumstances, igniting firedamp.

Contributing factors

The colliery had stood idle on the Monday, which allowed gas to accumulate, and the coal at the place was very hard. The man had asked the fireman's permission to use powder a few days earlier and been refused on the ground that blasting was forbidden in the pit. Workmen who knew what he intended did not report it.

What happened

The Bristol Mercury of 13 February 1869 reported that the colliery, then about 200 yards deep and employing about 200 hands, had been idle on the Monday. On Tuesday morning, as soon as work commenced, a workman named Griffiths bored a hole to blast the coal, which was very hard, and filled it with powder. He had asked the fireman's permission to use powder a few days before and had been refused, blasting being prohibited in the pit under any circumstances. Another workman cautioned him not to fire it. The caution was not regarded, and shortly after seven o'clock the charge exploded. Griffiths and two others, named Evans and Lewis, were killed, and eleven others working nearby were burned. All three dead were married men with large families, and several of the burned were married as well.

Investigation & inquiry

At the inquest the Government Inspector strongly censured the men who knew Griffiths meant to fire the shot and did not report it to the officials of the pit, who might have stopped him. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased died from the effects of an explosion caused by the firing of a shot against the rules of the colliery.

Changes to practice & legislation

No change of rule followed: blasting was already prohibited outright in this pit, and the inspector's censure fell on the men who did not report that the rule was about to be broken.

Recorded claims

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

• Welsh Coal Mines names the dead as William Williams, 30, collier; Lewis Griffiths, 48, collier; and David Evans, 45, roadman. The Bristol Mercury's report, quoted by the Northern Mine Research Society, gives the surnames as Griffiths, Evans and Lewis, which is the same three men with Lewis Griffiths's forename read as a surname. (disputed) ^1,2
• Welsh Coal Mines dates the explosion to 5 January 1869. The Bristol Mercury report the Northern Mine Research Society quotes is dated 13 February 1869 and describes the explosion as having happened on 'Tuesday morning', which does not fit a 5 January date and suggests the newspaper was reprinting an earlier account. (disputed) ^1,2
• Eleven men working near the shot were burned, two of them so seriously that their lives were despaired of. ²

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…stood idle on the Monday, which allowed gas to accumulate, and the coal at the place was very hard. The man had asked the fireman's…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the contributing factors: “The colliery had stood idle on the Monday, which allowed gas to accumulate, and…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…before and was cautioned not to fire the shot. He fired it, and the firedamp explosion killed him and two others and burned eleven more.”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…and the coal at the place was very hard. The man had asked the fireman's permission to use powder a few days earlier and been refused on…”
• Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “…powder on the first morning back after an idle day, in a pit where blasting was prohibited under any circumstances. He had been refused…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Fforchaman Colliery, Cwmaman — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Fforchaman Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society, via the Internet Archive

Record created: 11 September 2026 · Last researched: 11 September 2026