Great Mountain Colliery misfired shot, 1910

On 31 May 1910 two hardground men were killed at Great Mountain Colliery, at Tumble in Carmarthenshire, when a charge of rippite that had missed fire exploded as they cleared away debris.

Date	31 May 1910
Mine	Great Mountain Colliery
Region	Carmarthenshire
Type	Explosion
Fatalities	2 (Edward Moore (26) and Samuel Morse (22), hardground men; four others were injured.)
Context	During active mining

Cause

A charge of rippite that had missed fire exploded while the debris from fifteen electrically fired shots was being cleared.

What happened

Edward Moore, aged 26, and Samuel Morse, aged 22, both hardground men, were killed when a missed charge of rippite went off as the debris was cleared after fifteen shots had been fired by electric battery in volleys of three or four. Four other men were injured.

Sources

(secondary) Great Mountain Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
(secondary) Great Mountain Colliery — Welsh Coal Mines

Record created: 19 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026