Great Western Colliery roof fall, 1875

Falls of roof killed two men repairing a steam-heated return airway at the Great Western Colliery, Hopkinstown, on Sunday 4 July 1875.

Cause

Steam and heat from an underground engine, passing along the return airway, had weakened the roof.

What happened

About two hundred feet from the bottom of the Great Western's shaft an engine worked underground, and the return air carried its steam and heat along an airway to the upcast shaft. The heat loosened the roof, and on Saturday 3 July 1875 the airway was found to be dangerous. The next day, a Sunday, five men went down to repair it, working in short spells and retreating to breathe in the fresh air.

That afternoon the roof fell on the fireman John Prosser, killing him, and on Isaac Williams. Two of the other men were held back by the sound of the roof cracking above them, but David Morgan went forward in the dark, found Williams by his voice and took hold of his head. A stone struck Morgan on the neck and he fell back, and a second fall of about a ton and a half killed Williams. The bodies were recovered five or six hours later.

Rescue & recovery

David Morgan reached the trapped Isaac Williams but was driven back by a falling stone; both bodies were recovered five or six hours later.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• Welsh Coal Mines dates the deaths 5 July. (disputed) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• Isaac Williams and John Prosser, a fireman, were killed by falls of roof while repairing the return airway at the Great Western Colliery on Sunday 4 July 1875. ^1,2,3
• Heat and steam from an underground engine, carried along the airway to the upcast shaft, had loosened the roof. ^2,3
• David Morgan went forward under the cracking roof and took hold of the trapped Williams, but was struck by a stone and driven back before a second fall killed Williams. ²
• Welsh Coal Mines dates the deaths 5 July. (disputed) ¹

Related terminology

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

• Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…and the return air carried its steam and heat along an airway to the upcast shaft. The heat loosened the roof, and on Saturday 3 July 1875 the airway…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…to breathe in the fresh air. That afternoon the roof fell on the fireman John Prosser, killing him, and on Isaac Williams. Two of the other…”
• Return Airway (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Falls of roof killed two men repairing a steam-heated return airway at the Great Western Colliery, Hopkinstown, on Sunday 4 July 1875.”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “Falls of roof killed two men repairing a steam-heated return airway at the Great…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “About two hundred feet from the bottom of the Great Western's shaft an engine worked underground, and the return air carried its steam…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1875 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Frightful colliery accident in the Rhondda Valley (Merthyr Telegraph, 9 July 1875) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) Shocking colliery accident near Pontypridd: two men killed (Cardiff Times, 10 July 1875) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 7 October 2026 · Last researched: 7 October 2026