Guerets Colliery steam scalding, 1895

On the afternoon of Saturday 19 October 1895 two colliers left behind in Guerets' Graigola Colliery at Clydach tried to make their own way out through the upcast airway and were scalded to death by steam, with no engineman at his post to wind them.

Cause

The two men were left in the pit at the end of the shift because nobody checked that it was clear; travelling the upcast to get out, they were scalded by released steam while no engineman was on duty.

What happened

John Gibbs, 23, and John Richard Jones, 26, were filling trams at the end of the Saturday shift. Shortly before one o'clock the haulier John Lloyd met them, told them it would be the last journey, and went up the pit with the other men, believing they were still behind. The hitcher, William Phillips, did not ask whether anyone was left below; he said it was only now and again that he asked. With the cage gone, the two men tried to escape by the upcast airway, a short cut men sometimes took, and were caught by released steam. The engineman had left his post and came back a few minutes too late. Jones had been in a hurry to get out for a football match.

No one at the surface knew the men were missing until half past nine that night.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest opened on Tuesday 22 October at the Three Compasses, Clydach, before the coroner Edward Strick, with H.M. Inspector J. T. Robson attending; the room was so crowded that people were turned away. After the haulier, hitcher, banksman, engineman and stoker had given evidence it was adjourned to the Thursday.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

On Robson's information the Treasury prosecuted the owner, Louis Gueret of Castleton, Chepstow, his agent John Roberts, a Swansea mining engineer, and the manager, John David Jones of Llansamlet, at Pontardawe police court on 13 December 1895. Each faced two summonses for breaches of the colliery's special rules: not having at least two shafts or outlets to every seam being worked, and not having a competent man on duty while Jones and Gibbs were in the pit.

Recorded claims

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

• John Gibbs and John Richard Jones died at Guerets' Graigola Colliery, Clydach, on Saturday 19 October 1895. ^1,2,3
• Left in the pit after the last journey, they were scalded by released steam while travelling the upcast, with the engineman away from his post. ^1,3
• The hitcher did not ask whether anyone was left below before coming up. ²
• Louis Gueret, his agent John Roberts and the manager John David Jones were prosecuted for breaches of the special rules on 13 December 1895. ³

Related terminology

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

• Banksman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…so crowded that people were turned away. After the haulier, hitcher, banksman, engineman and stoker had given evidence it was adjourned to the…”
• Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Colliery at Clydach tried to make their own way out through the upcast airway and were scalded to death by steam, with no engineman at his…”
• Haulier (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…at the end of the Saturday shift. Shortly before one o'clock the haulier John Lloyd met them, told them it would be the last journey, and…”
• Journey (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the haulier John Lloyd met them, told them it would be the last journey, and went up the pit with the other men, believing they were still…”
• Onsetter (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…up the pit with the other men, believing they were still behind. The hitcher, William Phillips, did not ask whether anyone was left below; he…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1895 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) South Wales Daily Post, 23 October 1895: Disaster in a Clydach colliery. Inquest — National Library of Wales, Welsh Newspapers
3. (primary) South Wales Daily Post, 13 December 1895: Local colliery owners prosecuted. The recent fatality at Clydach — National Library of Wales, Welsh Newspapers

Record created: 10 October 2026 · Last researched: 10 October 2026