Hook Colliery inrush, 1916

Colliers at Hook, Pembrokeshire, cut into flooded old workings on 22 September 1916; two men were drowned and an inquest jury blamed the manager's negligence.

Cause

Colliers cut into the water-filled pocket of an old working after leakage through the coal had been reported to the manager and work allowed to continue.

What happened

On Friday 22 September 1916 water began seeping through the coal in a working at Hook Colliery at about 10 in the morning. The colliers there told the manager, Thomas Worthing, who said the place would be bored that night and let them work on. Shortly before noon they cut a stream of water, and as they turned to warn the others the pocket of an old working burst. Men in a gallery below were knocked down and carried some 40 yards through steep, narrow passages in the dark. William James, a deacon at Hook chapel, and Joseph Thomas were drowned, and their bodies were brought up about three hours later; John Brock was badly hurt. A boy, James John Thomas, was missing until the early hours of the next morning, when the night fireman, Philip Phelps, heard him in a side working whose entrance was choked with debris. After about sixteen hours shut in, the boy dug himself out and asked for a cigarette. The inquest jury found that the inrush had been caused by the manager's negligence, though not to the point of criminal liability.

Rescue & recovery

The two bodies were recovered about three hours after the inrush; the missing boy was located by the night fireman early the next morning and freed himself.

Recorded claims

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

• On 22 September 1916 colliers at Hook Colliery, Pembrokeshire, cut into a pocket of water in an old working and two men, William James and Joseph Thomas, were drowned. ^1,2,3
• Water had been seen leaking through the coal from about 10 that morning; the colliers told the manager, who said he would have the place bored that night and let them carry on. ²
• A boy, James John Thomas, was found in the early hours of the next morning by the night fireman after about sixteen hours shut in a side working, and dug himself out. ^2,3
• There were 36 men in the pit at the time. ³
• The inquest jury found that the inrush was caused by the negligence of the manager, Thomas Worthing, but that the neglect fell short of criminal liability. 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 cause: “…the water-filled pocket of an old working after leakage through the coal had been reported to the manager and work allowed to continue.”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…1916 water began seeping through the coal in a working at Hook Colliery at about 10 in the morning. The colliers there told the manager,…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…missing until the early hours of the next morning, when the night fireman, Philip Phelps, heard him in a side working whose entrance was…”
• Inrush (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…out and asked for a cigarette. The inquest jury found that the inrush had been caused by the manager's negligence, though not to the point…”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1916 fatalities — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Hook Colliery disaster: mine partly flooded; manager censured at the inquest (Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph, 27 September 1916) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) Colliers drowned in a Pembrokeshire mine (Llais Llafur, 30 September 1916) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 9 October 2026 · Last researched: 9 October 2026