Kemberton Colliery Pit Cage Disaster (1910)

A winding rope that had been tested sound that same morning suddenly fractured during a descent at Kemberton Colliery, killing seven men and boys, three of them fourteen or younger.

Cause

The winding rope, recently recapped and found sound that same morning, suddenly fractured during a descent; an engineering investigation found it could withstand 54.25 tons but would fail under the sudden shock of even a short drop.

What happened

On the night of Sunday 4 December 1910, the winding rope at Kemberton Colliery, Madeley -- property of the Madeley Wood Colliery Company, managed by John Cox -- suddenly fractured as a cage descended the 338-yard shaft. The rope, of best plough steel manufactured by Haggie Brothers of Newcastle, had been in use for fifteen months and had been recapped twice, most recently in April 1910, each time found in excellent condition; it had a breaking strain of around 60 tons against a cage and its seven occupants weighing only some 27 hundredweight. Banksman William Stephen had examined the rope that same morning and found it, and the headgear and chains, entirely safe; engineman Mark Davies had wound the cage several times without incident earlier in the day. At around 10:10pm, as engineman Davies drew the cage up from the bottom of the upcast shaft with seven men aboard, a sudden snap almost brought the winding engine to a standstill; the cage had parted from the rope some 30 to 40 yards down and fallen to the bottom. Seven men and boys died: George Gough (fireman, 53, Madeley), Richard Rogers (filler, 41, Madeley), Arthur Wilton (day-wageman, 48, Madeley), Thomas Glenister (collier, 37, Madeley), Alphonso Stanley (trammer, 19, Shifnal), Randolph Cecil Miles (danner, 14) and Albert Jones (danner, 14, Dawley). A contemporary newspaper account recorded frankly that 'the reason of the rope breaking is wrapped in mystery.'

Rescue & recovery

Rescuers descended via an alternate shaft and found the bodies so mangled as to be almost beyond recognition; the dead were brought to the engine room for identification.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest, opened on 6 December before Coroner J. V. T. Lander with HM Inspector of Mines Hugh Johnstone present, was adjourned before reconvening at Shifnal Police Station. Evidence was heard from Henry Green of Lloyd's Testing House, Birmingham, and Stephen Dixon, Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Birmingham, who concluded the rope could withstand 54.25 tons but that a sudden drop of only six to ten feet would be enough to cause it to fail. Banksman William Stephen suggested the most probable cause was that the cage had caught on its guide legs and failed to run clear, though he had inspected those legs the day before the accident and found them in good working order, with 5-6 inches of clearance either side of the 4-foot-wide cage; no evidence was found that the cage had collided with the shaft itself. Inspector Johnstone drew attention to Special Rule 161, requiring the engineman to run the ropes up and down before raising or lowering persons after any four-hour intermission in working -- a rule the engineman admitted he had not known of before the accident.

Recorded claims

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

• The winding rope fractured suddenly during a Sunday-night descent on 4 December 1910, despite having tested sound that same morning; seven men and boys died, named as George Gough, Arthur Wilton, Richard Rogers, Thomas Glenister, Alphonso Stanley, Randolph Cecil Miles and Albert Jones. ¹
• Rescuers descended via an alternate shaft to recover the bodies; the inquest, opened 6 December before Coroner Lander with HM Inspector of Mines Hugh Johnstone present, was adjourned before reconvening. ¹
• Engineering evidence from Lloyd's Testing House and a University of Birmingham professor found the rope could withstand 54.25 tons but would fail under the shock of a drop of only six to ten feet; the inquest also heard the engineman was unaware, before the accident, of Special Rule 161 requiring the ropes to be run up and down after any four-hour break in working. ²

Related terminology

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

• Banksman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…a cage and its seven occupants weighing only some 27 hundredweight. Banksman William Stephen had examined the rope that same morning and found…”
• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 8 times in this record, first in the narrative: “…Colliery Company, managed by John Cox -- suddenly fractured as a cage descended the 338-yard shaft. The rope, of best plough steel…”
• Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…10:10pm, as engineman Davies drew the cage up from the bottom of the upcast shaft with seven men aboard, a sudden snap almost brought the winding…”
• Filler (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the narrative: “…and boys died: George Gough (fireman, 53, Madeley), Richard Rogers (filler, 41, Madeley), Arthur Wilton (day-wageman, 48, Madeley), Thomas…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…and fallen to the bottom. Seven men and boys died: George Gough (fireman, 53, Madeley), Richard Rogers (filler, 41, Madeley), Arthur Wilton…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Shropshire, 1910 pit cage disaster ("What the Papers Said") — Shropshire Caving & Mining Club
2. (secondary) Kemberton Colliery Shaft Accident - Shifnal - 1901 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026