MineArchiveLlanhilleth Colliery Air Blast
| Date | 10 March 1905 (died 17 March 1905) |
|---|---|
| Mine | Llanhilleth Colliery |
| Region | Blaenau Gwent |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 1 (Dennis Carroll, 31, a haulier, died on 17 March 1905 of injuries from the blast on 10 March; six others were injured, named by Out Of The Blue Artifacts as George Davies, Thomas Creese, W. Woodward, Edward Whitney, William Lewis and William Tunley.) |
| Context | During active mining |
A rush of wind from a large fall of stone into a cavity at Llanhilleth Colliery injured seven men on 10 March 1905; the haulier Dennis Carroll died of his injuries a week later. First taken for a gas explosion, investigation found no trace of one.
Cause
A heavy fall of stone into a large cavity — itself following an earlier fall in the same spot — displaced a violent rush of air along the engine plane that was being repaired, knocking about and fatally injuring Dennis Carroll and injuring six others. It was initially taken for an explosion of gas, but investigation established that no explosion had occurred.
What happened
On 10 March 1905, a large fall of stone into a cavity at Llanhilleth Colliery — where a heavy fall had previously occurred, blocking up the engine plane then under repair — displaced a violent rush of air, an 'air blast', along the roadway. Seven men were caught in it. The haulier Dennis Carroll, 31, was knocked about and fatally injured; six others — George Davies, Thomas Creese, W. Woodward, Edward Whitney, William Lewis and William Tunley — were also hurt. Carroll died of his injuries a week later, on 17 March 1905.
Investigation & inquiry
The incident was at first thought to be an explosion of firedamp and investigated as one, but subsequent examination established conclusively that no explosion had taken place.
Memorials & commemoration
No memorial has been found for this incident.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Durham Mining Museum records six others injured without naming them; Out Of The Blue Artifacts, drawing on newspaper reports and Ancestry records, names all six. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…rush of wind from a large fall of stone into a cavity at Llanhilleth Colliery injured seven men on 10 March 1905; the haulier Dennis Carroll died…” - Firedamp (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s investigation: “The incident was at first thought to be an explosion of firedamp and investigated as one, but subsequent examination established…” - Haulier (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…at Llanhilleth Colliery injured seven men on 10 March 1905; the haulier Dennis Carroll died of his injuries a week later. First taken for a…”
Sources
- (secondary) Llanhilleth Colliery - List of Fatalities — Out Of The Blue Artifacts
- (secondary) Llanhilleth Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 10 September 2026 · Last researched: 14 September 2026