Llanover Colliery cage accident, 1912

Two men died at Llanover Colliery, Argoed, on 7 April 1912 when the winding rope snapped and their cage fell 140 yards to the bottom of the shaft.

Cause

A faulty winding engine caused the winding rope to snap.

What happened

On 7 April 1912 a fault in the winding engine at Llanover Colliery, Argoed, caused the rope to snap, and the cage fell 140 yards to the pit bottom with two men in it: George Burge, 48, a foreman sinker, and George Jones, 58, a mechanic. Both were killed. Six weeks later Jones's son George died in the explosion at the Markham sinking, a little higher up the valley.

Recorded claims

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

• On 7 April 1912 the winding rope at Llanover Colliery, Argoed, snapped and the cage fell 140 yards to the pit bottom, killing George Burge, 48, and George Jones, 58. ^1,2,3
• A faulty winding engine caused the rope to snap. ¹
• Burge was a foreman sinker and Jones a mechanic. ¹
• Jones's son, also George, was killed six weeks later in the explosion at the Markham sinking a little higher up the valley. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Argoed, on 7 April 1912 when the winding rope snapped and their cage fell 140 yards to the bottom of the shaft.”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two men died at Llanover Colliery, Argoed, on 7 April 1912 when the winding rope snapped and their…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…rope snapped and their cage fell 140 yards to the bottom of the shaft.”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…to the pit bottom with two men in it: George Burge, 48, a foreman sinker, and George Jones, 58, a mechanic. Both were killed. Six weeks later…”
• Winding Engine (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “A faulty winding engine caused the winding rope to snap.”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1912 (fatalities by date) — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: Llanover Colliery, Argoed — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (secondary) Llanover Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026