MineArchiveMalago Vale Colliery explosion, 1895
On 15 March 1895 a shot fired by the examiner at Malago Vale Colliery, Bedminster, ignited gas in the roof or coal dust in an undamped roadway, and the explosion spread, killing him and the seventeen-year-old boy who worked with him.
| Date | 15 March 1895 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Malago Vale Colliery |
| Region | Bristol |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 2 (Richard Abrams (Abrahams), 46, examiner, and Albert Edward Walters, 17, his boy.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Shot-firing: the examiner's shot ignited gas in cracks in the roof or coal dust in the roadway.
Contributing factors
The roadway had not been damped, so the dust carried the explosion.
What happened
Richard Abrams, the examiner, fired a shot with his boy, Albert Edward Walters, close by. It ignited gas lying in cracks in the roof, or the coal dust in the roadway, which had not been damped, and set off an extensive explosion that killed them both.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 15 March 1895 an explosion at the Bristol Collieries Company's Malago Vale Colliery, Bedminster, killed the examiner Richard Abrams, 46, and his boy, Albert Edward Walters, 17. 1
- Abrams fired a shot which ignited gas in cracks in the roof, or coal dust in the roadway. 1
- The roadway had not been damped, and the ignition spread into an extensive explosion. 1
- Abrams was the examiner and Walters, 17, the examiner's boy. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Coal (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…at Malago Vale Colliery, Bedminster, ignited gas in the roof or coal dust in an undamped roadway, and the explosion spread, killing him…” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “On 15 March 1895 a shot fired by the examiner at Malago Vale Colliery, Bedminster, ignited gas in the roof or coal dust in an undamped…” - Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “Shot-firing: the examiner's shot ignited gas in cracks in the roof or coal dust…”
Sources
- (primary) Disasters - Names: Malago Vale, 15 March 1895 (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Malago Vale Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 23 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026