MineArchiveNine Mile Point Colliery roof fall, 1917
On the afternoon shift of Thursday 9 August 1917 two brothers, David John Roberts, 24, and Evan James Roberts, 15, were killed by a fall of roof in their stall in the Rock Vein Pit of Nine Mile Point Colliery, Cwmfelinfach, when a dram being pulled back dislodged a broken timber.
| Date | 9 August 1917 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Nine Mile Point Colliery |
| Region | Caerphilly |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (David John Roberts, 24, collier, who left a young widow, Daisy, and his brother Evan James Roberts, 15, collier's boy, sons of Samuel Roberts of Maesycwmmer. The newspaper names them Evan and John Roberts.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A fall of roof brought down when a dram being pulled back out of the stall dislodged a broken timber.
Contributing factors
Three drams, two iron and one wooden, were being brought into the stall. The wooden one was wider than the others and could not pass a broken timber jutting out under the squeeze. The collier had seen the timber and set a new post that day, and had asked the haulier to change the wooden dram for an iron one. Wooden drams had come in over the previous eighteen months to two years to meet a new Mines Act requirement for dust-proof drams.
What happened
The men had only recently returned to work after the holidays. When the fall came one brother was buried and the other pinned; one died at once and the other soon afterwards.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 9 August 1917 two brothers, sons of Samuel Roberts of Maesycwmmer, were killed by a fall in the Rock Vein Pit of Nine Mile Point Colliery. 1,2
- A dram being pulled back out of the stall dislodged a broken timber and brought down the roof. 1
- The dram was a wooden one, wider than the iron drams, of a kind introduced in the previous eighteen months to two years to meet a new Mines Act requirement for dust-proof drams. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “…fall of roof in their stall in the Rock Vein Pit of Nine Mile Point Colliery, Cwmfelinfach, when a dram being pulled back dislodged a broken…” - Haulier (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s contributing factors: “…had seen the timber and set a new post that day, and had asked the haulier to change the wooden dram for an iron one. Wooden drams had come in…” - Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…David John Roberts, 24, and Evan James Roberts, 15, were killed by a fall of roof in their stall in the Rock Vein Pit of Nine Mile Point Colliery,…” - Stall (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…and Evan James Roberts, 15, were killed by a fall of roof in their stall in the Rock Vein Pit of Nine Mile Point Colliery, Cwmfelinfach, when…” - Tub (contextual relationship)
Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…the Rock Vein Pit of Nine Mile Point Colliery, Cwmfelinfach, when a dram being pulled back dislodged a broken timber.”
Sources
- (secondary) 1917 (Welsh mining fatalities by date) — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) The Cambria Daily Leader, 10 August 1917: Brothers killed — The Cambria Daily Leader (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
Record created: 25 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026