Old Castle Colliery gassing, 1913

On 26 August 1913 two colliers examining the return airway of the Old Castle Colliery, a small level at Tonna, near Neath, were poisoned by carbon monoxide from a petrol engine working a pump nearby. Rescuers from the neighbouring Bush Colliery, its manager among them, were themselves overcome and carried out, and it took three hours and three rescue parties to recover the bodies.

Cause

Carbon monoxide fumes from a small petrol engine working a pump nearby, which poisoned the men in the return airway.

What happened

The level, worked by a drift about a hundred yards long, employed a handful of men and had been worked without a fatal accident for nearly fifty years. Four men went in that morning. At eleven o'clock the fireman, David Rees John, and John Thomas saw the two victims at work; at about half past two, surprised by the quiet, they went to them and found them lying face down in the return airway. They were nearly suffocated themselves trying to move them and ran out to raise the alarm.

Rescue & recovery

Colliers returning home from the nearby Bush Colliery ran to help, and a rescue party of twelve went in, only to be driven back by the foul air. They reported the bodies wedged behind posts. Further parties followed; several men were overcome and carried out, among them the Bush Colliery's manager, Herbert Griffiths, and Jenkin Rees, a farmer and the brother of one of the victims. Dr Prell of Aberdulais brought the unconscious rescuers round. After three hours the posts were sawn through, ropes were made fast to the bodies and they were brought out. It was said afterwards that too much haste had done harm: the rescuers broke down the ventilation brattice, and the workings filled with foul air.

Investigation & inquiry

Dr Prell found that the men had been dead about two hours and gave carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause. The fireman told the inquiry he had noticed a slight smell of petrol travelling with the fresh air from a petrol-engine pump working nearby, but could not say whether the men had been overcome by its fumes or by foul air. It was believed the two had gone into the airway to see whether repairs were needed.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• Welsh Coal Mines gives the men's ages as 42 and 38; the Cambria Daily Leader gave 28 and 35 and called Kemp 'Kent'. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

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

• On 26 August 1913 two colliers, David Kemp and William Henry Rees, were found dead in the return airway of the small Old Castle level at Tonna, near Neath. ^1,2
• Rescue parties, including colliers from the Bush Colliery and its manager, Herbert Griffiths, were overcome by foul air and carried out; the bodies were recovered after three hours by sawing through the posts they were wedged behind. ^1,2
• The doctor attributed the deaths to carbon monoxide; the fireman noticed a smell of petrol from a petrol-engine pump working nearby but could not say whether fumes or foul air had overcome them. ¹
• Welsh Coal Mines gives the men's ages as 42 and 38; the Cambria Daily Leader gave 28 and 35 and called Kemp 'Kent'. (disputed) ^1,2
• The official record gives the cause as carbon monoxide fumes from a small petrol engine working a pump, which poisoned the two men while they examined and cleared small falls in the return airway; the owner was G. R. Lewis. ³

Related terminology

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

• Bad Air (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the rescue and recovery: “…and a rescue party of twelve went in, only to be driven back by the foul air. They reported the bodies wedged behind posts. Further parties…”
• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…much haste had done harm: the rescuers broke down the ventilation brattice, and the workings filled with foul air.”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…fifty years. Four men went in that morning. At eleven o'clock the fireman, David Rees John, and John Thomas saw the two victims at work; at…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…examining the return airway of the Old Castle Colliery, a small level at Tonna, near Neath, were poisoned by carbon monoxide from a petrol…”
• Return Airway (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 26 August 1913 two colliers examining the return airway of the Old Castle Colliery, a small level at Tonna, near Neath, were…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh coal mining fatalities, 1913 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Gassed! Tonna colliery disaster (Cambria Daily Leader, 27 August 1913) — Welsh Newspapers Online
3. (secondary) NMRS deaths database: David Kemp, Old Castle, Tonna, 1913 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 20 October 2026 · Last researched: 22 October 2026