MineArchivePenallta Colliery runaway drams, 1913
Three drams of rubbish ran away down an incline at Penallta Colliery on 25 February 1913, killing a mason contractor and his labourer and injuring two more men.
| Date | 25 February 1913 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Penallta Colliery |
| Region | Caerphilly |
| Type | Haulage / Transport |
| Fatalities | 2 (Two, with two injured.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Full drams were knocked loose by an incoming journey and ran away down an incline.
What happened
On 25 February 1913, while Penallta was still being opened out, three full drams of rubbish were waiting on an incline underground when a journey sent down to be coupled to them ran into them. The drams broke away and ran some ninety yards down the slope, killing the mason contractor David Evans, 55, and his labourer Frank Lewis, 34, and injuring two others.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- David Evans, 55, a mason contractor, and Frank Lewis, 34, his labourer, were crushed by runaway trams at Penallta Colliery on 25 February 1913. 1,2
- A journey sent down to join three full drams of rubbish ran into them and sent them 90 yards down the incline. 1
- Two other men were injured. 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: “Three drams of rubbish ran away down an incline at Penallta Colliery on 25 February 1913, killing a mason contractor and his labourer and…” - Incline (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Three drams of rubbish ran away down an incline at Penallta Colliery on 25 February 1913, killing a mason contractor…” - Journey (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “Full drams were knocked loose by an incoming journey and ran away down an incline.” - Tub (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “Three drams of rubbish ran away down an incline at Penallta Colliery on 25…”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh coal mining fatalities, 1913 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Penallta Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 7 October 2026 · Last researched: 7 October 2026