MineArchiveRhas Las Colliery shaft accident, 1852
Three colliers were thrown down the shaft at the Dowlais Iron Company's Rhas Las Colliery on 1 October 1852 when a guide chain broke and the carriage struck the shaft side.
| Date | 1 October 1852 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Rhas Las Colliery |
| Region | Merthyr Tydfil |
| Type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Fatalities | 3 (Three killed: the colliers John Davies, Humphrey Edwards and Jacob Griffiths.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A guide chain broke, and the carriage struck the side of the shaft.
Contributing factors
The iron of the guide chain had crystallised.
What happened
On 1 October 1852 three colliers were riding the shaft at Rhas Las Colliery, a Dowlais Iron Company pit, when a guide chain broke. The carriage struck the side of the shaft and tipped the men out, killing John Davies, Humphrey Edwards and Jacob Griffiths. The iron of the chain was found to have crystallised.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 1 October 1852 three colliers were killed at the Dowlais Iron Company's Rhas Las Colliery when a guide chain broke and the carriage struck the side of the shaft, tipping the men out. 1,2,3
- The dead were John Davies, 29, Humphrey Edwards and Jacob Griffiths. 1,2,3
- The iron of the broken chain was found to have crystallised. 2,3
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…were thrown down the shaft at the Dowlais Iron Company's Rhas Las Colliery on 1 October 1852 when a guide chain broke and the carriage struck…” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “Three colliers were thrown down the shaft at the Dowlais Iron Company's Rhas Las Colliery on 1 October 1852…”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1852 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) 1850s G: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
- (secondary) Mining deaths 1850-1859, surnames D (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026