Rhos Llantwit Colliery explosion, 1891

Gas fired as the fireman inspected the workings of Rhos Llantwit Colliery, Caerphilly, early on 25 August 1891, killing him and a collier and injuring seven; the pit had always been worked with naked lights.

Cause

Firedamp ignited during the fireman's inspection in a pit worked with naked lights.

What happened

At seven on the morning of Tuesday 25 August 1891 Thomas Windmill, the fireman at Rhos Llantwit Colliery near Caerphilly, was inspecting the workings carrying both a safety lamp and a naked light when gas fired. He was killed by the explosion and a large fall that followed it. A hundred yards away Isaac Powell, 46, a collier of more than twenty years at the pit, was overcome by afterdamp. Seven others were injured, Thomas French among them, 'horribly burnt'. Windmill left a wife and son and Powell a wife and five children.

The search for Windmill's body went on through the following night; the party cleared about forty yards of debris before another fall and gas stopped them. At the inquest on Powell, opened before the deputy coroner H. Grover at Caerphilly police station with the inspector of mines, V. S. Martin, present, the manager, John Richards, said the pit had always been worked with naked lights and examined with locked lamps. About a year earlier Martin had suggested safety lamps after a man strayed into an old place and was burned, but Richards understood the consulting engineer, T. Forster Brown, to say they were not necessary, and naked lights continued. The inquest was adjourned.

Rescue & recovery

Searchers cleared forty yards of debris looking for the fireman's body until a further fall and gas stopped them.

Investigation & inquiry

Inquest opened before H. Grover, deputy coroner, with V. S. Martin, H.M. Inspector, present; the manager's evidence showed that the inspector's earlier advice to use safety lamps had not been taken. Adjourned.

Recorded claims

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

• On 25 August 1891 an explosion at Rhos Llantwit Colliery killed the fireman Thomas Windmill and the collier Isaac Powell. ^1,2,3
• Seven others were injured, Thomas French badly. ^1,3
• The pit had always been worked with naked lights; the inspector had suggested safety lamps about a year before. ²
• The search for Windmill's body was halted by a further fall and gas. ³

Related terminology

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

• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…and gas stopped them. At the inquest on Powell, opened before the deputy coroner H. Grover at Caerphilly police station with the inspector of…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “Gas fired as the fireman inspected the workings of Rhos Llantwit Colliery, Caerphilly, early…”
• Locked Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the pit had always been worked with naked lights and examined with locked lamps. About a year earlier Martin had suggested safety lamps after a man…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…a collier and injuring seven; the pit had always been worked with naked lights.”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the narrative: “…near Caerphilly, was inspecting the workings carrying both a safety lamp and a naked light when gas fired. He was killed by the explosion and…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Rhos Llantwit Colliery — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) The Cardiff Times, 29 August 1891: The colliery explosion at Caerphilly: opening of the inquest — The Cardiff Times (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) South Wales Daily News, 27 August 1891: The colliery disaster at Caerphilly — South Wales Daily News (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)

Record created: 18 October 2026 · Last researched: 18 October 2026