Risca New Pit roof fall, 1894

Two young colliers who stayed behind to make their place safe at Risca on 26 February 1894 were killed by the roof as they set the extra timber.

Cause

The roof of a working place in the Five Feet seam fell while extra timber was being set.

Contributing factors

The place was already showing signs of weighting at the end of the shift.

What happened

On 26 February 1894 two young colliers in the Five Feet seam at Risca Colliery, Thomas Smith and John Hufton, 17, stayed behind when the shift ended to set more timber, as their working place was showing signs of weighting. The roof fell while they were setting it, and the day fireman found them buried on his last round. They had come to Risca from the Rhondda about four months before.

Rescue & recovery

The day fireman found the two men buried on his last round.

Recorded claims

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

• On 26 February 1894 two young colliers, Thomas Smith and John Hufton, 17, were killed by a fall of roof in the Five Feet seam at Risca Colliery. ^1,2,3
• They had stayed behind at the end of the shift to set extra timber because their place showed signs of weighting, and the roof fell while they were setting it. ^1,2,3
• The day fireman found them buried on his last round. ¹
• They had worked at the colliery for about four months, having come from the Rhondda. ^1,2,3
• The colliery belonged to United National Collieries Ltd. ^2,3

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “On 26 February 1894 two young colliers in the Five Feet seam at Risca Colliery, Thomas Smith and John Hufton, 17, stayed behind when the shift…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…of weighting. The roof fell while they were setting it, and the day fireman found them buried on his last round. They had come to Risca from the…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining fatalities, 1894 - Welsh Coal Mines — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames H part 7 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames S part 4 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026