MineArchiveSilverwood Colliery stables roof fall, 1913
On 25 September 1913 three men were killed by a fall of roof in underground stables at Silverwood Colliery, near Rotherham, after work at the floor weakened the props supporting the roof.
| Date | 25 September 1913 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Silverwood Colliery |
| Region | South Yorkshire |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 3 (Roland Harris (18), Thomas Harris (46) and Peter Oakes (41).) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Dinting the floor of a stall in the underground stables weakened the side props, and a heavy fall came away from a black parting.
What happened
Roland Harris (18, driver), Thomas Harris (46, contractor) and Peter Oakes (41, stoneman) were dinting the floor of a stall in the underground stables. In doing so they weakened the side props, four of which were run out by a heavy fall of roof that came away from a black parting and buried the three men.
Sources
- (secondary) Disasters – Names: Silverwood, 25th September 1913 — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Silverwood Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 16 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026