MineArchiveTareni Colliery Flood, 1909
Five miners drowned at Tareni Colliery when a working district broke into the adjoining, long-abandoned and waterlogged workings of the Ynysgeinon Pit.
| Date | 2 November 1909 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Tarenni Colliery |
| Region | Neath Port Talbot |
| Type | Flooding / Inundation |
| Fatalities | 5 (Five men are named in the Northern Mine Research Society's account: Ben Griffiths, Evan Thomas, David Edward Rees, Evan Harris and Isaac Rees.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A working district holed into the adjoining, long-abandoned and flooded workings of the Ynysgeinon Pit, releasing floodwater into the active workings with no warning.
What happened
On 1 November 1909, with around 100 men working underground, miners working a district of Tareni Colliery holed into old, waterlogged workings -- for which no records existed -- of the neighbouring, long-abandoned Ynysgeinon Pit. A torrent of water came rushing down the main drift, overwhelming everything in its path; rescuers who tried to reach the trapped men could make no progress against a shoulder-high surge. Four men -- Ben Griffiths (18), David Edward Rees (18), Isaac Rees (38) and Evan Thomas (19) -- drowned immediately, and a fifth, the boy Evan Harris, was reported missing for two days before being presumed dead. A further four men -- David T. Davies, Evan Evans, Jenkin Jenkins and Evan Roderick -- were injured.
Investigation & inquiry
Nothing is recorded of a formal inquiry or inquest into this incident.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- The five men killed were Ben Griffiths (18), David Edward Rees (18), Isaac Rees (38) and Evan Thomas (19), all drowned immediately, and Evan Harris, a boy reported missing for two days before being presumed dead; a further four men -- David T. Davies, Evan Evans, Jenkin Jenkins and Evan Roderick -- were injured. 1,2
- Rescuers tried to reach the trapped men but could make no progress against a shoulder-high surge of water; the inrush came from long-abandoned workings for which no records existed, into which the miners had inadvertently holed. 2
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: “Five miners drowned at Tareni Colliery when a working district broke into the adjoining, long-abandoned and…” - Drift (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…Ynysgeinon Pit. A torrent of water came rushing down the main drift, overwhelming everything in its path; rescuers who tried to reach…”
Sources
- (secondary) Tareni Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) Tarnei Colliery Inrush, Pontardawe, 1909 — Northern Mine Research Society (citing Fieldhouse & Dunn, 'And they worked us to death', Vol. 2)
Record created: 2 September 2026 · Last researched: 2 September 2026