MineArchiveTirpentwys Colliery shaft accident, 1902
On the afternoon of 1 October 1902 the winding rope at Tirpentwys Colliery's upcast shaft, near Pontypool, snapped as the twelfth cage of men was being raised from the Big Vein, and eight colliers and boys fell to the bottom. The rope had jumped the pulley after a loose board over the air-tight tower was carried into it.
| Date | 1902 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Tirpentwys Colliery |
| Region | Torfaen |
| Type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Fatalities | 8 (Eight: six colliers and two collier's boys aged 16 and 17, among them William Strong and his sons William Henry and John.) |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A loose board covering the rope hole in the roof of the air-lock tower was carried up into the pulley, forcing the rope over the flange onto the gudgeon; at full speed the rope broke.
Contributing factors
No one at the colliery had recognised the danger of the loose board, which the inspector said could have been prevented at trifling cost.
What happened
The upcast wound 140 men from the Big Vein through a 45-foot tower that kept the fan's air from short-circuiting. Eleven trips had been made at the end of the shift; on the twelfth, with the ascending cage past the descending one at full speed, the engineman heard a noise and felt the engine run away. The rope had sawn through the tower roof and broken. The dead were William Strong, 42, and his sons William Henry, 19 or 20, and John, 16; James Lloyd; James Parsons; John Edward Price; Grantley Rudge; and William T. Hawkins, 17. Workmen at the surface said it sounded like a peal of thunder.
Rescue & recovery
A party under the manager Godfrey Jones went down No. 2 shaft; the first body came up within twenty minutes and the last within two hours. Relatives identified the dead by the contents of their pockets.
Investigation & inquiry
The inspector Martin found no sign that the cage had struck anything, traced the failure to the board, and noted similar non-fatal cases elsewhere.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
Unknown.
Changes to practice & legislation
Unknown.
Memorials & commemoration
Unknown.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- The NMRS account says five men were killed but lists eight; its colliery page says eight. (disputed) 1
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 1 October 1902 men were thrown from the ascending cage in the upcast shaft; the inspector traced the break to a loose board carried into the pulley. 1
- About 4.15 p.m. on the 12th trip the rope snapped after the cage had risen 200-300 yards, and the men fell to the bottom; eight named. 2
- The NMRS account says five men were killed but lists eight; its colliery page says eight. (disputed) 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Cage (direct cause)
The men fell in the cage. - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “On the afternoon of 1 October 1902 the winding rope at Tirpentwys Colliery's upcast shaft, near Pontypool, snapped as the twelfth cage of men…” - Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “…of 1 October 1902 the winding rope at Tirpentwys Colliery's upcast shaft, near Pontypool, snapped as the twelfth cage of men was being raised…” - Headgear (direct cause)
The rope left the pulley. - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “A party under the manager Godfrey Jones went down No. 2 shaft; the first body came up within twenty minutes and the last within…”
Sources
- (secondary) Tirpentwys Colliery Shaft Accident - Tirpentwys - 1902 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) Welsh coal mining fatalities, 1902 — Welsh Coal Mines
Record created: 21 September 2026 · Last researched: 21 September 2026