MineArchiveTynybedw Colliery runaway journey, 1916
On 17 November 1916 a journey of drams ran away down an incline at Tynybedw Colliery, Pentre, after its haulage rope snapped, killing two young men, James Granville Morgan and Oliver Samuel Lewis, who were going up the incline at the end of their shift.
| Date | 17 November 1916 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Tynybedw Colliery |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Haulage / Transport |
| Fatalities | 2 (James Granville Morgan, 24, of 49 Cardiff Street, Treorchy, and Oliver Samuel Lewis, 20, of 47 Lewis Street, Pentre.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The haulage rope snapped and the journey ran away down the incline.
Contributing factors
The haulage engine driver had been signalled to stop and, restarting, had to use full steam, at which the rope parted. The inquest jury put the accident down to a deficient rope and an error of judgment by the ropeman, who, the foreman of the jury said, had put on too many trucks.
What happened
The two men were walking up the incline at the end of the shift and had probably stopped the journey so that they could ride on it to the top.
Investigation & inquiry
The adjourned inquest was held at Treorchy Workmen's Institute before the district coroner, R. J. Rhys, with Colonel Pearse representing the Home Office and the Miners' Federation also represented. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death and added a rider that it was due to a deficient rope being in use and an error of judgment on the part of the ropeman.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 17 November 1916 James Granville Morgan and Oliver Samuel Lewis were killed at Tynybedw Colliery when a journey of drams ran away on an incline. 1,2
- The haulage rope snapped as the engine was restarted on full steam, and the journey ran away. 1
- The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death, with a rider that a deficient rope was in use and the ropeman had made an error of judgment. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Haulage (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…ran away down an incline at Tynybedw Colliery, Pentre, after its haulage rope snapped, killing two young men, James Granville Morgan and…” - Incline (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 17 November 1916 a journey of drams ran away down an incline at Tynybedw Colliery, Pentre, after its haulage rope snapped,…” - Journey (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 17 November 1916 a journey of drams ran away down an incline at Tynybedw Colliery, Pentre,…” - Miners' Federation of Great Britain (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s investigation: “…R. J. Rhys, with Colonel Pearse representing the Home Office and the Miners' Federation also represented. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death…” - Tub (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “On 17 November 1916 a journey of drams ran away down an incline at Tynybedw Colliery, Pentre, after its…”
Sources
- (secondary) 1916 fatalities — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) The Rhondda Leader, 9 December 1916: Treorchy (adjourned inquest on James Granville Morgan and Oliver Samuel Lewis) — The Rhondda Leader (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
Record created: 25 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026