MineArchiveUnited Hills Mine boiler explosion, 1830
An engine boiler burst at United Hills Mine (later Tywarnhayle Mine), near Porthtowan, killing nine of the thirteen people present.
| Date | 3 February 1830 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Tywarnhayle Mine |
| Region | Cornwall |
| Type | Machinery |
| Fatalities | 9 (Nine of the thirteen people on the premises at the time were killed on the spot or died shortly afterwards; the victims' names and roles are unknown.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The boiler serving the mine's pumping/winding engine burst; the specific technical cause is unknown (over-pressure, a structural or maintenance failure, or otherwise).
What happened
On 3 February 1830, while the mine was still known as United Hills, the engine boiler burst. Of thirteen people on the premises at the time, nine were killed outright or died of their injuries shortly afterwards -- one of the worst single accidents recorded at any mine in the St Agnes district.
Investigation & inquiry
No formal inquiry or inquest is recorded; boiler explosions of this period were not yet subject to the statutory investigation regime that later mining legislation introduced.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Nine of the thirteen people present when the boiler burst were killed on the spot or died of their injuries shortly afterwards. 1,2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Winding Engine (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “The boiler serving the mine's pumping/winding engine burst; no source found gives a specific technical cause…”
Sources
- (secondary) Tywarnhayle Mine — Wikipedia
- (secondary) Tywarnhayle Mine, Cornwall — Cornwall Calling
Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026