MineArchiveWerfa Colliery explosion, 1886
| Date | 26 March 1886 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Werfa Colliery |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 4 (David Jones, 38, fireman (a 'foreman' in the Pall Mall Gazette), who left a widow and one child; William Marshall, 45, labourer, a widow and seven children; John Green, 46, airway man, a widow and four children; William Edwards, 39, haulier, who died on 3 April. The Gazette, reporting the next day, gave three.) |
| Injuries | George Green, son of John Green, was severely burned; Dr Evan Jones had him kept at the colliery carpenter's shop for treatment rather than moved home, and he survived. Welsh Coal Mines speaks of several seriously injured. |
| Context | During active mining (The Seven Feet vein of Heath, Evans and Co.'s New Pit at Werfa Colliery, Aberdare, worked with safety lamps.) |
At about half past two on the afternoon of Friday 26 March 1886 an explosion in the Seven Feet vein at Werfa Colliery, Aberdare, blew away the covering at the top of the shaft. An exploring party led by the manager found three men dead 600 yards from the shaft bottom, and a fourth died of his injuries a week later. The workings below were little damaged. Safety lamps were in use, and the cause was not known.
Cause
An explosion of gas in the Seven Feet vein; the cause was not known, safety lamps being in use.
What happened
The blast blew the pit covering at the top of the shaft completely away, though the workings below were not much damaged. A party of explorers headed by the manager, David Thomas, went down and 600 yards from the bottom of the shaft found three men dead, all married.
Rescue & recovery
The manager, David Thomas, led the exploring party below. Dr Evan Jones treated George Green at the colliery carpenter's shop.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Welsh Coal Mines' 1886 list dates the explosion Friday 26 March 1886, about 2.30 p.m., and the Pall Mall Gazette of Saturday 27 March reported it as having just occurred. (disputed) 1,2
- The Welsh Coal Mines colliery page dates the explosion 23 March 1886. (disputed) 3
- Four died: David Jones, 38, fireman; William Marshall, 45, labourer; John Green, 46, airway man; and William Edwards, 39, haulier, who died of injuries on 3 April. (disputed) 3,2
- The Pall Mall Gazette, quoted by the NMRS, reported three killed 600 yards from the shaft bottom, David Jones, foreman, William Marshall and John Green, with George Green severely burned. (disputed) 1
- The Pall Mall Gazette says the explosion was in the Seven Feet vein of the new pit and blew away the covering of the upcast shaft; Welsh Coal Mines' list places it in the downcast shaft (Seven Feet vein). (disputed) 1,2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Firedamp (direct cause)
An explosion of gas. - Fireman (contextual relationship)
The fireman David Jones was killed. - Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
Safety lamps were in use. - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Werfa Colliery, Aberdare, blew away the covering at the top of the shaft. An exploring party led by the manager found three men dead 600…” - Vein (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…the afternoon of Friday 26 March 1886 an explosion in the Seven Feet vein at Werfa Colliery, Aberdare, blew away the covering at the top of…”
Sources
- (secondary) Werfa Dare Colliery (The Werfa Pits) — Northern Mine Research Society (information supplied by Ray Lawrence)
- (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1886 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Werfa — Welsh Coal Mines
Record created: 14 September 2026 · Last researched: 14 September 2026