Worcester Colliery explosion, 1873

An explosion of firedamp in No. 8 level of Worcester Colliery, Fforestfach, on the evening of 29 August 1873 killed four men; the inspector blamed the manager and fireman, who had both found gas that day, and the manager was fined £10.

Cause

Firedamp that had accumulated at the face of No. 8 level for want of sufficient ventilation was ignited, the explosion beginning in or near the face.

Contributing factors

The fireman had found gas lodged near the roof of No. 8 level, extending back about 16 yards, some two hours before the explosion, and the manager had found gas in the same place at noon; neither removed it or withdrew the men. The inspector held that safety lamps were being used in place of proper ventilation. A small naked-light lamp belonging to Thomas was found in the level.

What happened

Worcester Colliery, beside the Carmarthen road about three miles from Swansea, belonged to the Landore (Siemens) Steel Company. Between eight and nine on the evening of Friday 29 August 1873 men at the bottom of the straight slant felt a rush of wind rather than heard a loud report, and judged that the explosion had come from the new slant. Only four men were working in the part of the mine where it happened, in No. 8 level, and all four were found dead, suffocated and badly burnt. Joseph Humel was found near a loaded tram, his safety lamp unlit on it, as though he had been pushing the tram out of the level; William Lake lay a few yards beyond, and William Thomas and John Howells close together further on.

Rescue & recovery

A party of four, among them the brother of William Thomas, went in at once but was driven back by smoke from both No. 8 and No. 7 levels. When the smoke cleared, four men with lights went up No. 8 level and found the bodies, and within about half an hour a second party brought them to bank.

Investigation & inquiry

The deputy coroner, John Gaskoin, opened the inquest at the Marquis Arms, Cwmbwrla, on the Saturday and resumed it on Tuesday 2 September, with the inspector of mines T. E. Wales and the manager Thomas Glasbrook present. Wales reported that the explosion began at the face of No. 8 level, that the gas there had been known to both the fireman and the manager, and that working on safety lamps instead of ventilating the gas away was a flagrant breach of the first general rule. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, but censured the conduct of the fireman, Abraham Bevan, and said he should be removed from his post.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

In November 1873 the inspector prosecuted the certificated manager, Benjamin Thomas, at the county petty sessions in the Guildhall, Swansea, for failing on 29 August to provide ventilation adequate to make No. 8 level safe. The bench convicted him and imposed a penalty of £10; a second summons, for not withdrawing the men, was withdrawn. The fireman Thomas Davies pleaded guilty to a breach of the second general rule and was given a nominal penalty.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• On the night of Friday 29 August 1873 an explosion of gas in the Worcester Colliery, belonging to the Landore (Siemens) Steel Company, killed John Howells, Joseph Hamel, William Lake and William Thomas. ^1,2
• John Howells, 24, and Joseph Humel, 23, lived at Babell; William Lake, 42, at Ystrad, with eight children; and William Thomas, 44, at Cockett, with nine children. ^3,2
• The inspector T. E. Wales reported that the explosion began at the face of No. 8 level, where gas had accumulated for want of air; the fireman had found it about two hours earlier and the manager at noon, and neither withdrew the men. ⁴
• The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death but censured the fireman and recommended his removal from his post. ^3,5,4
• The manager, Benjamin Thomas, was convicted at the county petty sessions of failing to ventilate No. 8 level on 29 August and fined £10; the fireman Thomas Davies pleaded guilty to a breach of the second general rule. ⁶

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “…29 August 1873 killed four men; the inspector blamed the manager and fireman, who had both found gas that day, and the manager was fined £10.”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named 10 times in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion of firedamp in No. 8 level of Worcester Colliery, Fforestfach, on the evening of 29 August 1873…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…neither removed it or withdrew the men. The inspector held that safety lamps were being used in place of proper ventilation. A small naked-light…”
• Slant (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…evening of Friday 29 August 1873 men at the bottom of the straight slant felt a rush of wind rather than heard a loud report, and judged that…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…suffocated and badly burnt. Joseph Humel was found near a loaded tram, his safety lamp unlit on it, as though he had been pushing the tram…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining fatalities, 1873 - Welsh Coal Mines — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Colliery explosion near Swansea: four lives lost - South Wales Daily News, 1 September 1873 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
3. (secondary) Worcester and Weigfach Collieries, Fforestfach — Welsh Coal Mines
4. (primary) The fatal colliery explosion near Swansea - Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, 6 September 1873 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
5. (primary) The colliery explosion near Swansea: coroner's enquiry - South Wales Daily News, 3 September 1873 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
6. (primary) The late colliery explosion near Swansea: a colliery manager heavily fined - Cardiff Times, 22 November 1873 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 1 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026