Yniscedwyn Colliery runaway, 1892

At six in the evening of 24 August 1892 the night shift at Yniscedwyn Colliery was waiting to ride down the steep new drift in a journey of carriages held by a scotch. One of the men kicked the scotch away before the engine was manned, the journey ran away down the 1-in-3 incline, crashed into timbers and brought down the roof, killing six men and injuring three. The inquest held the dead man who started it responsible.

Cause

The scotch holding the man-riding journey at the top of the drift was removed while the winding engine was unattended and its clutch disengaged, so the journey ran away.

Contributing factors

Anthony started the journey without the overman's order, which the overman said had never happened before; the men pushed the carriages to start them. The drift dipped 1 in 3 for 300 yards.

What happened

Water had turned the colliery's 90-yard shaft over to pumping, and a drift had been driven for men, supplies and coal, its drum coupled to the same steam engine. The men rode in a journey of carriages known locally as bridles, connected to the drum by a steel rope and held by a scotch. The journey gathered speed so fast that Flook jumped off, was pitched on his head and stunned; it crashed into timbers and a fall of roof followed. Sims, already seated, was crushed about the head; Anthony's skull was fractured; Phillips, Pippin and Lewis suffocated.

Rescue & recovery

With a fractured leg, George Flook lifted a stone off William Davies and, with Daniel Thomas, dragged Sims from under another. Doctors David Thomas of Ystalyfera and Reese of Ystradgynlais attended, and the last bodies were recovered between two and three in the morning.

Investigation & inquiry

At the inquest H.M. Inspector Robson and other inspectors gave evidence, and the overman said the journey had never before set off without his instruction. The coroner told the jury that had Anthony lived they might have found it necessary to charge him; the rest of the summing-up and the verdict are not in the portion of the account read.

Recorded claims

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

• The Northern Mine Research Society names six men killed in the 1892 runaway and three injured; the Durham Mining Museum's disaster listing gives seven lives lost. (disputed) ^1,2
• Edward Anthony kicked away the scotch holding the journey at the top of the drift, calling 'Now boys, all right', and the others pushed the carriages off and jumped aboard, though the engine was unattended and its clutch not engaged; the overman Enoch Jones, whose duty it was to give the order, heard the rope jerk as he walked to the engine house. ³
• The Durham Mining Museum lists seven dead, including Thomas Jeffreys, 18, whose name also appears in its list for a fall of roof on 5 November 1892. (disputed) ²
• The ages given differ: Thomas Sims 70 (NMRS, DMM) or 60 (Welsh Coal Mines), William Jones 30 or 40, Thomas Phillips 42 or 40. (disputed) ^3,1,2
• George Flook, 38, jumped off and broke his leg but freed William Davies from under a stone and, with Daniel Thomas, pulled Sims out; John Williams, 48, and William Davies, 19, were badly injured but survived. ³

Related terminology

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

• Drift (contextual relationship)
  The runaway was on a 1-in-3 drift.
• Journey (contextual relationship)
  Named 8 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Colliery was waiting to ride down the steep new drift in a journey of carriages held by a scotch. One of the men kicked the scotch away…”
• Man-riding (relevant method/equipment)
  The men rode a man-riding journey.
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  The overman normally gave the order to start the journey.
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…was pitched on his head and stunned; it crashed into timbers and a fall of roof followed. Sims, already seated, was crushed about the head;…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Yniscedwyn Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society (read via an August 2024 Wayback Machine capture)
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Yniscedwyn Colliery — Durham Mining Museum, from the Lists of Mines
3. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: Fatalities 1892 — welshcoalmines.co.uk

Record created: 11 September 2026 · Last researched: 13 September 2026