Senghenydd colliery disaster: Difference between revisions

The Senghenydd colliery disaster, also known as the Senghenydd explosion (Welsh: Tanchwa Senghennydd), occurred at the Universal Colliery in Senghenydd, near Caerphilly, Glamorgan, Wales, on 14 October 1913. The explosion, which killed 439 miners and 1 rescuer, is the worst mining accident in the United Kingdom. Universal Colliery, which was placed on the South Wales Coalfield, produced steam coal, which was much in demand. Many of the collieries in the field were known for their seams high in trapped gasses—firedamp, an explosive gas consisting of methane and hydrogen—and thus prone to explosions.

In May 1901 there were three underground explosions at the colliery which killed 81 miners. The inquest established that the colliery had high levels of airborne coal dust, which would have exacerbated the explosion and carried it further through the mine workings. The cause of the 1913 explosion is unknown, but the subsequent inquiry thought the most likely cause was a spark from the mine's signalling equipment, which would have ignited the firedamp present. Those miners in the east side of the workings were evacuated, but those in the western part of the mine bore the brunt of the explosion, and the subsequent fire and afterdamp, a poisonous mixture of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen left after an accident.

The fires in the workings hampered rescue efforts, and it took several days before a method of controlling the problem was effected. It took six weeks for most of the bodies to be recovered and for the fire to be extinguished. The subsequent enquiry pointed to errors made by the company and its management. The official criticism led to legal charges being made against Edward Shaw, the colliery manager, and the owners. Shaw was fined £24.00, while the company were fined £10.00; newspapers calculated the cost of each miner lost was just 5.5 pence.

In 1981 a memorial to those lost the disaster was unveiled by the National Coal Board, followed by a second in 2006, which was to honour the dead of both the 1901 and 1913 explosions. In October 2013, on the centenary of the tragedy, a Welsh national memorial to all mine disasters was unveiled at the former pit head, depicting a rescue worker coming to the aid of one of the survivors of the explosion.

Background

Growth of the Welsh coal industry

At the beginning of the 19th century the Welsh coal industry was conducted on a relatively small scale. 1,500 people were employed in 1800,^[2] rising to 30,000 in 1864 and 250,000 in 1913.^[3][a] To accommodate the change in its industrial profile, between 1851 and 1911 the population increased by 320,000 in the region of the South Wales Coalfield.^[4] By 1913 the Welsh mines were extracting 56.8 million long tons of coal per annum, up from the already-high amount of 8.5 million long tons in 1854;^[3] the region mined a fifth of all coal excavated in the UK, and employed a fifth of its miners.^[2]

The South Wales Coalfield produced anthracite and bituminous coal—also called steam coal—which was much in demand. Much of the output came from pits known for their seams high in trapped gasses, and therefore prone to explosions.^[5] This geological factor resulted in a higher-than-average proportion of accidents and 48 per cent of all UK mining deaths occurred in the principality.^[6][b] As coal output from British mines reached its peak in 1913 there was a correspondingly large number of accidents around this time.^[9]

Senghenydd and the Universal Colliery

Senghenydd—Senghennydd in Welsh—at the northern end of the Aber Valley, approximately four miles (6.4 km) north-west of Caerphilly,^[10][11] was a farming hamlet of around 100 people in 1890 when geological surveys for coal began.^[12][13] Coal was found and sinking the first mine shaft for Universal Colliery began in 1891. Universal was owned and developed by William Lewis and the first coal was extracted in 1896.^[11][14] The colliery had two shafts, both 1,950 feet (590 m) deep, the downcast Lancaster and the upcast York.^[15][c] Development of the pit coincided with the Boer War and sectors of the underground workings were named after key places in the war, such as Pretoria, or the lifting of the sieges at Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley.^[13]

South Wales miners, including those at Universal, were paid on a scale determined by the Sliding Scale Committee, which fixed wages on the price the coal fetched at market.^[17][18] The price of coal slumped in the late 1890s and low wages caused industrial unrest and, in 1898, a strike at many collieries; the men at Universal joined at the end of April. The Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners' Association refused to replace the scale and the strike ended on 1 September with some small concessions granted by the association.^[19] The colliery resumed full production and in 1899 was producing 3,000 long tons of coal a week.^[20]

The industrial historians Helen and Baron Duckham consider Universal Colliery to have been "an unlucky mine".^[21] At approximately 5:00 am on 24 May 1901 three underground explosions occurred as the men on the nightshift were exiting the pit. Because the explosion damaged the pit winding gear, it took time to clear the debris from the pithead to allow rescuers to descend.^[22] The rescuers reached the pit at 11:00 am and rescued one man, an ostler, found alongside the corpse of the horse he was tending. There were no other survivors and 81 men died in the incident.^[14][23][24] Although the funerals for the victims started four days later, the rescue and recovery operations lasted for six weeks.^[25]

The Mines Inspectorate began an enquiry, chaired by the mining engineer Professor, later Sir, William Galloway. The report was published on 15 July. It stated that the mine was hot with high levels of coal dust present. The dust, which was spread by the method coal was being loaded onto the underground trucks, exacerbated a small explosion and continued it throughout the mine workings.^[26] An inquest held in October that year concluded that various safety precautions had not been followed, and that the mine had been insufficiently watered—which would have reduced the coal dust held in the air.^[27]

The colliery had further problems in October 1910 when a heavy roof fall in the Mafeking return released trapped firedamp, which caused the mine to be temporarily evacuated.^[28][29] Firedamp is an explosive gas consisting of methane and hydrogen that rises into the higher points of workings, including cavities or, as at Senghenydd, when the seams were being mined uphill.^[30][d]

In 1906 a major explosion at a colliery in Courrières, northern France, caused the deaths of more than 1,000 miners. The subsequent report blamed the accidental ignition of firedamp, exacerbated by coal dust in the air. Concerned by the possible ramifications in British mines, the Inspectorate of Mines conducted their own investigation, reporting back in 1907, 1909 and 1911. The reports led to the Coal Mines Act 1911, which came force into December that year.^[34][e] Among other changes to the health and safety culture, the Act required that ventilation fans in all collieries were to be capable of reversing the air current in the mine; this measure was to be implemented by 1 January 1913. No work was undertaken at Senghenydd to implement the requirement and the Mines Inspectorate gave Lewis an extended deadline of September 1913 to complete the work, but this deadline was missed.^[36]

In 1913 the colliery was producing 1,800 long tons of coal a day,^[21][37] and Senghenydd's population had grown to just under 6,000.^[13][f]

14 October 1913

At 3:00 am on 14 October 1913, the day firemen descended the pit to conduct the daily checks for gas; they had three hours to complete their investigations. The firemen for the Mafeking return had to travel more than two miles from the shaft bottom to the workface.^[15][38] It left insufficient time in which to make a thorough check of the workings—which involved placing a naked flame into cavities to see if the flame lengthens—although the historian Michael Lieven states that "the company considered any other form of inspection to be too time consuming".^[39] Between 5:10 and 6:00 am 950 men descended the shaft, for a shift that was due to last until 2:00 pm.^[40][41]

Just after 8:00 am an explosion occurred in the west side of the underground workings. It is possible there were two explosions as survivors stated a smaller explosion preceded the main one,^[42][43] although the official report referred only to one.^[44] The cause was probably a build-up of firedamp that was ignited by an electric spark from equipment such as electric bell signalling gear. The initial explosion ignited airborne coal dust and a shock wave ahead of the explosion raised yet more coal dust, which also combusted. Many victims not killed immediately by the explosion and fire, died from the effects of afterdamp. The explosion travelled up the Lancaster shaft to the surface, destroying the headframe; it decapitated the winder—the man in charge—and badly wounded his deputy.^[45][46]

Edward Shaw, the colliery manager, was on the surface and the remaining shift officials were still underground. Shaw took charge and descended the York shaft, accompanied by overman, D.R. Thomas.^[g] The descent was slow and they had to clear several girders and obstructions before they reached the bottom.^[48][49] They established that the men from the east side of the workings were unharmed—approximately 450 workers—and their evacuation was ordered.^[50][51] Shaw and Thomas moved to the western side, where they found other men, alive but injured, and arranged for them to travel to the surface. Thomas later reported that the view into the western workings "was exactly like looking into a furnace".^[52]

Shaw explored what he could of the western workings, before he and some of the survivors began tackling the fire. The water pipes from the surface in the Lancaster shaft were all fractured and hand-extinguishers were used. Shaw returned to the surface at 9:30 am to arrange for rescue and fire-fighting teams from neighbouring collieries.^[53][54] From 11:00 am the specialist mines rescue teams began arriving at the colliery from the Rhymney and Rhondda Valleys, as did Red Cross workers and local ambulance services; a police detachment was sent from Cardiff in a special train. Members of the Inspectorate of Mines were in swift attendance, and an inspector descended to view the mine the same morning.^[55][56][57]

Lieven accounts how the rescue parties "in their desperation, ... were reckless with their lives" in their attempts to find survivors; many were injured in small roof collapses, or suffered the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.^[59] Their endeavours saved lives throughout the remainder of the day and into the night, including a group of 18 men found at around 1:00 am.^[60][61] They were the last survivors found; 432 miners had died that day—although some bodies were not found until later—and 7 others died later in hospital or at home.^[62] A journalist for The Times considered "The numbers are truly awful. We talk in awed terms of the decimation of a regiment in a bloody battle, but here a great community engaged in the pursuit of a peaceful vocation is threatened with the loss of at least a quarter of its able bodied manhood".^[63] On the surface the townsfolk waited for news; a reporter for The Dundee Courier thought "the scene at Senghenydd last night was depressing in the extreme. The streets were full of silent throngs of people who moved aimlessly about or stood stolidly at the street corners."^[64]

Rescue, fire-fighting and recovery: 15 October to 30 November

Work continued throughout the night and into the following day. The strategy was focused on finding survivors and fighting the fire that blocked the entry into some workings of the western returns. The infrastructure within the tunnels became unstable with the fire and roof falls released further clouds of methane. Several rescuers were injured by the falls, and one was killed. Many of the firefighters wrote what they thought could be their last letters home, and many made wills before they went down to go to work. With the water pipe still out of operation, fire-fighting continued by hand extinguishers only, and work was only possible in 20-minute shifts. Despite the respirators they wore, several of the rescuers were overcome with the effects of firedamp.^[65][66] During the course of the day 56 corpses had been raised to the surface and, late in the day, a new water pipe had been installed down the Lancaster shaft. This had been connected to three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) of pipes to the nearby reservoir.^[67]

Reginald McKenna, the Home Secretary, visited the colliery that day. He represented King George V, who was unable to visit because of his attendance at the marriage of Prince Arthur of Connaught to Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife.^[68] The couple put their wedding presents on display at St James's Palace and charged a shilling for entrance. £1,200 was raised and was forwarded to the disaster relief fund for the miners.^[69][70] The fund, which had been started by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, also received £500 donated by the king. Another fund—the Mansion House Fund—was set up by the Lord Mayor of London; over £3,000 was raised on its first day.^[71]

On 16 October an announcement was made by William Brace MP, on behalf of the South Wales Miners' Federation, that the focus of attention was to be on putting out the fire, and that no more search parties were to be sent out looking for survivors; Brace observed that the fire was blocking the western workings and depriving the area of ventilation or air. It was deemed unlikely that anyone was left alive. Progress in tackling the fire over the previous days had been slow, and it had only been extinguished in the first thirty yards of the roadway—still two miles from the coal face.^[72][73] Two coroners opened inquests that day: one in Senghenydd for those who died in the town, and one in Cardiff, for those who had died in the hospital there. Both inquests were adjourned the same day.^[67] On the following day—Friday 17 October—the first funerals took place. 150,000 mourners gathered for the 11 men buried on the Saturday and 8 on the Sunday.^[72]

The firefighters began to build bashings, walls of sandbags, turf and sand, approximately 18 feet (5.5 metres) deep and 17 feet (15.5 metres) up to the tunnel's roof. This would cut off the smoke that was filling the rest of the workings and allow men to explore areas previously cut off. Within two days the temperatures were dropping and the volume of smoke was reduced.^[74][75] Although the fire was constrained, the mine rescue teams still faced several obstacles, including roof collapses and large pockets of trapped firedamp. The first collapse faced by the men consisted of more than 100 long tons of debris, while another fall had been over 300 feet (91.5 metres) long and 30 to 40 feet (10–12 metres) high.^[76] The process of clearing the falls and finding the bodies was slow and it took until 8 November for the first of the four areas workings to be declared fully explored and cleared of all bodies.^[77] Many of the bodies were unidentifiable from the physical remains—either the explosion, fire or subsequent decomposition had taken their toll—and many had to be identified by their personal effects, although there were still some corpses that remained unknown.^[78]

By 17 November the Mafeking and Pretoria districts had been explored, and over 200 bodies had been raised to the surface in the preceding two days. On 20 November the official announcement was that 439 miners had died, of which 33 were still unaccounted for.^[78] Toward the end of the month the men voted to return to work, even though the western workings were still being repaired and 11 bodies were still missing.^[79] It is the worst mining disaster in Britain.^[80][h]

Aftermath

The inquiry into the accident was opened on 2 January 1914 with R A S Redmayne, the Chief Inspector of Mines, as the commissioner; he was assisted by two assessors, Evan Williams, the Chairman of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Coal Owners Association, and Robert Smillie, the president of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain. The inquiry ran for three days before being adjourned to allow for the coroner's inquest to run. The inquiry then reopened on 27 January and ran until 21 February. During the 13 days it heard evidence, 21,837 questions were put to 50 witnesses.^[82][83] The coroner's inquest was chaired by David Rees; it lasted for 5 days from 5 January 1914. 9,000 questions were put to 50 witnesses and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.^[84] The historian John H Brown, in his examination of the disaster, considers that the evidence that came from the inquest and inquiry overlap considerably, although the inquiry was more in-depth and technical in nature.^[85]

The inquiry report failed to identify a definite cause, although of all the theories that were put forward, it was considered that the most likely cause was a spark from the signalling gear.^[86] This would have ignited the firedamp, exacerbated and fuelled by the coal dust in the air.^[87][88] The report was critical of many aspects of the colliery's practices, and considered they had breached the mining regulations in respect of measuring and maintaining the air quality in the workings, and in the removal of coal dust from the tracks and walkways.^[89] The report also pointed out that because the colliery's management had not implemented the changes needed to the ventilation fans, as demanded by the Coal Mines Act 1911, they were unable to reverse the direction of the airflow, which would have blown the smoke out through the Lancaster shaft, although Redmayne and his colleagues held differing opinions on the advisability of reversing or stopping the airflow.^[90][91] Brown states that if the airflow had been reversed, firedamp or afterdamp could have been extracted from some sectors and onto the blaze, which could have caused a further explosion.^[53]

Further criticism was directed toward the emergency procedures, as the lack of respirators held at the mine was deemed to have cost lives.^[92] The lack of adequate water for fire fighting was also criticised, and Redmayne wrote: "I should have thought, in view of the fact that the colliery was such a gassy one, and it had already been devastated by an explosion, that the management would have made arrangements for a supply of water adequate to meet an emergency of the kind that actually occurred."^[93]

Although Shaw's actions were described as Lieven as those that "gained him a degree of respect from the local mining community which remained over the years; they probably also cost the lives of scores of miners";^[48] the official report considered that there had been a "disquieting laxity in the management of the mine",^[94] although he was described by the Duckhams as "undoubtedly a highly capable manager".^[46] The criticisms in the report led to Shaw being charged on 17 accounts of breaches of the Mines Act 1911, and four changes being lain against the company. Shaw was found guilty on counts relating to the failure to keep adequate environmental records and the failure to replace a broken lamp locker; he was fined £24.^[95] The company were convicted on the charge of failing to provide a ventilation system that could reverse the airflow; they were fined £10 with £5 5 shillings costs.^[84] One newspaper, Pioneer, calculated "Miners' Lives at 1/11⁄4 each" (1 shilling 11⁄4d or 51⁄2 p each).^[96][i]

After it reopened the colliery never reached the same levels of employment as had before the explosion. William Lewis died in August 1914; Shaw continued as manager of the mine until November 1928, when it closed.^[84][35]

Local memorials

The Senghenydd mining disaster memorial

The Welsh National Coal Mining Memorial

A stage play based on the disaster, by the journalist and broadcaster Margaret Coles, was first performed at the Sherman Cymru, Cardiff in 1991.^[99] The disaster at Senghenydd has provided the backdrop to two printed works of historical fiction: Alexander Cordell's This Sweet and Bitter Earth (1977)^[100] and Cwmwl dros y Cwm (2013) by Gareth F Williams.^[101]

In 1981 a memorial to those lost the disaster was unveiled by the National Coal Board. Based outside Nant-y-parc Primary School, which is built on the site of the old mine, the monument is a 20 feet (6 m) high replica of the colliery's winding gear.^[102] A second monument was unveiled in 2006 to the dead from both the 1901 and 1913 explosions.^[103]

On 14 October 2013, the centennial of the disaster, a Welsh national memorial to all mine disasters was unveiled at the former pit head. With co-funding raised by the Aber Valley Heritage Group and their patron Roy Noble, and matched by the Welsh Government, a bronze statue designed by the sculptor Les Johnson FRBS, depicting a rescue worker coming to the aid of one of the survivors of the explosion, was unveiled by Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales.^[104] Jones said "Mining is central to the story of Wales. It has shaped our history and communities and its social and physical legacy is still with us to this day. ... It is only right that we have a permanent memorial."^[105]

Postcards

A photographer, W Benton, took a series of photographs as the disaster unfolded, and later published them as a set of postcards. Their publication is described by the National Library of Wales as "an excellent example of early photo-journalism".^[106]

• 
  "The canary that was carried down the mine to test the air"
• 
  "Salvation Army workers amongst the poor waiting women"
• 
  "The scene at the pithead hour by hour all through the day"
• 
  "The Salvation Army pit man's funeral passing through Sengehnydd"

See also

• Coal mining
• History of coal mining
• List of disasters in Great Britain and Ireland by death toll

Notes and references

Notes

References

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Senghennydd mine disaster.

• Aber Valley Heritage Group
• Gathering the Jewels: The Website for Welsh Cultural History
• Wales on Air: The Senghenydd Tragedy
• BBC Radio 4, Making History, 7 October 2003: The Senghenydd Colliery Disaster, 1913 (audio file)
• 1962 interview with William Vizard, ex-miner who survived the disaster

51°36′41″N 3°16′53″W / 51.6114°N 3.2813°W / 51.6114; -3.2813