Mynydd Newydd Colliery Explosion – Swansea – 1845

Mynydd Newydd Colliery, Swansea. 17th May 1845

On Saturday morning last, shortly after six o’clock, a dreadful catastrophe occurred at Mynydd Newydd Colliery, near Swansea, belonging to the Swansea Coal Company, which has already occasioned a sacrifice of four lives, besides, in all human probability, a much greater loss.

No accurate information can be obtained as to the immediate cause of the explosion but it is strongly conjectured that one of the unfortunate sufferers, a boy named Davies, had carelessly gone for a shovel to a heading which had been pointed out as unsafe, with an uncovered light, notwithstanding he had been cautioned to the contrary, and thus caused the catastrophe.

As soon as safety would permit, and the consequent confusion had somewhat subsided, a search was instituted, for the purpose of ascertaining the extent of the injury and loss of life which such a circumstance must necessarily entail, when it was found that four boys, named John Davies, David Jones, David Jones, and William Lodwick, all aged about 14, were dead. One of them was so dreadfully mutilated that it was necessary to put his remains in a blanket to bring him up from the pit. Four more were got out alive, two of whom are so seriously injured that not the least hopes are entertained of their recovery.

Several medical gentlemen were promptly on the spot, and rendered every assistance in their power to alleviate the dreadful sufferings of the unfortunate individuals. The night workers had all just arrived at the mouth of the pit, and a considerable number of the day men had descended so that if it had happened a few minutes later the consequences would have been still more serious.

On Monday, an inquest was held on the bodies at the Corner House public-house Cwmbwrla, before C. Collins, Esq., Coroner, and a verdict of “Accidental Death” returned. 

From ‘The Welshman’ 22nd May 1845

Previously on the 19th April 1845 another explosion took place, but without loss of life:

An explosion of foul air took place on Saturday last at the Mynydd Newydd Colliery, Saturday last, near this town, the property of the Swansea Coal Company. We are glad to state that no fatal consequences have ensued, although three men named Thomas Owen, William David, David Lodwick, and a boy named Griffiths have suffered, the former severely, his face, limbs and other parts of the body, being much injured.

The parties were engaged at the time in taking timber from an abandoned part of the works, and we are informed that the accident occurred in consequence of one of the men having raised his candle too high. It is surprising that workmen will encounter the risk of entering old workings of this description without taking the precaution of first testing the air by means of a Davy lamp.

‘The Cambrian’ on 25th January 1845

The issue of the ‘Cardiff Times’ for 3rd April 1869 reported on yet another accident

A melancholy colliery accident occurred at nine o’clock p.m. on Thursday evening last, at the Mynydd Newydd Colliery; in the parish of Llangyfelach. The colliery is the property of Messrs. Vivian and Sons. It appears that on Thursday evening last, being the day previous to Good Friday, the colliery was comparatively deserted by its ordinary inmates, who were bent on enjoying the holiday. Instead, therefore, of the colliery being worked, as usual, by some 100 to 150 men, only ten persons were employed in the place at the time of the catastrophe.

Five men and boys were engaged at one of the headings, and five men and boys at a second heading, which was neat the fourth. A lad named Lewis, 16 years of age, who was working in one heading, told his comrades he was going to an old heading in which no one was working for a shovel; and he took a candle with him. One of the colliers warned him that he must not take a candle to the place, as it was likely that the fatal gas might have accumulated there, although the rest of the colliery appeared to have been exceedingly well ventilated. Lewis replied that he would take care not to take the candle there.

It transpired that after this caution the ill-fated lad struck a candle against one of the passages some distance from the heading, and proceeded into it in quest of his shovel. Shortly after he had entered, a loud explosion was heard, and the fatal gas swept towards heading where the men were working.

Two of the poor fellows were killed the spot from the after damp, and the lad Lewis, the cause of the unfortunate accident, had his feet blown off, and he was so mutilated as not to be recognisable. The two men who lost their lives are brothers, namely, Joseph Matthews, aged 38 years, and Thomas Matthews, 30 years of age. Both are, unfortunately, married men, who have left widows with three or four children each.

The five men, who were engaged in an adjoining heading, were not injured by the explosion, and they rushed to the rescue of the others. John Knoyle, a man aged 50, succeeded not only in saving his own life, but also that of a boy named Evans, whom he extricated from beneath a tram.