LEESWOOD. Mold, Flintshire. 15th. December, 1864.

The Leeswood Main Colliery belonged to Messrs. Craig, Taylor and Craig. The workings where the inundation occurred were about thirty yards below the level of the bottom of the shaft. The goaf from which the water came was made by the current proprietors of the colliery and was known to be full of water. It extended alongside the present workings and it was separated by an unworked portion of the mine. The mine was nine feet thick and there was a small fault which intersected the mine and caused an upthrow of about seven feet.

The plan of the colliery on which all the underground operations were supposed to be shown had been prepared by competent people but only one portion of the plan was prepared from the actual survey and the remainder of the information was supplied from information supplied from a previous underlooker. This plan showed the fault to be nearer the old workings by many yards from where it was proved to exist.

The men who died were:

  • John Jones, aged 19 years, collier,
  • John Smith, aged 22 years, collier,
  • William Jones, aged 23 years, collier,
  • John Roberts, aged 23 years, collier,
  • John Jones, aged 23 years, collier,
  • Thomas Ellis, aged 15 years, driver,
  • Owen Jones, aged 10 years, water fitter,
  • Lewis Lloyd, aged 47 years, a daywageman.

In evidence at the inquest it was stated that when the workings touched the fault, the managers of the mine thought that there were two faults in front of them which would have been enough to hold back the water. Borings were not made as they should have been under the 15th general rule. In his report Mr. Higson commented:

There were unmistakable indications also of irregular, I may say, bad management below ground, sufficient to convince one that the manager had not paid proper attention to his business, not to the safety of the workpeople there are, however, two circumstances connected with this deplorable event, which in some degree relieve him of the full weight of this heavy charge. His own son, who was working in one of the most remote places, was saved by making his way through the water, and he himself had frequently been through the working a very short time before.

The jury at the inquiry returned a verdict of manslaughter against the three partners of the firm which was heard at the Mold assizes. The Inspector’s report does not give the outcome of this case.

 

REFERENCES
The Mines Inspectors Report, 1864. Mr. Peter Higson.

Information supplied by Ian Winstanley and the Coal Mining History Resource Centre.

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