Wynstay Colliery Explosion – Ruabon – 1873

WYNNSTAY. Ruabon, Flintshire. 24th. April, 1873.

The colliery was the property of the New British Iron Company. An explosion occurred in the workings which dipped at one in three and was worked with locked lamps causing the deaths of seven persons. There were three shafts at the colliery. Nos.1 and 2 were downcast and No.3 was the upcast for all the colliery and had a furnace at the bottom. The disaster occurred in the workings of the No.1 pit in the New Coal Seam which was 308 yards deep and 820 yards from the pit eye in a south-west direction.

The colliers were allowed to use gunpowder to get coal after it had been holed and a fireman was appointed to light the shots. His instructions were to examine the places for gas before the shots were fired. Two levels were being driven and colliers in both places were ready to have shots fired. The fireman, Griffith Hughes, went into the lower level and fired a shot which was all right and witnessed by John Hughes. Shortly afterwards, Hughes heard another shot in the higher level and the explosion followed immediately.

John Hughes, a collier gave his account of the explosion at the inquest and said:

On the day of the accident, I was down about 6 a.m. I worked in a deep place off the low level I heard a shot fired shortly afternoon as I thought, in the lower level, which went off all right about 10 minutes after I heard another shot go off in what I believe to be the higher level, closely followed by a great rush of wind and flash of fire which threw me down into my working place as soon as I could I got up and saw sparks in the level on getting to the top of my place I fell and could go no further than the main road where I found Richard Thomas who had been killed I was nearly smothered with dust before getting out.

Another account came from Thomas Phillips, a fourteen years old horse driver:

I was in the pit on the day of the explosion and was near to where Richard Thomas was killed about a minute before it happened I had spoken to Thomas, who was taking a tub to be filled when he met the blast, which threw over the tub over to the other side of him and did not see him alive after that. I was sitting down at the time and was burnt on my hands and face. I saw flames coming along the level close to my head and them I was blown over by a great rush of wind.

The men who died were:

• Griffith Hughes aged 35 years, fireman,
• Joshua Davis aged 34 years, collier,
• George Edwards aged 33 years, collier,
• Richard Thomas aged 22 years, collier,
• Edward Williams aged 27 years, collier,
• John Jones aged 16 years, filler,
• Peter Darlington aged 18 years, roadman.

The inquest was held at Rhos-y-Medre before the Denbighshire Coroner, Mr. B.H. Thelwall. Ralph Darlington was the first to be examined. He was the manager of the colliery and knew all the dead personally. He had not been down the pit on the fatal day but he had examined the pit the day before but not the place where the explosion took place. He said that the pit was too big to be examined by one man and there were three certificated managers. The fireman had seen the place that morning and his report stated:

I have duly examined the above district and find all the working places free from gas and dirt and in good order.

Ralph Darlington believed that the shot was overcharged and was badly placed. It was the duty of George Edwards to bore the hole which the witness thought should have been twelve inches deeper and the shot blew out igniting gas that had accumulated. There was no rule that the firemen should inspect the holes before charging but he thought that if the hole had been drilled properly, the accident would not have happened.

The men nearest the shot were 45 yards away from the face and other 180 yards away. He thought that the second shot went off about two minutes after the first and it was this one that caused the disaster.

Joseph Darlington was the manager of the No.2 pit in which the explosion took place and he thought the men had been burnt from the effects of blown-out shots. He thought they were not deep enough and that they were not correctly rammed. Two shots had been lighted together against orders, and the lower side one going off first would raise the dust, and the second shot blowing out would set fire to it and in his opinion, the flame would continue to burn and he thought this is what burnt the men. He was about 600 yards from the seat of the explosion and felt the shock and the rush of wind.

David Roberts, a collier was one of the Workmen’s Committee for inspecting the mine which was authorised by the new Mines Regulation Act. He had seen the place where the men were burnt but he had never seen gas in the place.

Mr. Thomas Bell, the Assistant Inspector as Mr. Higson was ill. He gave his evidence and an account of the shot holes. He continued:

I am of the opinion that one of two things must have occurred to cause the explosion and to do the damage to the mine which the shot itself could not do first, a shot was fired on the lower level about 10 minutes before the explosion, and any gas that might be liberated at that point would be carried by the current of air to the upper level, where it would just have about time to reach, When the first shot went off, when it would probably be augmented by gas coming from the slip or break in the coal, and there might be sufficient to foul a portion of the place, and would be ignited by the second shot second, the effect of the second shot being blown out with sufficient force would be to create a partial vacuum in the place, which would immediately be filled with gas from the cavities in the coal and would at once become mixed with sufficient of the atmospheric air to make it explosive, and would be ignited by the burning embers of the shot.

The suggestion of Mr. Darlington to have all holes examined by a competent person before the powder is put in is a very good one, and will lead to the prevention of a great number of accidents which are daily taking place in this district, and I should be glad to see it generally adopted by colliery managers.

The Coroner addressed the jury and they retired. After a few minutes deliberation the foreman, Mr. Joshua Roberts, delivered the following verdict:

That from the evidence before us, the accident occurred from an explosion of powder arising from the drill holes not being sufficiently bored, and the ramming being improperly secured, and we attach to our verdict a recommendation to the company to carry out the suggestion that has been made, as to having the holes examined before the powder is put in.

REFERENCES
Mines Inspector Report, 1873. Mr. Thomas Bell.

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