Oakwood Colliery Explosion – Maesteg – 1872

OAKWOOD. Maesteg, Glamorganshire. 11th. January, 1872.

The colliery was in the Llnivi Valley about three miles from Maesteg. There were two shafts 130 yards deep and three seams were worked at the colliery by 150 men during the day. Charles P. Davies was the senior partner of the firm. The seams that were worked were the Six Feet Vein at 180 yards to which two shafts were sunk and were used for winding coal and men and the upcast shaft just for ventilation by a large furnace placed at the bottom of the upcast shaft and was capable of passing 161,460 cubic feet of air per minute through the mine. The other two seams were the Upper Four Feet, the Truro, thirteen yards below and the Six Feet, ten yards below that. The mine had an output of about 160 tons per day and 150 men were employed during the day.

The explosion was heard for many miles around and exploring parties soon descended the shaft. They found that the blast had swept through the workings but the destruction was not very great. Eleven men and six horses were killed. Charles P. Davies, the senior partner of the firm went to the pit and headed the exploring parties. The body of John Lloyd was found with an unlocked lamp nearby.

As the bodies were brought to the surface they were taken to the lamproom where they were placed in hastily made coffins. Later, they were taken to their homes by their relatives in had-carts.

Those who died were:

• Caleb Davies, collier aged 28 years.
• Daniel James, collier aged 21 years, married.
• Thomas Morgan aged 28 years, fireman married with three children.
• David Jones aged 26 years, flueman, married with three children.
• John Morgan aged 27 years, collier brother of Thomas.
• John Edwards aged 17 years, collier.
• William White aged 38 years, labourer, married with four children.
• James Evans aged 22 years, labourer.
• Moses Lloyd aged 17 years, haulier.
• John Lloyd aged 19 years, haulier.

The inquest into the disaster was held at the Oddfellows Arms, Maesteg. John Richards, the overman stated that before the explosion, Rees Haycock, who was working with Caleb Davies, had left work early when he found that Davies intended to fire a shot where he knew there was gas. Richards did not know of this until after the vent. He had seen gas in the heading previously and had issued instructions that shots were not to be fired. Some brattice was put up to carry the gas away. Caleb Davies was looked on as a steady man and had worked at the pit since it had opened.

Rees Powell, the night fireman was the last in the pit before the explosion and he had found a blower in Caleb’s heading. William Morgan, a collier, was working in the pit the night before and had found gas which he reported to the officials.

The Coroner summed up and the jury returned the following verdict:

We are of the opinion that the deceased were killed by an explosion of gas but the evidence advanced is not sufficient for us to say how, or by whom the gas ignited.

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