HENWAIN. Blaina, Monmouthshire. 27th. February, 1882.

The colliery was the property of J. Lancaster and Company and had been sunk 25 years earlier and was 165 yards deep. The colliery employed about 330 men. The accident occurred on a Monday morning when the fireman James Hoskins took some men in with him before he had made his examination which he had no right to do and was against the special rules of the colliery.

The explosion occurred in the Three Quarter Coal and when Mr. Cadman made his examination after the blast it appeared to him that Hoskins had either permitted or ordered Bennett to go through the separation door into Colborne’s stall without having satisfied himself that the place was safe. He lent Bennett his lamp which was found near Bennett’s body about 80 yards from Hoskins.

The mine was worked by naked lights and an open light was found near Bennett and it was thought that he went into the stall with both a safety lamp and an open light. There was nothing wrong with the ventilation but the canvas sheet had been left open or not been close properly on Saturday night.

The men who lost their lives were:

  • James Hawkins aged 65 years, fireman.
  • John James aged 49 years, repairer.
  • James Jones aged 42 years, repairer.
  • Thomas Miles aged 25 years, hauliers.
  • William Bennett aged 18 years, labourer.
  • Edmund Harris aged 66 years, labourer.

At the inquiry, evidence was given that the seam gave off small quantities of gas and that the ventilation was good. The general custom was for the fireman to meet the men at the bottom of the shaft before he allowed them to go into the workings. Hoskins appeared to have done this in the past except on Sunday nights when he took the men with him for company. The manager stated that he did not know that this was going on.

The jury returned the following verdict:

We find that the explosion occurred at the Henwain Pit by the neglect of the fireman in not obeying the rules of the Colliery in making an examination of the working before permitting the night men to enter with their naked lights.

The jury added that they could find no fault whatever with the management and censured the deceased man Hoskins.

 

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

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