The Abercarn colliery disaster was a catastrophic explosion within the Prince of Wales Colliery in the Welsh village of

Abercarn Abercarn is a small town and community in Caerphilly county borough, Wales. It is 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Newport on the A467 between Cwmcarn and Newbridge, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. History An estate at ...

(then in the county of

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

), on 11 September 1878, killing 268 men and boys (though an exact number of casualties remains unknown). The cause was assumed to have been the ignition of

firedamp Firedamp is any flammable gas found in coal mines, typically coalbed methane. It is particularly found in areas where the coal is bituminous. The gas accumulates in pockets in the coal and adjacent strata and when they are penetrated the releas ...

by a safety lamp. The disaster is the third worst for loss of life to occur within the

South Wales Coalfield The South Wales Coalfield ( cy, Maes glo De Cymru) extends across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen. It is rich in coal deposits, espec ...

Explosion

Shortly after midday on 11 September 1878, with 325 men and boys working underground, a large explosion ripped through the Prince of Wales Colliery. The colliery’s steam whistle blew, signalling that an emergency was underway, drawing colliers and the families of those trapped to the pit head. The explosion caused significant damage to the mine’s roadways and to the bottom of the main shaft. Several fires ignited the coal seams and supporting timber structures, filling the mine with smoke.

Rescue attempts

A rescue team entered the main shaft but damage meant the winding gear could reach only down. John Harris climbed down guide ropes and rescued several men. After several hours in the pit, the rescue team was withdrawn over concerns of further explosions. In all, some 90 colliers were saved. from the main pit, another rescue team ventured into a shallow downcast or ventilation shaft, but were ordered to withdraw due to the likelihood of another explosion happening. Only 12 bodies were retrieved, leaving over 250 men and boys within the mine.

Flooding of the mine

Due to the ongoing fires within the mine, the colliery owners, with support from the government, sealed the mine and flooded it. Water was redirected from the local Monmouthshire Canal; over a period of two months, some were poured into the mine to dampen the fires. The mine did not reopen until 1882.

Gallantry awards

On 16 August 1879,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

conferred the

Albert Medal for Lifesaving The Albert Medal for Lifesaving was a British medal awarded to recognize the saving of life. It has since been replaced by the George Cross. The Albert Medal was first instituted by a royal warrant on 7 March 1866. It was named in memory of P ...

to the following rescuers, all from Abercarn: ;Albert Medals of the First Class *Henry Davies, collier *John Harris, mason ;Albert Medals of the Second Class *William Simons, pumpman *Thomas Herbert, pumpman *Miles Moseley, overman *Charles Preen, collier *William Walters, collier *Lewis Harris, overman

External links

Sale of rescuer's medal

Memorial

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abercan colliery disaster 1878 in Wales Coal mining disasters in Wales Underground mines in Wales 1878 disasters in the United Kingdom 19th century in Monmouthshire