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FRIGHTFUL COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT CWMAMMAN.
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FALL OF A CAGE IN THE SHAFT.
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TEN WORKMEN KILLED
Probably the most serious accident in a colliery by the parting
of the shaft-rope which has ever taken place in Wales occurred
at the works of the Garnant Collieries Company, Cwmamman, Carmarthenshire,
on Wednesday morning, when ten poor fellows going down to their
work met with a fearful death. The day shift of colliers, consisting
of nearly a hundred hands, were anxious on Wednesday to attend
the funeral of the wife of one of the colliers, a young woman
recently married, and proceeded to their work three hours earlier
than usual in order to accomplish the customary amount of labour.
When they set themselves to carry out this intention of touching
sympathy few, no doubt, thought the day would be rendered one
of much darker gloom, and that sorrow would be carried into
their own homes. At four o'clock on the day we have named the
men began to descend the shaft, which is 75 yards in depth,
and everything went well with the first five cages of living
freight. About 30 men had descended, and then a horse attended
by a man went down. Following this came the party which was
rushed into eternity at a moment's notice. The proper complement
of men to enter the cage at a time is eight, but when this fifth
lot were about to descend some of the hands waiting, more especially
the boys, manifested great impatience to be at work, and it
is now told, with a touch of sentiment, that two lads pulled
an elderly man away from the cage and crowded in themselves
to go down earlier. They little dreamed their impatience was
rushing them into the arms of the King of Terrors himself. Notwithstanding
the special rule restricting the number who shall go down the
pit at a time to eight, ten persons crowded on at this the fatal
descent. It is but fair to state that at the time the banksman
who has to look after such matters was not aware (as he says)
that there were more than eight in the cage. The cage had only
been lowered a couple of yards when the wire rope to which it
was attached snapped, and down the cargo of ten souls dropped
to the bottom with an awful thud. Happily no one was under at
the time or the loss of life would have been augmented. The
death-roll, however, is but too large with ten on it, for each
individual who stepped in at the pit bank was found a lifeless
corpse at the bottom. The hitcher below was at once spoken to
from the top when it was realised that that fearful calamity
had occurred, and those men who had preceded their unlucky comrades
in the descent speedily mustered to render any assistance which
could be offered. They were, however, all dead. It is the medical
opinion that, falling with such impetuosity, the poor fellows
were, if not dead, mostly in a state of insensibility before
they alighted at the bottom of the shaft. The cage had, in a
rather strange manner, not been displaced in any way from the
guides at the side of the shaft in its rapid descent, and when
it dropped it still was in its usual place, not overturned,
but merely battered. The bodies were at once taken out, and
as soon as possible brought to bank and laid out for identification
in the company's office. The names of the deceased, with their
addresses, &c., are as follow :-
| David Robert, married, Brynamman, five children. |
| Thomas Bevan, married, Cwmamman, three children. |
| Wm. Lake, married, Cross Inn, three children. |
| Thomas Michael, married, Cwmamman. |
| John Evan Jones, single, Cwmamman. |
| John D. James, single, Cwmamman. |
| Evan Robert (boy), Brynamman. |
| Thomas Robert (boy), Brynamman. |
| Daniel Rees (boy), Cwmamman. |
| Edward Morgan (boy), Brynamman. |
In less than half an hour after the accident
the overman (John Davies) and one or two others went down
in the fellow cage which is worked in the shaft to superintend
matters. As soon as the sad tidings spread -and it always
in such cases wings its way with terrible speed to those most
interested -the workings were besieged by a large concourse
of people from the whole neighbourhood around. The scene where
the widows and other friends of the men and boys were weeping
was a most painful one. Of course, the first question which
presents itself is, how did the rope break? This at present
seems an inexplicable mystery. It was one of the ordinary
steel wire ropes, and no flaw could be found in it either
before or after the accident. The ropes are examined every
day very carefully, and if flaws are found the men are not
allowed to go down by it. The one in question was a comparatively
new one. It was put in on September 18, 1882, and is calculated
to stand a working strain of 5 tons 12 cwt, and a breaking
strain of 45 tons. When working coal there is -between the
cage, the tram, and the coal -a pressure of 47 cwt., and this
is always considered very largely within the mark of its capabilities.
On the trip immediately preceding the one when the accident
occurred a horse and a man went down. The strain in that case
must have been quite equal to that of the ten men against
whom the fatal exception was made. The parting in the wire
took place about seventeen yards from the top of the cage,
and, as we have before stated, just when the freight had made
a descent of only two or three yards in the shaft. It was,
therefore, just at a point where it might have been expected
there was least strain. Its fellow rope has been in work for
about three years. After the calamity the ends were carefully
looked at by the officials of the colliery and also by Mr.
T. Wales (Swansea), the Government Inspector of Collieries
in the district, who was on the spot very soon after the receipt
of a telegram from the officials. There was not a single fractured
wire apart from where it parted in the rope. It has been cut
up in pieces for presentation at the inquest; and the maker's
manager has been advised of the breakage and requested to
view it. The colliery is owned by the Garnant Collieries Company,
but Mr. L. Pugh, M.P. for Cardiganshire*,
is the mortgagee. It is situate in the parish of Bettws, just
on the borders of Carmarthenshire and Glamorganshire, and
is thought to lap on the districts of three coroners -viz.,
Mr. E.Strick, Swansea; Mr. James Rowlands, Carmarthen; and
Mr. Prothero Lewis, Llandilo, on each of whom notice of the
accident has been served. The certificated manager of the
pit is Mr. John Hay, and Mr. Ogilvie, Great George-street,
London, is the viewer. About 180 are on the books. Anthracite
coal is worked. As soon as the dire news was spread, operations
at this and all the neighbouring collieries was suspended
for the day. There was no damage done underground, beyond
the battering of the cage, and that can be remedied very soon.
It is a very old colliery; but, after being idle for years,
work was re-started in 1874. The workmen in the whole district
have been fortunately free from accidents, nothing of any
note having occurred for a very long period. An accident of
a very similar nature, however, occurred about 36 years ago
at the neighbouring Gwauncaegurwen Colliery, where the rope
(of a different material from the one on this occasion) parted
on the cage ascending the shaft, and six men were killed.
When the bodies of the ten men were brought to bank the surgeon
of the works (Dr. Rees) was called, but nothing further than
pronouncing them dead could be done. Some of them had severe
fractures of the limbs; none were dismembered. It ought to
be mentioned as an interesting and rather an important fact
that on November 19 last the mechanical engineer discovered
the breakage of a single wire in the rope which did not part
on Wednesday. The attention of the manager (Mr. Hay) was called
to it, and he at once entered the following note in the book:-"Workmen
are disallowed from travelling through the shaft by the west
rope -John Hay." This shows how particular the chief
officials have been to provide against the least cause either
for mishap or complaint. All the employees of the works subscribed
to a local sick fund connected with this colliery only, which
yields nothing at death; but none of the deceased men were
in the Permanent Fund, so far as the officials are aware.
They doubtless belonged to some one or other of the Friendly
Societies. The inquest will probably be opened to-day (Thursday).
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