THE CYMMER COLLIERY EXPLOSION 1856
The Friends of Insole Court have distilled the press reports of the Coroner's Inquest into a three-hour re-enactment in which members of the audience are invited to take part either as members of the public or as witnesses. There is a break during the proceedings to coincide with one of the several adjournments that occurred. As there was free food and drink I felt obliged to attend.
On the morning of Tuesday 15th July 1856 at the 'Old Pit' in Cymmer, there occurred as stated in the Mines Inspector's report, “The most fearful and destructive explosion, resulting in a sacrifice of human life unparalleled in the history of Britain at that time”. At 6.00 am. one hundred and sixty men and boys descended the shaft to begin their shift and were on their way to their working places when the explosion took place. The ferocity of the explosion led rescuers to believe that all lives below ground would be lost. However some miners had only descended a short way into the pit and were able to make their way back to the shaft and safety. Rescuers took measures to clear the mine of afterdamp, and descended into the mine some three hours after the initial explosion took place. By that Tuesday evening some 112 bodies had been brought to the surface of the mine, another was recovered on the Wednesday and one severe burns victim died on the Thursday.
At the pithead relatives and friends searched to identify victims, few of whom were not badly burnt, but died instead of suffocation caused by the afterdamp. Temporary mortuaries were set up in the Colliery's carpenters shop and also Cymmer Independent Chapel.
The scale of the disaster devastated the small communities of Cymmer and surrounding areas, with no household left untouched and virtually all working age men and boys having perished. One household alone saw a father and his three sons aged 10, 13, and 16 all perish. Thirty graves were opened at Cymmer Independent Chapel's graveyard, and a mass internment of victims took place on Thursday 17th July.
The first inquest into the disaster was held at the Ty Newydd Hotel, Porth on the 16th July, which was subsequently adjourned until Monday 27th July at the Butchers Arms in Pontypridd. The inquest lasted 13 days and twenty-nine witnesses were called. At the inquest it became clear that safety precautions at the colliery were woefully inadequate, and mines safety regulations were ignored. It was seen that the mine was poorly ventilated, and that pockets of gas were an everyday feature of life below ground, additionally the carrying of naked flames in the mine was commonplace. The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter on the colliery manager, Jabez Thomas, and four senior officials at the mine. This verdict was overturned at the Glamorgan assizes at Swansea, the following March, leading to a great deal of resentment among colliery workers.
Cymmer Colliery is situated in Porth in the Lower Rhondda Valley. The mineral rights for the colliery was leased by George Insole and his son, James in September 1844. The same year they opened the South Cymmer Level to the No. 2 Rhondda Seam. This was followed by a the No. 1 (Old Pit) shaft in 1847. During the 1850s, Insole sank two further pits on Cymmer land; these were the Upper Cymmer Pit (1851) and the New Cymmer Pit (1855). In 1856, the Cymmer Colliery was the site of one of the worst mining disasters.
Insole and Son became a registered company in 1869. The Colliery remained an independent concern under the same family ownership until closure in 1940.
From the Inspector of Mines list 1896, there were 1,411 men employed at Cymmer New colliery producing Steam coal and 182 at Cymmer Upper producing House and Coking coal.
By the beginning of World War One 2,331 men were employed at Cymmer.
In 1918 there were 780 employed at Cymmer Old pits, 1,553 at Cymmer New colliery producing Steam coal and 192 at Cymmer No.2 (level) producing House and Coking coal. Cymmer Upper had ceased production and was maintained by 24 men.
From a list in 1923, there were 1,636 men employed at Cymmer New producing from the Upper, Middle and Lower Five Feet, Upper Nine Feet and Gellideg seams. At No.2 (level) there were 275 men working the Hafod seam and at the Old pit the workforce numbered 1,095 producing from the Two Feet Nine, Four, Six and Nine Feet and Red Vein seams. At this time Cymmer Upper was used for pumping only.
The manpower numbered 1,337 in 1938.
This colliery closed in 1940.
I must confess that I found the proceeding rather boring, even ladies from the audience who took the part of Mines Inspectors or Fireman failed to amuse. The Friends of Insole Court made effort by dressing up in black evening jackets and top hats and bowler hats according to one’s station. But the food was good. First there was my favourite, the chocolate bon-bons. I waited until everybody was seated after the break and then filled my pockets. Next was the cream sponge cake. A bit messy for my pockets, next time I will bring a paper bag, but I managed to eat half of one.
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Roll on the next talk. The sinking of the Titanic 4th April 2012.
Cutting coal in my spare time.