A
Welsh Coal Mines web page
Death
Roll
George Pit,
Mountain Ash
9th
of December 1886
In the text of the report for 1886 is mention of :-
"one accident (with loss of five lives) by collision of railway trucks on a self
acting incline between two pits which are a mile apart. These men, with others,
were riding on the trucks contrary to orders, and not withstanding that several
had been previously fined and prosecuted for doing so. A short distance below
the passing point, a pair of self-acting switches are placed, by means of which
the line, which is single at the lower end, branches into a double line, thus
allowing the trucks to pass each other. The failure of these points to act
caused the ascending trucks to collide with those descending before the men had
sufficient time to realise the danger, owing to it being dusk. The evidence at
the inquest pointed very strongly to its being caused by some person wilfully
tampering with the points."
The annual report contains an appendix which lists all fatal accidents and gives
some more details but will cause some confusion when you see the names as
reported:
"9.12.1886 George Pit, Mountain Ash, Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co. Ltd. Five
killed
David Crowley, Stower, aged 38
David Davies, Stower, aged 21
Michael Miskell, Stower, aged 17
Richard Thomas, Collier, aged 21
Samuel Thomas, Collier, aged 58
Collision of railway trucks on self-acting incline between the 'George' and
'Lower
Duffryn' collieries, in consequence of a stone having been wilfully placed in
the self-
acting points below the meetings, thus preventing their working. Eleven men were
at the time riding up to their work. Riding on this incline was prohibited, and
in
some instances parties had been prosecuted, and others fined for so doing."