It is 27th August 1909, 5.50 a.m. Hitcher James
Vaughn, of 1 Alfred Street, Williamstown, stands near the handle bars of the
fangs at the bottom of the Ely Pit shaft in the Naval Colliery, Penygraig. He is waiting for the fifteenth bond of men to be lowered down. Once they reach the bottom of the
shaft he will operate the fangs that secure the cage while the men alight. Once
the men are safely clear of the cage Vaughn will signal the banksman at the top
of the shaft who will alert the winding-engine driver, David Davies, that it is
safe to move both cages.
The cage is of double deck construction designed to get more men to the work face as quickly as possible thus increasing efficiency, always a priority for general manager Leonard Llewellyn. There are around one hundred men waiting to go down and among them are Philip Pascoe and Frank Wrentmore. Philip Pascoe and his brother George are both avid supporters of Penygraig RFC and have served the club faithfully in many a capacity. Philip has been trained in first aid and George has regularly assisted in auditing the club's accounts. Frank is a former Penygraig RFC player but switched codes when Mid-Rhondda formed a professional side. The previous year he played against the Australian tourists on the Mid Rhondda Athletic Field scoring the first try conceded by the tourists in their opening match. Philip Pascoe was probably disappointed with Frank's decision but would have understood the temptation to bring more wages into the family home. When the empty cage reaches the surface the men rush to clamber inside. Philip secures a place in the bottom deck while Frank gets into the top deck. Suddenly Frank remembers an errand he should have undertaken for his mother and jumps out of the cage. His place is taken by Tom Morris who is also a local rugby footballer. He joins Gideon Chapman, Thomas Henry Brown, Alfred Watkins, Morgan Evans, T. J. Morgan, Henry Marshall and Reginald Jenkins, a young lad beginning his life as a miner. It will be the last ride any of these souls will take down into the darkness. As James Vaughn waits at the pit bottom he realises something is terribly wrong. The shaft is 525 feet deep and the cage is descending too quickly.
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Men waiting to enter the cage in the Ely Pit, Naval Colliery, Penygraig |
The cage is of double deck construction designed to get more men to the work face as quickly as possible thus increasing efficiency, always a priority for general manager Leonard Llewellyn. There are around one hundred men waiting to go down and among them are Philip Pascoe and Frank Wrentmore. Philip Pascoe and his brother George are both avid supporters of Penygraig RFC and have served the club faithfully in many a capacity. Philip has been trained in first aid and George has regularly assisted in auditing the club's accounts. Frank is a former Penygraig RFC player but switched codes when Mid-Rhondda formed a professional side. The previous year he played against the Australian tourists on the Mid Rhondda Athletic Field scoring the first try conceded by the tourists in their opening match. Philip Pascoe was probably disappointed with Frank's decision but would have understood the temptation to bring more wages into the family home. When the empty cage reaches the surface the men rush to clamber inside. Philip secures a place in the bottom deck while Frank gets into the top deck. Suddenly Frank remembers an errand he should have undertaken for his mother and jumps out of the cage. His place is taken by Tom Morris who is also a local rugby footballer. He joins Gideon Chapman, Thomas Henry Brown, Alfred Watkins, Morgan Evans, T. J. Morgan, Henry Marshall and Reginald Jenkins, a young lad beginning his life as a miner. It will be the last ride any of these souls will take down into the darkness. As James Vaughn waits at the pit bottom he realises something is terribly wrong. The shaft is 525 feet deep and the cage is descending too quickly.
Engine-driver David Davies, of 75 Cornwall Road,
Penygraig, has already lowered fourteen bonds of men. His is an extremely
responsible position, one he has held for the last 25 years. The fate of the
men is literally in his hands. Three days earlier he noticed a crack in the
spanner-bar and informed Mr Dolman the mechanical engineer. The spanner-bar
acts as a break for the winding engine and is a strong and powerful piece of
equipment. To make it secure Mr. Dolman fitted a band around the spanner. Now David
Davies prepares to lower the last bond of men to the bottom of the Ely Pit
shaft. Phillip Pascoe is one of the twenty-eight men inside the cage, three more
than regulations allow. As the fifteenth bond descends
Davies hears something snap. The spanner-bar has fractured and the cage
containing the bond of twenty eight men plunges the last 90 feet to the bottom
of the shaft embedding itself in the sump.
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The Ely Pit Head showing broken sheaves. |
The waiting James Vaughn hears a “terrific battle and
din” that lasts around a minute. It is the sound of the descending cage
carrying the twenty eight men impacting and breaking through the wooden
platform covering the sump at the base of the shaft. He has no time to react
before the empty bond hurtles down striking the side of the cage containing the
trapped miners. The chains and the cap of the empty cage, weighing several cwt,
jam down through the roof of the upper section housing the imprisoned men
inflicting carnage and death. Debris, including fragments of broken sheaves, loosened
in the wake of its catastrophic descent, rain down. All is confusion. In the
darkness Vaughn can hear men “crying out piteously for help.” The first thing he must do is get lanterns to assess the damage and provide
what assistance he can.
The cage is 30 yards
from the bottom of the shaft when it jerks and slackens its speed before coming
to a sudden stop. Philip Pascoe senses something is not right. The next
moment the cage drops like a stone to the pit bottom. Resigning himself to his
fate he lets go of the handlebars and allows his body to go limp as he awaits
the impending impact. Somehow, he survives relatively unscathed and finds
himself in complete darkness. Around him the groans and moans of the injured
mingle with the noise made by debris falling from the top of the pit. He is
lying on top of another man, Joseph Latcham, whose both legs are broken.
“It’s all over with
us now,” says Latcham.
Philip Pascoe
attempts to comfort his companion.
“Cheer up,” he responds, “where
there’s life there’s hope.”
While they are
struggling to process what has just happened the second cage hurtles down, and
above them in the upper deck five men are killed instantaneously as the cap and
chains smash through the top deck.
There are other
survivors in the bottom deck Including Thomas Fry and his son. Fry is brought
to his senses by the groaning of the men around him. It has all happened so
suddenly and with such violence the men are disorientated, and the inky
blackness only adds to their confusion. Fry is beneath a huddle of five men. His
son, David, has been thrown out of the cage into the sump and miraculously
escapes serious injury. Dan Davies and his brother David are part of the
tangled heap of men. Dan has an injured ankle but in the pitch dark he has no
way of knowing how badly hurt his brother is. Every time someone moves men cry
out in pain. The darkness is total and those not seriously injured cannot see
to help their less fortunate comrades.
“The first
intimation I had of anything being wrong was a jerking of the cage. For a few
seconds it swung about, and then went down like a stone to the bottom of the
shaft. We did not know exactly what had happened but thought the sides of the
shaft were falling in. Suddenly, and with a rush the empty bond was taken to
the top, then came down with a crash, and was smashed to atoms. It was
positively miraculous that any of us escaped with our lives. The horror of
being in the pitch darkness was awe inspiring. I thought my end had come, and
being a widower, my first thought was for the four children depending upon me,
the oldest being not yet fourteen. Lights were loudly called for, but could not
be obtained for the moment, owing to the danger of an explosion. When they were
procured a terrible spectacle presented itself. Men were scattered about in all
directions, some being in such agony that they screamed with pain when touched.
The injured called despairingly for water and the whole scene was something
heartrending. There were plenty of men in the workings, who, at great risk to
themselves, commenced the work of rescue. Dr. Llewellyn, with a rescue party,
was soon on the spot, with ambulance and medical appliances, having descended
by the shaft of the Pandy Pit. It will be some time, before I can return to
work. My back is bad, my hand and foot crushed, and the shock has quite
unnerved me." (Survivor, Thomas Thomas, 34 Penygraig Road.)
James Vaughn returns
to the shattered cage with some lanterns. He is well acquainted with the
surroundings at the bottom of the pit and sets about attempting to rescue the trapped men from their predicament. Fragments of sheaves falling down the shaft present a real hazard, but the cries of the injured men spur him on. He enlists the help of David Lewis and Stephen Davies, two colliers who were waiting to “secure their eyesight” near the base of the shaft. Shortly afterwards two more men come quickly to their aid. Edwin Hodge and Thomas Rowlands have been down the pit about ten minutes, “taking a spell” while their eyes also adjust to the lack of light. They hear a terrible crash followed shortly afterwards by another and immediately make their way to the pit bottom. Dense clouds of dust obscure their vision. By the light of the lanterns procured by the resourceful James Vaughn the men begin to clear away the planks and debris knocked down by the cage. They are forced to retreat as dislodged brickwork clatters down the shaft around them but return to their task whenever it is safe to do so.
surroundings at the bottom of the pit and sets about attempting to rescue the trapped men from their predicament. Fragments of sheaves falling down the shaft present a real hazard, but the cries of the injured men spur him on. He enlists the help of David Lewis and Stephen Davies, two colliers who were waiting to “secure their eyesight” near the base of the shaft. Shortly afterwards two more men come quickly to their aid. Edwin Hodge and Thomas Rowlands have been down the pit about ten minutes, “taking a spell” while their eyes also adjust to the lack of light. They hear a terrible crash followed shortly afterwards by another and immediately make their way to the pit bottom. Dense clouds of dust obscure their vision. By the light of the lanterns procured by the resourceful James Vaughn the men begin to clear away the planks and debris knocked down by the cage. They are forced to retreat as dislodged brickwork clatters down the shaft around them but return to their task whenever it is safe to do so.
With great difficulty, Vaughn hands down some lamps through a small aperture to the men entombed inside the lower deck. Philip Pascoe gratefully accepts the lanterns and begins to assess the situation. The youngest, Thomas Fry, is comparatively unscathed. Another youngster, Noah Matthews has a broken leg. The maimed groan and cry out in their pain and distress. Dan Davies is at least able to check his brother’s condition. It is not good news. A bone projects out from David Davies’ leg above the knee. Another man complains his ribs are damaged. There are no dead on the lower deck, but many are seriously injured. Phillip Pascoe sets about applying his skills to help relieve whatever suffering he can while Daniel Davies, who also has a knowledge of first aid, assists in the bandaging of his brother’s leg.
On the surface the pit head is completely wrecked. Some of the stays in the
headgear are broken, as are two of the guide ropes and one winding rope. Any rescue or recovery will have to be made from
the pit bottom through the Pandy Pit. This will mean negotiating old workings
that in many places are inundated with water. Trevor Price, assistant general
manager, Mr. Hollister, the manager, and Henry Evans, the under manager are
joined early by several doctors from the locality, Llewellyn and Weichart from
Penygraig, Gabe Jones, Clydach Vale and Alfred Jones, Tonypandy. They set off
to reach the scene of the accident and hopefully bring the injured men to the
surface. News spreads quickly and within three hours of the accident hundreds
of spectators and relatives of the victims assemble at the pit head anxiously
awaiting news in the time honoured mournful ritual familiar to mining communities
everywhere.
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Victim Thomas Brown from Penygraig. |
Having negotiated
the difficult passage, Trevor Price, Hollister and Henry Evans arrive at the
scene to assist and direct operations. The doctors who have accompanied the
party begin dressing the wounds of the survivors released from the upper cage. The
dead are the first to be conveyed to the surface by the pit ambulance men who
undertake their tasks with the utmost care and efficiency, the cries of the
injured men still trapped in the lower cage ringing in their ears. Heedless of
his own safety James Vaughn stands on the open shaft to remove the planks from
the sump, exposing himself to extreme danger from falling masses of masonry, earth
and timber.
The men in the lower
deck hear the rescuers above and the spirits of those not seriously injured
begin
to lift. Daniel Davies has assisted in the binding of his own fractured
ankle by Philip Pascoe. One man, John Davies, has been trapped under the gate. Those
who are able, manage to free him and Pascoe binds the shattered leg using his
own scarf as a tourniquet to help staunch the bleeding. Utilising his ambulance
skills to the full Pascoe then moves from man to man offering what assistance
he can. In his lunch box he carries the regulation first aid equipment which is
put to good use. A badly injured survivor tells him, “You look after the
others, I can do all right, and I can wait.” It is a typical response. The
aperture through which the lamps were handed down has been widened enabling
Pascoe to push the boy Fry through to safety. They also succeed in pushing a
youngster named Noah Matthews through the same hole but must proceed with great
care because the boy has a broken leg.
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George and Philip Pascoe. Philip is seated. |
“The heart-rending screams were something
horrible. We were then at the bottom of the pit, and our cage had passed
through some of the timbering, which prevented us being hurled down the sump.
At last the shackler (James Vaughn) came, and I was able to hand out man after man, and the experience
was one I shall never forget."
Philip Pascoe
Philip Pascoe
Vaughn and the
rescue party work tirelessly seemingly oblivious to danger. Philip Pascoe
describes them as, “working like Trojans.” After about an hour’s toil
they remove enough debris to reach the men trapped in the lower deck. One by
one Philip Pascoe helps his stricken workmates out to the waiting James Vaughn
who in turn hands them to his fellow rescuers Tom Rowlands, Edwin Hodge, Idris
Roberts, David Lewis, Stephen Davies and Tom Connell. They are transported to
safety by the waiting pit ambulance men following the same route as the dead
and injured from the upper deck. The rescue party remain in place until the
last man is released. Philip Pascoe emerges exhausted by the ordeal and his
exertions in ministering to the injured men. He collapses suffering from
exhaustion, shock and the minor injuries sustained. When he is sufficiently recovered
Edwin Hodge accompanies him home. Only then does he discover he has himself been
injured.
Police Inspector
Hall is at hand to help manage the thousands who have assembled at the Pandy
Pit from all over the valley. They watch in reverent silence as the bodies of the dead and injured are brought to the surface. The dead are carried to their homes on stretchers by their comrades as their widows follow helplessly behind. The injured are attended to by ambulance men and the four doctors who had descended the pit with the rescue party. Some of the injuries are considerable and at least one of the men, Harry Marshall who has sustained a fracture at the base of the skull, is not expected to live. Dr Llewellyn explains that four men have been sent to the hospital suffering from compound fractures while amputations would be necessary in three cases. These are performed at Porth Cottage Hospital by Drs. Llewellyn and J. Naughton Morgan. Thomas John Morgan has his arm amputated while Morris’ leg is taken off at the knee and another man also has his leg amputated. William Thomas suffered compound fractures of both legs and an operation is performed to wire the bones. He later succumbs to his injuries. The remaining occupants of the cage have suffered injury either in the form of bruises or shock. Seven or eight cases are more serious.
Pit from all over the valley. They watch in reverent silence as the bodies of the dead and injured are brought to the surface. The dead are carried to their homes on stretchers by their comrades as their widows follow helplessly behind. The injured are attended to by ambulance men and the four doctors who had descended the pit with the rescue party. Some of the injuries are considerable and at least one of the men, Harry Marshall who has sustained a fracture at the base of the skull, is not expected to live. Dr Llewellyn explains that four men have been sent to the hospital suffering from compound fractures while amputations would be necessary in three cases. These are performed at Porth Cottage Hospital by Drs. Llewellyn and J. Naughton Morgan. Thomas John Morgan has his arm amputated while Morris’ leg is taken off at the knee and another man also has his leg amputated. William Thomas suffered compound fractures of both legs and an operation is performed to wire the bones. He later succumbs to his injuries. The remaining occupants of the cage have suffered injury either in the form of bruises or shock. Seven or eight cases are more serious.
General Manager and
shareholder of Cambrian Combine, Leonard Llewellyn is summoned from his holiday
in Scotland. It is too late to help his employees but there is the urgent
matter of damage limitation to attend to. Upon arrival he immediately descends
the pit to examine the scene of the accident. When approached by a reporter
from the Rhondda Leader Llewellyn expresses, “profound regret that
such a disaster should have happened but am extremely glad that so many men in
the ill-fated cage have miraculously escaped with their lives”. However,
Llewellyn firmly declines to discuss the possible causes of the mishap. Mr.
Fred A. Gray (Chief Inspector of Mines) is also at the scene in consultation
with the officials but, with an inquest impending, states his preference, “Not
to give an official report as to the cause of the accident.” However, Mr.
T. Price (Assistant General Manager) is not so reluctant and expresses his
belief the accident was due to ‘overwinding’ but qualifies this by stating, “what was the originating cause is too soon to say”. Interestingly
he wants to make explicit to the reporter that, “. . . twenty four men were
involved in the mishap. The other four men who had been injured must have had
their injuries through splinters or some debris falling upon them on the
surface when the empty cage struck the sheaves.” This will prove a crucial
issue as the storm clouds of litigation loom. For Leonard Llewellyn and
the Cambrian Combine there will be difficult questions to answer.
Mr. D. Watts Morgan,
miners' agent, who was preparing to attend a meeting at Cardiff, hearing of the
terrible events immediately leaves Porth for the scene of the catastrophe. Such
is the gravity of the situation D. A Thomas M.P. (Chairman and owner of the Combine),
together with Mr. T. J. Callaghan (director) and Sir. C. A. Pullin (secretary),
hurry from Cardiff to the scene of the disaster. Mr. Thomas, through the
‘Evening Express’, “. . . conveys the deepest sympathy of the directorate
with the injured men and the relatives of the deceased workmen.” D.A.
Thomas has procured several local newspapers and will put them to good use in
shaping public opinion in the days and months ahead.
The following Sunday
the total number of fatalities rises to seven when Harry Marshall,
Williamstown, succumbs to his injuries. Having sustained a fractured skull, he
remains unconscious until the end. His condition always considered extremely
critical ultimately proves fatal. Funerals are held on Tuesday afternoon at
Trealaw cemetery and Tonyrefail churchyard. In a show of mutual respect and
mourning shops are shut and people line the road as the cortege passes. There
is no singing only the sound of the Salvation Army band at the head of the
procession playing the ‘Dead March’ from ‘Saul’. Workmen from local pits
are now able to attend without any disruption to the working of the mines due to
the recently passed Eight Hours Act.
" In answer to Point One: “Did the deceased persons lose their lives in consequence of the breaking of the spanner forming part of the winding engine?” YES
On the 25th September 1909, local
newspapers report that writs have been served by the South Wales Miners’
Federation upon the Cambrian Combine for an action for damages in relation to the
cage accident at the Ely Pit, Penygraig. Twenty-three being served yesterday,
and the remainder before the end of the week. The action is due to be heard at
the forthcoming Glamorgan Assizes the following March. The year 1910 will prove
significant in many ways not only for Leonard Llewellyn and the employees of
the Cambrian Combine but for the whole of Mid-Rhondda and its citizens.
A few weeks later the Nazareth Chapel vestry in Williamstown is crammed
full of spectators as the inquest into the death of the victims convenes.
Mr. R. J. Rhys and Mr. David Rees, coroners, conduct proceedings. In attendance
are many of the most influential figures associated with the mining industry
both local and national. The Home Office is represented by Mr. W. H. Atkinson
(Superintendent Inspector of Mines), Mr. F. A. Gray (Chief Inspector of Mines),
and Mr. J. Trump (Assistant Inspector) Mr. Hill-Kelly (instructed by Mr. A. T.
James, of Messrs. Morgan, Bruce, Nicholas, and James) appears for the Miners'
Federation; Mr. Charles Kenshole for the Cambrian Combine; Mr. W. Strathen
(Northumberland) and Mr. W. A. Armson (Dunfermline) are present on behalf of
the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, Mr. W. Abraham (Mabon), M.P., Mr. D.
Watts Morgan (Agent and Secretary) and Mr. T. Evans represents the Rhondda
Miners' Federation; Mr. W. Thomas (Solicitor, Aberdare) appears for the Winding
Enginemen's Association, and Police-inspector Hole for the police. Mr. Leonard
W. Llewellyn and Mr. Creed are present on behalf of the Cambrian Colliery
Company.
The inquest focuses on several critical issues put before them by the coroners. After all the witnesses have given their evidence the jury retire. When they return foreman Thomas David reads out the verdict of the jury." In answer to Point One: “Did the deceased persons lose their lives in consequence of the breaking of the spanner forming part of the winding engine?” YES
In answer to Point Two: “Was the flaw detected on the previous
Tuesday repaired in a reasonably adequate manner?” YES
In answer to Point Three: “Was it reasonable to
continue using the winding engine for the purpose of raising and lowering the
men in the condition it was in?” NO
In answer to Point Four: “Should the management
have replaced the broken spanner with a new one?“ YES
In answer to Point Five: “Was the method of
supervising the machinery at the pit a satisfactory one?” NO
In answer to Point Six: “Was the brake-power at
the engine adequate?” NO
In answer to Point Seven: “Was the attention of
the management drawn to it by the winding enginemen or others before the date
of the accident?” YES – When the engine driver found it necessary to renew the
blocks.
As a jury we wish to exonerate engine driver
David Davies from all blame."
The verdict is a blow for Cambrian Combine general manager Leonard Llewellyn and his officials. Their version of events has been rejected by the jury. Coroner D. Rees also confirms there were 28 men in the cage, more then regulations, allowed. Commenting on the findings of the jury in his
Official Report, Mr. Gray, Chief Inspector of Mines’ stated:
“I agree with the answers given by the jury
except No. 2. My answer to the Coroner was:
In my opinion the gland should not have been put
on, but the engine stopped until the spanner bar was replaced. On a hauling
engine a gland would be good enough, but not on an engine for winding men.”
This point was brought home forcibly by Mr Hill-Kelly, representing the Miner's Federation, when questioning mechanical engineer Joseph Dorman.
MR. HILL-KELLY: Was the brake in fact far in
excess of what was required for a single deck cage but inadequate for a double-decker?
DORMAN: No, the brake was
submitted to tests and proved satisfactory. I heard Thomas Evans (a winding engineman employed at the Ely Pit) say the brake
was insufficient for its present purpose and that it could not hold a bond. The
spanner bar was, I believe, stronger than it was before it was repaired.
MR. HILL-KELLY:
And so strong that it broke a few days afterwards.
During the course of the inquest Coroner Rhys, speaking directly to James Vaughn, said, "I heard of the excellent work
you did, and I am pleased to compliment you, and hope there will be further
recognition of your bravery." In response Leonard Llewellyn, stated his intention of bringing the gallant deeds of James Vaughn and
Philip Pascoe before the notice of the king, declaring that every effort will
be made to secure them the King’s Medal. There is no evidence that Leonard Llewellyn kept his word as neither Vaughn nor Pascoe received any further recognition for their bravery. Among those present is Margaret Watkins, widow of
one of the deceased, Albert Watkins. With the support of the Miner’s Federation
she is determined to hold the Cambrian Combine and its officials to account for
the death of her husband.
On the 26th March 1910 concluding proceedings in the action resulting from the crash of the cage and the death of the seven men at the Ely Pit of the Naval Colliery was reached at the Glamorgan Assizes. The case concerning the claim brought by plaintiff Mary Elizabeth Watkins against the Naval Colliery Company Ltd. for damages in respect of her husband was presided over by Justice Pickford before a special jury. This action was also a test case upon which rested the liability of the company in respect of the six other men killed in the accident. As in the initial inquest the jury are asked to respond to a series of questions.
The point at issue was whether on their answers to those questions judgment should be entered for the plaintiff or the defendants. Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Watkins sued, on behalf of herself and three children, for damages, owing to the death of her husband, due, she alleged, to a breach of statutory duty under the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1687- 1896. The deceased met his death whilst being lowered into the pit at the Ely Colliery on August 27 last, it was alleged that there was negligence on the part of the defendants. The cage would carry twenty men. Later it raised and lowered safely 36 men, and on the day of the accident there were 28 men in the cage. The defendants denied that they were guilty of any breach of duty or negligence.
2. The employment of an inadequate brake was due to the negligence of the manager, and not the mechanical engineer or the defendants.
3. The spanner bar was fit and adequate for its purpose when first fitted but not on the on the 27th August when the accident occurred.
4. The unfitness and inadequacy of the spanner bar was due to an error of judgment on the part of Mr Dolman, the mechanical engineer.
5. The necessary means were not taken to repair the defect in the spanner bar due to the error of judgment on the part of Mr Dolman.
6. Failure to take the necessary means was due to the error of judgment on the part of Dolman.
7. The winding engine on August 27th was in a fit condition to lower 20 but not 26 men.
8. The unfitness was due to the spanner bar and brake together.
9. Such unfitness was due to the negligence of the manager in ordering 26 men down and an error of judgment on the part of Mr Dolman.
10. It was due to the negligence of the manager Mr Hollister to lower 26 instead of 20 men.
11. The I inadequacy of the brake and the spanner bar combined caused the accident.
12. The manager and the mechanical engineer were both adjudged to be competent men.
13. The defendants took all reasonable care to appoint a competent manager and a competent mechanical engineer.
The point at issue was whether on their answers to those questions judgment should be entered for the plaintiff or the defendants. Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Watkins sued, on behalf of herself and three children, for damages, owing to the death of her husband, due, she alleged, to a breach of statutory duty under the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1687- 1896. The deceased met his death whilst being lowered into the pit at the Ely Colliery on August 27 last, it was alleged that there was negligence on the part of the defendants. The cage would carry twenty men. Later it raised and lowered safely 36 men, and on the day of the accident there were 28 men in the cage. The defendants denied that they were guilty of any breach of duty or negligence.
There was, said the Judge, ample evidence given
by the witnesses called for the plaintiff to indicate that the persons
appointed by the defendants were perfectly competent people. Whether they
made a. mistake in this particular instance was another matter. The cage
for some reason was not stopped, and the plaintiff contended that this was
proof that the brake was not competent to do its work. Mr Trump, Mines Inspector, had expressed the opinion that it was not adequate for 26 men but
adequate for 20 men. The jury retired at 3 o'clock and at
their request the elaborate and heavy model of the colliery was conveyed to
their rooms. They were absent two hours and the following is their detailed
findings:
1. The brake attached to the winding engine was adequate for lowering 20 but not 26 men. 2. The employment of an inadequate brake was due to the negligence of the manager, and not the mechanical engineer or the defendants.
3. The spanner bar was fit and adequate for its purpose when first fitted but not on the on the 27th August when the accident occurred.
4. The unfitness and inadequacy of the spanner bar was due to an error of judgment on the part of Mr Dolman, the mechanical engineer.
5. The necessary means were not taken to repair the defect in the spanner bar due to the error of judgment on the part of Mr Dolman.
6. Failure to take the necessary means was due to the error of judgment on the part of Dolman.
7. The winding engine on August 27th was in a fit condition to lower 20 but not 26 men.
8. The unfitness was due to the spanner bar and brake together.
9. Such unfitness was due to the negligence of the manager in ordering 26 men down and an error of judgment on the part of Mr Dolman.
10. It was due to the negligence of the manager Mr Hollister to lower 26 instead of 20 men.
11. The I inadequacy of the brake and the spanner bar combined caused the accident.
12. The manager and the mechanical engineer were both adjudged to be competent men.
13. The defendants took all reasonable care to appoint a competent manager and a competent mechanical engineer.
Answering the Judge, the
foreman said that the jury felt that the manager had not exercised proper
care and efficiency in ordering the 26 men down.
In June a press report in the Rhondda Leader trumpets the generosity of Leonard Llewellyn under the headline:
"A party of those workmen injured in the Ely PIt cage accident in August, 1909, were given a trip in Mr. Leonard Llewelyn's motor car. The car left the Butcher's Arms, Penygraig, at 9.15 a.m. on Monday, with a hearty send- off, and proceeded over the Beacons to Brecon and Llandovery, down the Vale of Towy to Llandilo and Carmarthen, thence to Swansea and back to Penygraig. The elements were most favourable, and the trippers, who included Messrs. Morris, Matthews, Davies and another, declared that they had never spent a more enjoyable day. The whole of the expenses in connection with the trip were borne by Mr. Leonard Llewelyn, and they were loud in their praise of his generosity." This cynical exercise in public relations was a foretaste of how Llewellyn would manipulate the press to gain the support of the general public during the impending strike triggered by the lock-out of miners at the very same Ely Pit. On August 1st the management posted lock out notices following a dispute that had arisen over a new seam called 'the Bute' the management wanted to open.
During the strike, made famous by the so-called 'Tonypandy Riots', Llewellyn himself was to receive a silver medal from the R.S.P.C.A. in honour of his 'outstanding bravery' in rescuing 300 pit ponies he had deliberately left underground to gain public sympathy. The term used today would be 'fake news'.The horses had never been in danger and Llewellyn refused the offer made by strikers to bring them up. The King himself expressed his concern regarding the 'fate' of the horses. The matter of the King's medal for two of Leonard Llewellyn's employees who displayed genuine courage in extreme circumstances was conveniently forgotten.
NOTE: While researching this topic I was taken aback to discover that Philip Stafford Pascoe was in fact my wife's grandfather. She was completely unaware of his involvement in this disaster and never remembers hearing him talk about it. Her uncle George only had one arm and when he watched his beloved Penygraig in action would throw his cap in the air whenever they scored. Apparently he lost many caps. Neither my wife nor my sister-in-law have any idea how he lost his arm!
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