May 24, 2013

This day in history:
A powerful gas and coal dust explosion on Friday May 24th, in the Universal Colliery, Senghenydd, 1901, killing 81 of the 82 men underground at the time. It occurred around 5.00 am in the East side of the pit about 700 yards from the pit bottom. A rescue attempt could not immediately go ahead because of the damage sustained to both shafts. The cage in the Lancaster shaft was jammed making it inoperable, so the rescue work concentrated on the York pit it took five hours to clear the debris at the bottom of the other shaft before the cage could be landed. The sole survivor an ostler, William Harris was found unconscious lying by the side of a dead horse about 50 yards from pit bottom. He was badly burned about the face and hands and at first his rescuers believed him dead. read more