For the fathers SENGHENYDDand sons who died in the darkness forS.WALES coal by the tonne

Introduction Coal is a simple black rock. But in Wales it represented the livelihoods of countless families and powered an industry that came to define the country in many ways.

Companies created mines that cut deep into the earth, meaning many small and rural communities were born out of this backbreaking trade.

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The Disaster 8.00am on Tuesday 14 October 1913, nearly 950 men from Senghenydd went to work below ground. Many of them never saw the light of day again.

This small town was changed forever by an explosion that came from the heartbeat of the Welsh valley.

The mine, belonging to the Universal Colliery, was the main employer in the area and it was clear to everyone in the town, after just one hour, that this disaster would touch them all.

The explosion was caused by an electrical spark from the signalling gear, which ignited the methane gas – or ‘firedamp’, as it was known. The firedamp explosion caused coal dust lying on the floor of the mine to rise, catching fire and combusting with a violent roar.

The shock wave promptly caused more coal dust to rise into the air, which in turn ignited. The fire spread through most of the mine, sharply followed by a toxic mixture of gases known as ‘afterdamp.

The blast and poisonous gas that it released tragically killed 439 miners, making the Senghenydd pit disaster the most lethal mining disaster in British history.

The Aftermath Rescue teams from places such as Crumlin and Aberdare were rushed to the scene, but the attempts to get the men out were obstructed by fallen debris and raging fires. Many risked their lives to try to save others.

They did manage to find some men and boys still alive in the wreckage. The families of the Senghenydd miners greeted each successful escape with joy and with the belief that their own loved ones would soon be brought to the surface.

However, as the days wore on, the number of survivors grew fewer and fewer, and hope began to fade away.

The rescue attempts lasted for three weeks, as the town bravely fought on to find those still missing.

It was estimated that more than 1,000 people in the area were bereaved by the Senghenydd disaster.

Certainly, nearly all of the families in the town were affected, in one way or another. And yet, despite the resulting enquiry, finding numerous faults that could be laid at the door of the owners and managers, when compensation was levied, it came to a paltry £24.