The Coroners Court and the Commission of inquiry held after the explosion
    could not agree upon the cause origins of the disaster. The only point of
    agreement was that methane gas was involved. What did become apparent
    during the course of both inquiries was that there had been numerous
    violations of the 1911 Coal Mines Act. It took the force of public opinion led by
    the Miners Union into pressing the Government to act upon these violations.
    In May 1914 the manager, Edward Shaw, faced 17 charges in the Magistrates
    Court while owners faced four.

    Of the 17 charges against Shaw, he was convicted of 8 and 9 were dismissed.
    The total fine amounted to £24. A local newspaper headlined the news
    "Mineres Lives at 5 1/2p each". It took until February 1916 for the owners to be
    found guilty of just one charge - the failure to fit reversible fans. For that they
    were fined £10 with £5.25 costs. Lord Merthyr, the owner, had died in August
    1914 before sentence was passed. The public outrage at the events and their
    deep sympathy at the appalling loss was reflected in their response to an
    Appeal Fund. By july 1914 £126,000 had poured in for the 800 dependents,
    205 widows, 542 children and 62 dependent fathers and mothers. In 1928 the
    Colliery closed.

    The Colliery has been cleared, the surface buildings destroyed in 1963 and
    in 1979 the two shafts were filled and capped. What can never be removed
    is the memory of the loss and the costs in human suffering which can never
    be calculated.
    
                                                                                      Aber Valley Community Centre.
                                                                                      Pit disaster Memorial exhibition







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