On December 6th. 1875, there was a massive explosion in the Lan Drift Mine, Gwaelod y Garth. Listed as the most serious mine explosion of the year, it had been largely forgotten in this village once devastated by the impact of the disaster. 16 men and boys were killed or seriously injured; few families escaped the ensuing poverty. There is now a movement to rectify this omission.
A 2012 Memorial Event, attended by The Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Derrick Morgan, former First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, Tyrone O'Sullivan, Miners' Leader, joined with residents to unveil a plaque in the Village Hall. In a moving ceremony, resident Ann Gray, whose great uncle, Abraham Phillips, was the Overman killed in the disaster, unveiled the plaque while the Headmaster of the school, Iwan Ellis, read out the names of the dead and injured. In a silent hall, with standing room only, oldest resident of the village, Dyrig Davies, put his wreath of rosemary under the plaque, followed by young boys with rosemary wreaths, in respect of children of their age who had died in the explosion.
In combination with CEMEX, CADW , GWAT and Cardiff County Council, a residents' group is now working towards the creation of a Memorial Woodland around the archaeological remains of the old Drift Mine. Residents are all invited to participate in the creation of this Memorial, to the men and boys who gave so much in the winning of coal.
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On December 6th. 1875, defective ventilation led to an explosion in the Lan pit, Gwaelod y Garth. Sixteen men and boys were killed, many more injured. It was described as the most serious explosion of the year. The Overman, Abraham Phillips, was found guilty of negligence.
The House of Abraham Phillips is a fictitious interpretation of the effect the Lan disaster had on one family’s history. It is told through the mouth of Phillip Phillips, Abraham Phillips’ second son. Haunted by his father’s action, steeped in memories and the words of the Old Testament, Phillip Phillips muses his history to seek resolution.
All of the characters in this story lived. The main incidents are part of recorded history. While the facts around the disaster are taken from contemporary reports in the press and records in professional journals, the interaction within the family is pure fiction. This story is a memorial to those who lost their lives in the winning of coal.
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