Preece Family Tree

HERO OF THE MINE.

Mr T. Griffiths, Porth.

DISTINGUISHED RESCUE WORK.

Thrilling Experiences Recalled.

PRESENTATION AT CYMMER.

Employers and workmen, professional and business men united on Wednesday night to honour Mr T. Griffiths, J.P., the agent and director of Messrs Insoles, Limited, Porth, by the presentation of a testimonial in recognition of his rescue work on the occasion of colliery explosions extending over a period of nearly forty years, and public services for a period of almost a quarter of a century. A large and representative gathering attended for this purpose at the Workmen's Hall, Cymmer, the presentation taking the form of a life-like oil painting of the recipient, executed by Mr George F. Harris, at a cost of 350 guineas, and an address on vellum, together with a silver epergne and other gifts to Mrs Griffiths. Alderman W. H. Mathias, J.P. (chairman of the committee), presided.

Mr D. Watts Morgan (miners' agent) dwelt on Mr Griffiths's great success, which he attributed to indomitable pluck and natural talent, in having attained to the position of resident managing director of a company under which he commenced as an ordinary working man. He had been told by some of the oldest miners that Mr Griffiths was within an ace of being made a miners' agent. (Laughter.) The committee who had taken the presentation in hand felt that there should be some public recognition of the great work done by Mr Griffiths on the occasion of great colliery disasters in the coalfield, and he (the speaker) was voicing the views of all when he stated that they and their children would always cherish the memory of Mr Griffiths and the noble engineers of the Rhondda Valley who had never failed to do everything that was possible to rescue men entombed after great disasters. Mr Morgan added that the subscription list was the largest of its kind in the history of the valley. (Applause.)

The Chairman in making the presentation of the portrait asked Mr Griffiths to accept it from his many friends as a recognition of the heroism he has displayed, and for the public services he has rendered. (Applause.)

Mr North Lewis (secretary of Insoles, Ltd) paid a high tribute to Mr Griffiths, and referred to his unique service with the company - from collier to managing director. (Applause.)

Mr W. D. Wight (Messrs Cory Bros) and Mr D. Hannah, J.P., Ferndale, also spoke. Mrs Lionel Lewis, daughter of Sir David Evans, presented the silver epergne and plate to Miss Griffiths, who attended on behalf of Mrs Griffiths. Addresses were delivered by Dr. W. T. Perry, Ferndale, and Mr E. F. Williams, manager.

Mr Griffiths, who was received with loud applause, was deeply affected. He returned sincere thanks for the gifts. As compared with 20 or 30 years ago great improvements had been effected in the conditions and supervision of mines, and colliery managers were introducing reforms in respect of which there was no legal enforcement. As in the past, he would always be ready to render any service in the future, although he hoped this would not be required. (Applause.)

Biographical Sketch.

Mr Thomas Griffiths, J.P., M.E., agent and director of Messrs Insoles, Limited, Cymmer Collieries, started life in 1858 as a collier, working his way up to fireman overman, manager, agent and director, and during the whole of this eventful period he has been connected with the same concern, which to a material extend owes its prestige to his energy and skill. It is a curious fact that Mr Griffiths, who has won fame for daring rescue work on occasions of great disasters in the Welsh coalfield, was so affected by the catastrophe which befell the colliery at which he was working in 1856 that he then resolved to have nothing more to do with underground work. For a few yeas he was engaged at a fitter's shop, but he returned to his old avocation, and in 1870 he was appointed manager. He is admitted to have been instrumental in settling more disputes than any other man on the owners' site - a distinction no doubt due to his great and unique experience. Mr Griffiths has devoted a great deal of time to the public service. Twenty-four years ago he was elected a member of the Rhondda Local Board, and he has occupied a seat on the Rhondda Council since its creation. Of this body he was some years ago chairman, and his views on administrative work are highly valued.

Rescue Work Incidents.

Above all else, Mr Griffiths is honoured for the part he has played in colliery rescue work. He was a leader of exploring parties in connection with disasters at the following collieries:- 1871, Pentre; 1990, Naval Penygraig; 1882, Coedcae; 1883, Gelli; 1885, Mardy; 1885, Penygraig; 1887, Wattstown; 1890, Llanerch; 1892, Park Slip; 1892, Great Western, Pontypridd; 1894, Cilfynydd; 1896, Tylorstown; 1899, Llest; 1901, Senghenydd; 1905, Clydach Vale; 1905, Wattstown.

In the course of an interview with our Pontypridd representative Mr Griffiths stated the threefold object of his work on the occasion of disasters as follows:- (1) To recover workmen who might have suffered from afterdamp or burns, with a view to saving life; (2) to mark the friendly feeling which existed between colliery officials in offering assistance in the day of trial; and (3) to investigate the causes of the disasters with a view to preventing similar accidents in the collieries under his own charge.

"The most difficult exploration work I was engaged in," he said, "was at the Cambrian Collieries, Clydach Vale, in consequence of the outbreak of fire in the seam and the deadly fumes emitted, rendering the work of rescuing highly dangerous. The worst explosion in regard to falls of roof was at the Dinas Colliery. One of the falls we failed to penetrate, and many bodies of entombed men were unrecovered for some years. It was when the late Mr Daniel Thomas, M.E. drove through the 4ft. to the 6ft. seam that the remains of the victims were recovered, and the skeletons were buried at the Lledrddu Cemetery, where a monument has been erected. Another disaster in which great difficulties were encountered was the fire at the Great Western Pit, Pontypridd. The fire originated in the engine-house, and spread into the mine, consuming all the timber, and resulting in 60 to 70 deaths. Some of the poor fellows were reduced to ashes.

"In my early days," continued Mr Griffiths, "I used to follow my seniors in these matters with a view to learning. To-day there are only two left of those who took part in rescue work at that time, viz. Sir William Thomas Lewis, Bart., and Mr William Jenkins, Ystradfechan. Of late years we have proved that the best method of ventilation is to confine all the available current of air into one district, thoroughly explore that district, then 'bash' it off, and drive all the air current into another district, and so on through the whole colliery. One fact to-day which was not known in the early history of colliery catastrophes in these districts is the presence of carbon monoxide in the air, and there is no doubt that ignorance of the presence of this noxious gas caused the death of many a hero in exploration work. Its presence was first demonstrated at the Tylorstown explosion, where a number of lamps were found burning, whilst the men who owned them lay dead. The lights of safetly lamps will burn freely where this gas is present, whilst a very small percentage of it in the atmosphere will prove fatal. This gas is rendered more dangerous by reason of the difficulty of detection. Dr. Haldane has rendered great assistance to mining engineers in the directon of enabling them to cope with this poisonous gas. He advices the utilisation of mice, which are very sensitive to this gas, and at Clydach Vale this experiment was adopted and proved of great service.

"Personally I have never been physically affected by afterdamp or carbon monoxide. The main principle that I have always adopted is to explore the intake airways first, and to restore ventilation as we proceed. The reason why many persons have suffered from the work of exploration is that they have entered the return airways first, where all the poisonous gases accumulate."

Contrasting the methods in vogue years ago with those of the present day, Mr Griffiths said that the ventilation had been greatly improved of late years, and more attention was being paid to "splitting the air," thus shortening the route by which the air was to sweep away the gases given off by the working of coal. The greatest disasters had occurred in pits where the highest velocities of air had been found. A factor which had reduced the possibilities of explosions was that all the best managed collieries had adopted a system of watering in order to lay the coal dust. Colliery managers had also gone in for safer explosives in shot-firing.