Daily AncestorAfterdamp
Afterdamp was the poisonous mix of gases left in a coal mine after an explosion; its carbon monoxide made it deadly to miners.
Damp is the old mining word for gas. Afterdamp forms after an explosion of firedamp or coal dust and is mainly carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen. The carbon monoxide is what kills.
On a miner's record afterdamp points to suffocation by gas after an explosion, rather than injury from the blast itself.
As seen in a recordCause of death line, state death certificate, 1910s to 1930s
Thos. Rees, 34, M, W, Coal miner, Afterdamp
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Daily Ancestor. "Afterdamp." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/afterdamp. Last checked 2026-10-10.