Morfa Colliery Port Talbot
Morfa Colliery, Taibach, 1863.
NGR SS775864 Google Map
Vivian and Sons opened this colliery sometime in 1849.
Its produce fed the nearby Copper Smelter works at Taibach, which was also owned by Vivian and Sons.
On the 11th of December 1850 6 men were killed in an explosion of gas (see link below)
Four men were killed in an explosion here on the 26th of November 1858.
They were; Aaron Charlton, David Hughes, Isaac Griffiths and his brother
in law John Williams.
The top of one of the victim’s safety lamp had been removed and in his
pocket a homemade key to fit the lamp's lock was discovered. (This
outlawed and dangerous practice saved a walk to the underground lamp-room,
where the lamp could be re-lit in comparative safety).
From the Inspector of Mines 1896, Vivian and Sons owned it and there were 325 employed here.
In 1908 the workforce numbered 302.
Morfa closed in 1913.
More info required.
The pit of Ghosts.
Reports of strange happenings and ghostly sightings were commonplace at this colliery, but in the weeks prior to an explosion in 1863 in which 40 miners lost their lives the eerie incidences became more frequent. Superstition was rife among the workforce and it was commonly believed that these supernatural events were harbingers of disaster. After the explosion these strange events occurred less often, except for one particular apparition of a dog, which would appear out of nowhere and then mysteriously vanish into thin air, they called this phenomenon "The red dog of Morfa".
Morfa colliery became known throughout the coalfield as the pit of ghosts.
An unusual explosion occurred here on the 14th of February 1870. Work on deepening the shaft was in operation, when a quantity of blasting powder accidentally got ignited, killing 29 men.
On the 10th of March 1890 another explosion occurred at this colliery this time claiming the lives of 89 men and boys, including one of the rescuers.
It was at the beginning of the morning shift with a workforce of 250 men and boys underground when the blast ripped through the labyrinth of mine workings.
Some 100 or so survivors managed to walk to pit bottom unaided and these were quickly brought to the surface.
The search for other survivors was blocked by a large roof fall in one of the main headings. Work to clear this fall was still going on the following morning when to the amazement of the rescue team five young boys clambered through a small opening over the top of the fall. They described the harrowing experiences they had encountered while making their way to safety including having to climb over badly mutilated bodies of their workmates.
After the fall was cleared the rescuers were able to make slow progress further into the mines workings clearing other roof falls and debris but recovering only dead bodies. It took another twelve hours before they reached the area where the explosion occurred. It seemed very unlikely that any more survivors would be found, when astonishingly they discovered John Franks, although injured but suffering from the effects of afterdamp had somehow survived the explosion.
On the Wednesday with the rescuers still clearing and searching the many headings and stalls, a fire broke out in one part of the mine, this made their already hazardous task much more difficult. In the smoke and confusion some of the rescuers became detach from the main party and they got lost in the maze of roadways. The following morning all but one of the missing rescuers were found alive and unharmed, but they had difficulty in reaching one man named Brownsell and it was some time before he could be rescued. He had been overcome by the effects of smoke and afterdamp, which has rendered him unconscious; he died soon after being brought to the surface.
It wasn't until a week after the explosion that all 89 bodies were recovered.
The under-manager a man named Barvass had been badly injured in the previous explosion of 1863 and he also survived several other minor blasts. Alas this time he wasn't so fortunate and he was numbered among the dead.
At the inquest some witnesses spoke of hearing unearthly voices just before the explosion occurred and there were many reports of a strong smell of roses that had permeated throughout the workings.
The jury returned the verdict that the explosion was caused by shot firing igniting a body of gas.
However because of the collieries supernatural reputation others were keen to believe in a more paranormal explanation.
Morfa Memorial, 2006..
Morfa Disasters 1850, 1858,
1863 Death Rolls
Morfa Disasters
1870 Death Roll
Morfa Disasters
1890 Death Roll
Glenhafod Colliery. (Photograph required)
NGR SS789898 Google Map
This drift mine was situated in the village of Goytre, near Port Talbot. It was opened in the early 1920's by the Glenhafod Collieries Ltd.
By 1923 it was employing 178 men, including 24 surface workers, producing Gas coal from the Rock Fawr seam.
In December 1929 two colliers; P.Potter and T.J. Adams were found gassed in the top hole of No.1 Deep.
In 1933 a new drift was opened approximately 800 yards to the east of the old one. Both worked the No.2 Rhondda (Rock Fawr) seam at a thickness of 42 inches.
In 1938 and 1945 there were at total of 259 and 281 men employed respectively.
Glenhafod Colliery employed 127 men at the coalfaces in 1955, and 124 men at the coalfaces in 1956. It was closed by the National Coal Board on November 28th 1958 due to its coal reserves being exhausted.
(More information required)