100 years ago today, the Merthyr Express published the following pictures showing the damage caused to the Salvation Army Citadel earlier in the month.
The New Year in 1925 was ushered in with terrific storms which lasted for several weeks.
The bad weather began over the Christmas period and affected most of Wales and Southern England. On New Year’s Eve the storm intensified with high winds, thunder and lightning, torrential rain and hail. Lightning struck the winding plant at No 1 Pit at Deep Navigation Colliery in Treharris, damaging the the electric motor and compressor. Luckily no-one was injured, but several miners were trapped underground, eventually escaping via No 2 pit where the winding gear was steam powered. The plant was again hit by lightning on Sunday 4 January, damaging the turbine engine which was being used to supply electricity to the plant whilst the machinery damaged on New Year’s Eve was being repaired.
That same weekend saw the full force of the storm affecting other parts of Merthyr. Dozens of houses had slates blown off their roofs, and a large portion of the roof at Cyfarthfa Stables was torn away.
The worst damage was done when the Morlais Brook overwhelmed the culvert that carried it underneath the road next to the Salvation Army Citadel. The culvert collapsed and severely damaged the foundations of the building.
As a result, the Citadel, which had formerly been Morlais Chapel had to be demolished, and a new building was erected in its place.