From the Cardiff Times 140 years ago today…..
Inter-racial tension
Tag: Castle Pit
Notes on the Merthyr Tydfil Tramroads – part 2
by Gwilym and John Griffiths
Cwm Cannaid Tramroad: We do not know when this tramroad was constructed. We would guess it was sometime around 1800-1814. Despite its name, the tramroad was built before the shaft of Cwm Cannaid Colliery was sunk. The track was shown clearly on the 1814 Ordnance Survey Map and on Robert Dawson’s 1832 Boundary Commission Map whereas the shafts of Cwm Cannaid Colliery were apparently sunk about 1845. The purpose of the tramroad was to relieve the inefficient old tub canal, or coal canal, sometimes called the Cyfarthfa Coal Canal, of the 1770s. The latter transported coal (and perhaps ironstone?) in two-ton tubs from levels (some suggested via dangerous leats) in Cwm Cannaid to Cyfarthfa Works: some say horse-drawn, others say hauled or pushed by men and women. The Cyfarthfa Coal Canal was closed around 1835, which gives an explanation of Cwm Cannaid Tramroad on Robert Dawson’s 1832 Boundary Commission Map.
The tramroad followed roughly the route of the old coal canal: the latter a twisting route, the former almost a straight line. It skirted Glyn Dyrys Ironstone Mine, a coal shaft below Lower Colliers Row, in front of Lower Colliers Row itself, Tir Wern Uchaf (where it crossed the canal twice), a link to Cwm y Glo Colliery and Ironstone Mine, Upper Colliers Row, Tir Heol Gerrig and hence to the coke ovens and yards above (to the west) of Cyfarthfa Works.
When Cwm Cannaid Pit was sunk in 1845, that became the terminus of the system. The 1901 Ordnance Survey Map named it ‘Cwm Pit Railway’, and the line linking it to ‘Gethin Railway’ was labelled ‘railway in course of construction’. We saw the remnants of these mines, canal and tramroad in the 1940s and 1950s, and often walked the old canal embankment, by then well wooded.
Again, industrial despoliation was reverting to nature: delicious wild strawberries on the old waste tipping, a nightingale singing by the disused and reed-covered canal reservoir, woodcock and common snipe, pied flycatchers and wood warblers, and numerous other birds; with wild orchids amongst the damp marshy vegetation with dragon-flies, damsel-flies, glow-worms and water-boatmen. We doubt if this still exists in the coniferous plantations which replaced them all in more recent years.
Dowlais Tramroad: This was constructed about 1792-93 to connect Dowlais Works with Pont y Storehouse near the Glamorgan Canal terminus, roughly near present-day Jackson’s Bridge. It gave Dowlais Works access to the then ‘recently’ constructed Glamorgan Canal. The route may well have followed initially the Morlais Quarry Tramroad from Dowlais via Gelli Faelog, keeping to the Gelli Faelog side of Nant Morlais. The 1793 extension from this tramroad is today represented by the main road and high pavement from Trevithick Street down to Pont Morlais and thence via the tunnel, formerly a bridge, into Bethesda Street to Jackson’s Bridge. Did the Glamorgan Canal Company pay the £1,100 for the construction of the tramroad (and Jackson’s Bridge) in lieu of the proposed linking canal from Merthyr Tudful to Dowlais?
Gethin Tramroad: This tramroad or railway linked Gethin Colliery (sunk between 1845 and 1849 and opened 1849) initially, and Castle Colliery later (1860s?), with Cyfarthfa Works, taking a route in between those of Cwm Cannaid Tramroad and Ynys Fach Tramroad. No tramroad was shown on the 1850 Tithe Map and Schedule. By 1886 the track left Castle Colliery, skirted the hillside west of the Glamorgan Canal between Furnace Row and Tir Pen Rhiw’r Onnen, through Gethin Colliery (with a link to pit-shaft No2), past Graig Cottage and a bridge over Nant Cannaid. At (the 1853) Cyfarthfa Crossing it curved northwestwards past Tir Wern Isaf and Tir Llwyn Celyn, looping under the 1868 Brecon and Merthyr Railway near Heol Gerrig, and thence to the coke yards.
By 1886 the route was upgraded to the GWR and Rhymney Railway as far as the Cyfarthfa Crossing. The 1876 six-inch Ordnance Survey Map showed the terminus for the ‘cwbs’ at the rear of Cyfarthfa Works. The 1901 Ordnance Survey Map called it ‘Gethin Railway’. Our grandfather used the railway to get to work at Castle Colliery, and we regularly used this route (then upgraded to a full railway) in the 1940s and 1950s on our daily journeys to and from school at Quakers Yard. One of us was on the last train to use this line before the viaduct between Quakers yard and Pont y Gwaith was found to be unsafe.
Gyrnos Quarry Tramroad: This was used to bring limestone from Gyrnos Quarry (Graig y Gyrnos) alongside Tâf Fechan, past the limekilns and coal yards, over Afon Tâf by Pont Cafnau to Cyfarthfa Works. We have no details of dates, but walked the route many times in the 1950s in search of dippers, kingfishers, grey wagtails and the rest. It was the first tramroad recorded in the 1805 list of John Jones and William Llywelyn: 1 mile 106 yards to Cyfarthfa Furnaces and just over 1¾ miles to the new Ynys Fach Furnaces. In view of the size of the quarry, it must have transported many tons of material.
Death of a Boy Collier
The following article is transcribed from the issue of South Wales Daily News published 120 years ago today (22 October 1898).
PIT ACCIDENT AT MERTHYR
ONE BROTHER KILLED; THE OTHER ESCAPED
Yesterday at the Merthyr Police Court Mr Coroner R. J. Rhys held an inquest upon the body of Sidney Oates (14), who was killed by a fall of coal or rubbish on Tuesday afternoon at the Castle Pit, belonging to Messrs Crawshay Bros., Limited, Cyfarthfa. Mr F. Adams, assistant inspector of coal mines, was present also Mr David Abraham, general manager of the Cyfarthfa Collieries, and Mr Rees Howells, manager of the Castle Pit.
From the evidence of William Arthur Oates (19), of 22, Lower Colliers’-row, brother of the deceased, it appeared that deceased worked with him as a collier’s boy, and was standing near when witness was putting up a piece of timber. A fall occurred, which knocked a post out and killed his brother. Witness escaped, and after- wards got round to the place through another man’s working place. The piece of coal which fell down was about two yards long. There had been two sprags against it. The post knocked out was the one between the two road posts. The top was of stone, and it was weak at that place. He saw the fireman twice during the turn. Witness had had a place of his own for 12 months. He had worked underground ever since he started work. There were two slants in the seam at this place. They were to be seen before the fall took place. He had put up two posts as a precaution. He thought that was enough, and did nothing more. He thought if it had not been for the piece of coal knocking the post out it would have been all right.
John Protheroe, Cefn, collier, who was working on the lower side of the place where the brothers Oates were engaged, said he heard the fall take place, and he was about the first man afterwards to get there. The deceased lad was quite covered up by the fall. Witness helped to get deceased out. He was dead. When the fall was sufficiently cleared be saw posts had been knocked out. He could not say how, many. There was timber mixed up with the rubbish. Oates always kept his place tidy.
William Jones, the fireman, in reply to the Coroner, said he had visited the place three times on Tuesday – once before the men went in, and twice afterwards, the last time being about 2 o’clock in the afternoon. He told Oates to stand the post on the lower side at that time. He (Oates) had two sprags before the slip. The two slants spoken to by Oates could be plainly seen. He went to the spot on hearing of the accident. A fall of rubbish was on the deceased boy. The fall had occurred between the two slants. He could see some timber had been discharged by the fall. The post he told Oates to put up was on the lower side. This had nothing whatever to do with the fall on the boy. He thought it was quite likely as Oates said, that a piece of coal fell out and knocked out a post. There were three posts between the two slants. He gave Oates no orders to sprag this upper side; two sprags were already there, and these in his opinion were sufficient.
Rees Howells, the pit manager, produced plans of the workings, and described the visible conditions of the accident. The fall was 11 feet long by 4 feet wide and 4 feet high. The fall had not yet been cleared away.
Oates was also recalled, and questioned as to the position of the particular post which he was putting up when the accident arose, and the examination of Mr Howells was continued by the Coroner and the Mines Inspector.
The jurymen asked no questions.
The Coroner, in the course of a succinct reference to the salient points of evidence said it seemed to him that if the coal had not burst out as it did nothing would have happened – that was if the boy (witness Oates) was telling the truth. There was every likelihood that, as Oates had described it, this coal broke out, knocked out the timber near it, and fell down. The jury at once announced they were all of opinion that this was a case of “Accidental death.”