Ocean Colliery: 1893-1947 Deep Navigation Colliery

treharris 1 winding house, deep navigation in july 1987

industrialist businessman david davies of llandinam, became interested in harris mine 1890. time, 1million tonnes of coal had been raised, 1892 there dip in production. debts rising, harris allowed inspection of mine davies, engineers reported reserves of coal in mine required relatively little additional investment.

davies s ocean coal company took ownership of colliery on 17 january 1893, , renamed ocean colliery. there great competition @ time between colliery owners, trying prove potential purchasers coal of best quality. @ time signified being selected royal navy, , various transatlantic ocean liners, including cunard line; hence choice of renaming.

davies invested in colliery, including repairing bases of shafts. 1897 onwards, colliery producing on 590,000 tons per year workforce of 2,500 miners. ocean company invested further £500,000 in 1900 make collieries production more economic, 1902, annual output 327,000 tons 2,000 men. steam coal produced during period purchased use cunard steamers rms mauretania , rms lusitania, used in successful attempts blue riband rapid atlantic passage.

the south wales miners federation had been formed in 1894, , in 1910 , 1911 tonypandy riots had occurred improve miners incomes , working conditions. 1913, workforce had shrunk 1,846 men , boys. @ time deep navigation had extensive underground 2 ft (610 mm) mine railway, 10 miles (16 km) of underground railways. on 100 pit ponies being used @ colliery, underground, on surface.

pit head baths

in 1913, davies sent party of 15 men continent investigate european systems of working practice. result of report, sum of £8,000 authorised build new baths miners. new treharris baths constructed nicholls & nicholls of gloucester, accommodate 1,824 men @ time, each provided 2 lockers: 1 clean , other dirty clothes. officially opened on 1 november 1933 ocean coal company director thomas evans o.b.e. of pentyrch, baths first such facility in south wales.

having constructed new power house, supplying lady windsor colliery, facility electrically lit, , included electric shoe cleaner. baths reconstructed in 1933, time ocean had provided baths @ risca, wattstown, lady windsor, garw, nantymeol , 9 mile point collieries.

after world war i

after supplying royal navy during world war i, 1920 colliery using “barry of nottingham” system of coal cutting, forerunner of longwall mining. 1923 report hm inspectorate of mines, there 2,328 men employed, working 7 feet, yard , 9 feet seams. time of 1926 general strike, industrial relations had again broken down. village of treharris staunchly socialist, , innovative in using colliery band , local jazz music treharris zulus group raise funds. new year families running short of funds, food , fuel, , workers returned work. 1935, colliery employed 363 men on surface , 1,875 underground.

at start of world war ii, ernest bevin introduced new law tied miners reserved occupation. bevin ordered 1 in ten young men of eighteen years of age employed in coal industry, of bevin boys coming treharris area.