GENERAL
INTEREST
INTEREST
the passengers to go to commodious rooms at the Junction Hotel, situated near the station, where every comfort was afforded them. Some 30 people spent Tuesday night in a train that had become embedded in heavy drifts between Fochriw and Dowlais Top. They were provided with food during the night, and were brought to Fochriw on Wednesday night by local inhabitants, who gave them food and shelter until they were able to get lower down the valley later in the day. The train is still embedded in the snow, and the railway authorities are doing their utmost to release it. Until it is free, there will be no traffic between the Rhymney Valley and Brecon. No omnibuses were working in the valley on Wednesday and Thursday. Many vehicles caught in the drifts on Tuesday, had to be taken out on Wednesday. Some miners returning home from the afternoon shift on Tuesday, spent the night in the omnibuses in which they were being conveyed. Schools were closed on Wednesday and Thursday. Attendances at the collieries was badly affected, there being about 40% of the men at their work. Bread had to be sent from Cardiff to some of the higher townships in the Valley. Few trains ran on Thursday.
15 March 1947 Rhymney Valley Badly Hit By Blizzard: Coal Output Down by Over 20,000 Tons: Soldiers Help to Clear Snow More than 20,000 tons of coal were lost in the Rhymney Valley because of the severe blizzard which struck the Valley during the latter part of the week. For two days, two large collieries, Groesfaen and Ogilvie, were idle because the miners, mainly from Dowlais, Merthyr and Fochriw districts, were unable to reach the pits on account of snow drifts, in some instances 20ft. deep, blocking roads and railways leading to the mines. Many were unable to get to work on Friday, and arrangements were made for them to be paid on Saturday and Monday. The blizzard brought road and rail transport in the upper portion of the area, practically to a standstill on Wednesday and Thursday. Cars and omnibuses were stranded on both sides of roads for several days, and over the weekend troops came in to assist railway employees to clear lines, and dig out trains, which had become embedded in deep drifts. An appeal to volunteers to clear roads in some districts met with a fine response. Members of the Glamorgan Constabulary assisted in efforts to send yeast to bakers in villages that could not be reached by road transport and many thousands of loaves were sent by train from Cardiff to a number of townships. Normal supplies of meat and other foodstuffs failed to reach some outlying places at the weekend. Groceries were delivered to homes on sleighs. Milk had to be carried by householders from depots on a number of days. On Sunday, some districts were without milk as farmers failed to get through with supplies. At Pantywaun, a water main was frozen, and the seat of the trouble could not be located as there were drifts over the pipes. Pipes in many houses have been frozen for over a week, and householders have carried water from neighbouring houses where the position is more fortunate. Farmers in the higher reaches have had a difficult time. Sheep and lambs have been lost, and some have died under drifts of deep snow. It is estimated that hundreds of sheep have died in this way. Over the weekend, a large number of sheep and light horses came down from the mountain slopes in search of food. They entered garden and outhouses, and spent nights sheltering by the sides of houses and at the foot of refuse tips. Sheep, that usually found no trouble in jumping walls, were able to get along only with difficulty because of their weakened state. Over the weekend, bread and meat was carried in sacks to Gellygear Hospital. Sunday was anything but a day of rest for many householders. They spent much time clearing snow from the front of their houses, and from attics into which it had been blown by the strong winds. Failure to clear attics in time resulted in ceilings giving way when the snow began to melt. One Bargoed householder carried more than one hundred buckets of snow from his attic. The thaw that set in on Monday, greatly improved travelling conditions. However, up to Tuesday night, rail traffic could go no further than Bargoed because of drifts at a point above Fochriw. It will be recalled that on Tuesday of last week a train proceeding to Brecon, and carrying some 30 passengers, was lodged in deep snow above Fochriw. By Friday, the train and two locomotives which endeavoured to release it, became covered over to a depth of 15 feet. A railway employee said that every effort was being made to clear the line. Over 400 men have been employed in road clearing in the Gellygear area. Of that number, 250 were unemployed men. The Gellygaer Surveyor spoke with great admiration for the way in which the men had tackled the enormous job of cutting through some of the heavy drifts. Snow-ploughs have been working 24 hours a day in the urban areas.
15 March 1947 Rhymney Valley Badly Hit By Blizzard: Coal Output Down by Over 20,000 Tons: Soldiers Help to Clear Snow More than 20,000 tons of coal were lost in the Rhymney Valley because of the severe blizzard which struck the Valley during the latter part of the week. For two days, two large collieries, Groesfaen and Ogilvie, were idle because the miners, mainly from Dowlais, Merthyr and Fochriw districts, were unable to reach the pits on account of snow drifts, in some instances 20ft. deep, blocking roads and railways leading to the mines. Many were unable to get to work on Friday, and arrangements were made for them to be paid on Saturday and Monday. The blizzard brought road and rail transport in the upper portion of the area, practically to a standstill on Wednesday and Thursday. Cars and omnibuses were stranded on both sides of roads for several days, and over the weekend troops came in to assist railway employees to clear lines, and dig out trains, which had become embedded in deep drifts. An appeal to volunteers to clear roads in some districts met with a fine response. Members of the Glamorgan Constabulary assisted in efforts to send yeast to bakers in villages that could not be reached by road transport and many thousands of loaves were sent by train from Cardiff to a number of townships. Normal supplies of meat and other foodstuffs failed to reach some outlying places at the weekend. Groceries were delivered to homes on sleighs. Milk had to be carried by householders from depots on a number of days. On Sunday, some districts were without milk as farmers failed to get through with supplies. At Pantywaun, a water main was frozen, and the seat of the trouble could not be located as there were drifts over the pipes. Pipes in many houses have been frozen for over a week, and householders have carried water from neighbouring houses where the position is more fortunate. Farmers in the higher reaches have had a difficult time. Sheep and lambs have been lost, and some have died under drifts of deep snow. It is estimated that hundreds of sheep have died in this way. Over the weekend, a large number of sheep and light horses came down from the mountain slopes in search of food. They entered garden and outhouses, and spent nights sheltering by the sides of houses and at the foot of refuse tips. Sheep, that usually found no trouble in jumping walls, were able to get along only with difficulty because of their weakened state. Over the weekend, bread and meat was carried in sacks to Gellygear Hospital. Sunday was anything but a day of rest for many householders. They spent much time clearing snow from the front of their houses, and from attics into which it had been blown by the strong winds. Failure to clear attics in time resulted in ceilings giving way when the snow began to melt. One Bargoed householder carried more than one hundred buckets of snow from his attic. The thaw that set in on Monday, greatly improved travelling conditions. However, up to Tuesday night, rail traffic could go no further than Bargoed because of drifts at a point above Fochriw. It will be recalled that on Tuesday of last week a train proceeding to Brecon, and carrying some 30 passengers, was lodged in deep snow above Fochriw. By Friday, the train and two locomotives which endeavoured to release it, became covered over to a depth of 15 feet. A railway employee said that every effort was being made to clear the line. Over 400 men have been employed in road clearing in the Gellygear area. Of that number, 250 were unemployed men. The Gellygaer Surveyor spoke with great admiration for the way in which the men had tackled the enormous job of cutting through some of the heavy drifts. Snow-