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Elaba Colliery, 1905.
Elba drift mine provided fuel for the large Elba steel works (the name lives on in the giant playing fields and sports complex in Gowerton), and was transported by private railway.
The drift was over 700 yards long and was developed in 1881 by Pearse and co. to work the Swansea 3ft and 6 ft seams. However, there was a sale of plant at the mine in 1885 and the mine was not in production.
By 1896, the mine was again producing coal and was in the hands of Wright, Butler and co Ltd. employing 83 men. This figure had risen to 150 men by 1900. In 1902 Baldwin's bought the mine and the steel works.
In 1905 only the Swansea 6 ft seam was being worked and a Waddle
fan manufactured at Llanelli ventilated the mine.
On January 21st 1905 one of the worst explosions of firedamp ever
to occur in the western area of the coalfield took place. At the
start of the shift there were nearly 50 men below ground. The
explosion occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning. Most of
the men in the mine at the time suffered some degree of burns and
shock but 11 men lost their lives. The rescue attempts went on
throughout the weekend but the last bodies of the victims were not
recovered until the Monday.
Three of the victims were found alive but died soon
afterwards.
The victims were;
Alec Ogilvie 20 William Bowen 17 William Davis 59 Tom Pratt 19 Edward Rees 26 David Davis 26 George Williams 14 David Rees 21 George Rees 23 W. H. Morgan 18 John Long 45
A defective lamp was held responsible for the explosion and the mine was abandoned. Another drift was opened upon the same site, which employed 165 men in 1911; however, this was also closed soon after.