An event next, which took place where Elm Street is now, but back in 1892. This little known story tells of the collapse at former miners homes, ‘Merry’s Rows’. Pictured are the rows a half Century AFTER this story, later in the 1940s.
Residents at Merry’s Rows , the tied miners homes belonging to Coalmasters Merry & Cunningham were rudely awoken around 4.30am on Wednesday 25th August 1892. Suddenly, and without warning, about 30 feet of the back wall of these homes collapsed.
For some time underground mine workings had weakened the wall and in the preceding week, a trench had been dug at the back hoping to improve drainage. However, heavy rain on the Tuesday 24th, soon had the trench filled with water and as it soaked away, it took the wall with it.
The collapse affected four terraced properties with the families in those homes having to evacuate in the middle of the night, though it was starting to get light. Thankfully nobody was injured and furniture was saved, neighbours putting them up until repairs could be made.
This area was plagued in future decades by subsidence and as our actual photo from the 1940s shows, the homes were never far from a dangerous collapse!
