The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-01-04 00:00:00

CLEINT.

THE HOMER HILL COLLIERY
EXPLOSION.

The adjourned inquiat WAS 11141 oil Wednesday last, at
ti,s Maypole lute, (radii y, before It. Dock, r, Buil . Colo.
SWF, touehilig the deaths of John Weetwood,
Ederards, Jesse Th ttttt . Hestlietwk, Francis Barrel.
itentelbii. David Hart, George Griffiths. cud
Gordon, whose death. were emeed by au explo-
sion at the Homer Hill (Joinery.
Mr. Janiee Swivalnll, sea and Mr. Frank Evers were
present at the enquiry. Messrs. Tettnw aud Breakwell
also attended as a depu4tiou how the gather Mina
Association.
The first witness called was Isaiah Foley, who deposed :
I lire at Homer Hill House, Cradley, Rod am a musing
surveyor apt Homer Hill Colliery. The name of the
fire is Swindell, Evers, aol Sens. and the preprieters
are Messrs. Jallleo4 Evers Swindell, Charles Evers Swirl.
dell, and Prank Evers. I eurainae a plan el the north
side WOI kings, which ii correct. I did cot go into the
workings aid day.
Ilmoy Poles. deposed : I live et Homer llill House. I
inn one of the chartermastere. Imieh 11 Aker is ilia
other. Ile is lily partner. On the 11th et November I
was in the pit at the tinie of the explosion, which was
about half past caveat in the miming. It took piece hi
Civ mirth workings by the gatewev, about seventy yards
from where the miners metro weriCing. I bad been wi1:1
them a:I the morning. The melt were getting thick coal,
: Smile were le,plpn rit`iers gAting thick cal.
lip Mr. link ;r : The nom were working in the 9-foot
workirigs, except those In the band.
Witness continued : I wes evertaken by a sudden reels
of uir, and blown down. Ilu not u member ne,viiiit a
step after I WAS bIOWII down. When t eame to inyeelf I
idols my way to the enteway. I was uncoil:Amoo for a
don't thilik aiiy one passed me. Wile° I got
up I was very giddy, like a druuken neon. I Was AOlo it
w ilk, and gioped my way to the bottom id Cie ehaft.
whielt Was about four hundred yard.. I MIS carrying a
ciindle at the time I WAS blown down. It was wine tiam
before I knew that there had been an explosion. • A boy
named Matthew Brook, alas being got out of a cog'. As
soon es I got to the shaft I signaled for the cage to come
down. 'I hey said the cage had got fast, and could not.
I afterwards dhanwered that the cage lied Leen blown rip
the shaft mine seventy yards. I then told them to ile•
loch ;he drum barrel so as to get the men up the ether
shaft. All the men walked to the mouth of the pit ia•
apt three. There were 31 in the north side and nine
in the other, at with that morning. Twenty-ou° were
injured. The whole of the men made their way to the
bottom of the shaft, and were got up as speedily as p,,s•
sale. I had them taken into the stable out of the air,
and found that three were missing named Edwards,
(lama, and Jenkies. The whole ware got out by half.
pest ten. Guest iveaa the (rat got up. I asked- him if
there were any others down. Ile said, " Yes, Jenkies
and Guest are conscious, hut unable to walk." Jenkins
was burnt; but he was injured must from after-damp.
Theme, then went lite the works Red found Edward.,
who was unconscious. He bed been blown against the
sides.
f One of the jurymen here stilted that Edwards wee
burnt very badly.]
Witness continued: I stopped in the pit until all the
seen were out, auil the pit wee clear. I went down the
pit next morning about nine o'clock, with Mr. Swindell,
jun. Two of the men hail previously been down to
look after the horses. I found one of the skips had been
blown off the rails, and another skip had been unloaded.
One horse had been blown over and killed. Some of
the doors had been blown out, and others injured, and
the ventilation In consequence cat of. Th. dant in the •
first crossing were injured. The doors in each of the
cress roenal were tome or less injured. I examined the
place next morning, cud found there had Leen a fall of
•• shut," which tuck place attic, back opening, whieh was
ten yard. wide by thirty-two yards long. " Shut" had
fallen before the morning of the 11th, Lint an additional
qemitity had faller' on that morning. It was not followed
by water. Del net got the coal from under the rubbish.
Previous to the men beginning to work on the morning
of the 1101, I sent Edward Foley. jun., to examine the
• works with a luau named William Heifer). I was at the
• top ef tha pit sending the isma down. A few minutes
peat six I went down the pit to net the men on to work.
MI not examine the pit. Everything eppeared safe.
There was no indication of gain It is not usual to exam-
ine o here '' allot " has fall vu, es life would Le end angered.
I hat lapel discovered gem previous to the explosi tttt the
Lack opening. When I have found a little ges I /MVO
"brushed "it out. The hill of stint took place round
the fissure. 'The fall of ,lint would &iv., the gas into
the workings. Gas aceuni elated from time to time, but
not to may extent. The ibeir was not erung enough to
drive it out from the back openitig. The current of air
had been taken away in order to ventilate the workin-s
fur the men.

By Mr. Baker The gas most god its way to the winks
man's cat din. The doggy Innt the pricker to examine
the workings, with which lie could reach twenty•five fit.
All above Inn could not t, II anything about. If gas listed
that morning it would drive the gas all over the work-
ing.. I inn.. adepted mean, to examine that space,
which was at the ri.k of a man's life. It has not keen
the practice for me to go up into the" shut " to examine
the workings. I have not known the men working [mare
where gas was accumulated. had there been Vie least
indication of gas, I should have withrawn the men. I
was informed that morning that everything was tate.
My objest in going down the pit every morning it to see
that the workings are iota. I liad no idea there was any
gas in the workiags, at my time the men were at work.
lly a Juryman: There was no explosion six weeks pros
' Lions to the 11th. A candle was put op by • pricker, cad

Printod end Puhlinhed V the Sole Proprietor. SIMEON
FIELD. at his linet.V. A 2. ,11. street litourbridge, in
the County of Worcester : to t, Moll place CI letters sad
other cornumnicstions must be iehlrossed.
Sintuxiiny, January 4, ISA,.