The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-03 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 3, 1852.

1 RAWMARSH COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

THE VERDICT.

Yesterday afternoon this melancholy investigation
was brought to a close. The coroner and jury, on their
assembling at the Star lan, proceeded in the first instanee
to view the bodies of two other victims of this calamitous
oatastrophe. This addition to the list of killed swells the
number to 62. The individuals reeently dead are Timothy
Tinsley, an., a Rawmatesh,. aged 19, who expired on Wed-
nesday night, and George Studley, of Upper Haugh, aged
2S, who expired yesterilay (Thursday). On the return of
the tenser and jury to the inquest-room, the following
additional evidence was taken. _

William °moque, of Oreuhrough, miner at Earl Fits-
elitism's colliery at Swallow Wood, said : I was sent for to
the Warren Vale colliery on the morning of the ezplimioa
by Mr. Cooper to assist in getting the bodice, out of
the pit. As soon ea I got there Mr. Ooodison ordered as
and Joseph Cawthorn (also in Bart employ) to
conduct the air to the far end of the levels. We did so, and
helped to find 13 bodies. I assisted to carry some of the
bodies to the pit bottom. Seated in • horsing, I brought up
the pit shaft in_ my arms no lees than 37 dead bodies. The
top of the heed of one of these was cut nearly of, and
part of the brains fell on my shoulder. The thumb of
' another man came off in my hand while I was being drawn
up the shaft with the body in my arms. I was there IS
hours, and never sat down to rest.
Mr. Sailers, the manager of the colliery, was recalled, and
stated that the area of coal got at the pit up to the present
time was 2s. 2r. 15p. • and that the quantity In measure
was 32,566 tons of coal and slack.
Mr. Badger, the coroner, then proposed to road over the
whole of the evidence to the jury, but they intimated that
it was unnecessary to do so,
_as it was quite fresh in their re-
collection, when he proceeded at considerable length to detail
the impression, left on his mind by the evidence and the
views which be in consequence had adopted.
At half-past one o'clock the room was cleared for the jury
to deliberate upon their verdict, and they %ere thus
engaged till half-past four, when they returned the fol-
lowing verdict:
We find that the 52 men and boys whose bodies we
have viewed were accidentally killed by an explosion of
fire damp in the Warren Vale Colliery, in the parish of
Itawmarsh, in the comity of York, in the occupation of
Messrs. Charlesworth."

The verdict was accompanied by the following remarks:
The jury, after • loue and painful investigation of the
circumstances under which the unfortunate individuals lost
their lives in the Warren Vale pit on the 211th December,
have agreed to • verdict of accidental death, and they
feel that although there is no sufficient evidence
for them to return a verdict of manslaughter against
any particular person, they should ill discharge their duty
if they did not accompany their verdict with an espression
of their strong disapprolistion of the loose manner in which
the ;works appear to have been conducted at the above pit.
They further regard the instructions hitherto given to the
men quite inadequate to the proper supervision and safe
working of it. And it certainly does appear to them
that it is very desirable that there should be some stringent
mho and regulations at every colliery for the better and '
safer working of the coal mines, and further, that the pro-
prietors of every mine ought to be held by the legislature
responsible for the efficiency of their agents and superin-
tendents. They express their thanks to Mr. Morton, the
government inspector, Mr. Biram, and other witnesses, for
their valuable evidence, which so materially assisted them
in this painful inquiry.