The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-15 00:00:00

THE LATE DREADFUL COLLIERY
ACCIMLNT AT BEDMINSTER.

Yesterday, the coroner, J. B. Grindon, Esq., re-
sumed his inemiry at the Had Cow Inn, Bedminster, upon
the bodies of Robert Moffatt, Philip !'ring, Thomas Pike,
Wm. Smith, and Wm. Webster, who it will he rement-
' bored were all killed on Saturday, morning last by the
breaking of a rope at the Malago 1, ale Colliery, Bedmin-
ster. The inquiry seemed to excite great interest, espe-
cially among the working population, who surrounded the
ion where it took place in considerable numbers.
Mr. Wm. Bevan, of Bristol, attended to watch the pro-
ceedings on the part of the proprietors of the colliery. Mr.
Sabine, of Bedminster, represented the survivors of Prim;
and Smith; and Mr. Ayre, of the firm of Ayre and Calder,
of Bristol, the survivors of Webster, Moffatt, and Pike.
Before proceeding with the examination of the witnesses,
The Coroner said he thought it was right he should state
to the jury that, in compliance with the requisition of the
act of parliament, he on Saturday evening wrote to Sir
George Grey, her Majesty's Secretary of State, informing
hint that an inquest on the bodies of the five men hail been
commenced, and that it had been adjourned till 2 o'clock
this day. Ile had received no reply to that I otter, and
from his having had no communication on the sub ect he
I
conceived that no inspector would be sent down. le un-
derstood that some professional gentlemen attended, and,
as representing different parties, he should be obliged to
any persons, professional or otherwise, who could bring any
evidence forward that would tend tot brow light on the
matter. lie should state that many individuals had spoken
to him on the subject, and that various suggestions had
been made to him. Those which commended themselves to
his judgment lie should act upon, and any persons who
could give evidence he wished Marton' and do so.
Francis Smith was then sworn. He deposed that he was
a collier, but did not work at the Malmo pit. On Saturday
morning he heard of the accident, and us he had a brother
among those who descended in the cart at the time 1 hen
the rope parted he came to the colliery for the purpose of
ascertaining whether he was hurt. Remained at the. pies
mouth, and was present when the bodies were brought up
in the afternoon. Knew all the partiew. They were those
of Robert Moffatt, Thomas Pike, Philip Pnug,
Smith (witness's brother), and William Vs ebster. Did not
know bow their deaths were caused of his own knowledge,
but believed, speaking between man and man, that if there
had been a stage at the bottom of the shaft to cover the
water, three of them might have been saved.
George Cook, a boy 1 t years old, was next examined. Ile
deposed—l am employed ut the Malago colliery. On
Friday night it was my duty to go down the
pit, and I got into the cart in order to
do PO with the deceased men. I was let out at the top vein.
The others went to the bottom vein. I saw the cart descend
from the top vein. Just after they were gone, w hen I was
in the vein about 311 yards, and going down the "gug," I
heard the noise of the rope falling. I went to the shaft
again, with 14 men, who had heard the noi.e with me.
When we got to the shaft the rope had fallen to the bottom,
and we neither saw nor heard anything then. We remained
in the top vein till five in the afternoon, when we were
hauled up by a flat rope, in another cart. The di ceased
had been previously gut up. Betbre we went down the pit
the engineer, George Parker, said, "Be I right, or be I
wrong, I can't see the ' witness' of the rope ?" The
" witness" is a piece of string tied round the rope for the
engineer to see where to stop, There are two " witnesses,"
one for the top vein, and one for the bottom. Before we
went down we asked Mr. Pillinger, the foreman of the
works, what was the cause of the rope turning round. It
was turning while we were speaking. We were not then
in the bucket, but while we were going down Mr. Pillinger
told Arthur Britton, a collier, to go and look at the rope,
but we did not ,e him do so. I never saw the rope twist
round in that way before. I was not frightened at it. I
have been employed in coalpits fir little more than six
months. Pillinger, in my hearing, said he would have the
rope spliced after we were gone down. The rope need nut
be taken oft the drum to hue spliced, but might he lashed to
the sides of the pit. Nothing was said about the rope as
weJoYregluisn—glio John Eli anksman at the Malago Coal J'it, and
saw the five persons who were killed get into the cart with
the boy Cook. it was at about 3 iu the morning. I saw
nothing to lead me to apprehend danger. I remained at
my pest till the rope broke, which was in about five
minutes niter they left the surface. I saw the rope part, it
broke within my sight, at about 10 or 12 feet from the
mouth of the pit.
Coroner—Previous to its breaking, did you observe any-
thing unusual—any quivering or twisting?
11, itness—Yes, I did see it turn round just before our sig-
nal came down to stop. It was just before it broke. It did
nut turn round all the way, but only partly round—the end
turned towards the engine house. I did not hear any cry
when it broke, or any splash. I have worked at the pit
thenw cartsthcaortf exal , take
alma twelve months, and have been banksman about eight
mouths. \ly duty was
sec
saw
y to
of
o
the blacksmith, or fir.
rt, the
t
rhe kiy, danger,.a:asg,lways u basnk:auttii
ornaelat roi:t2;(linvi
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aken
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wide and 215 fathoms in length. It was joined together by
iron plates, and consists of three pieces not of equal length.
A piece of fiat rope, with iron rivets at the join, was now
produced, and several witnesses were called to identity it.
Among them was.
Wnt. Broiling, to whose attention the coroner pointed
nut end the naliug hint whctber In his judg-
ment it had been cut or broken. The witness, after some
hesitation, said it was his belief that it had broken there.
It should be stated that this was close to the iron!
joins, at one end of which the rope appeared to leave
beenhave been employed at
torn out. bsit:ifort:eidrhewsipjot,"ol,l,

Richard Brookman, the blacksmith of the works, deposed
that he made the splicing of the rope, and put it in him-
self. Ile recognised the rivets in the piece produced. The
piece was part of the upper end of the ro nest to the
pe,
drum. He knew it was part of that which fell into the
pit, IS he saw it brought out. Wituess bud not seen the
end of the rope which had been left on the drum.
The coroner directed the police to produce it. [The threads
were all unravelled, and had evidently given way.]
Witness continued—lle had frequently been ordered by
Mr. Pi'linger to look after the rope when he went to the
pit. Ile diought this rope was brought to the pit about 12
months ago wheal he assisted in fitting it to the drum. It
came, he believed, from Moore and Hewitt's at Wapping.
They did not send any of their people to assist in fitting.
Witness and William Husell did the splicing; the rope was
at first only in one piece, but an old piece of smaller size
was taken oil the drum, towards the lower end of the old
rope, and they spliced the new one to the upper end. The
old rope was joined in several places by iron splices. The
part that was broken on Saturday morning was in the new
rope; it never broke before, but within the last fortnight a
piece was cut out, nearly four feet long, and the rope was
spliced in that place.

The Coroncr'Lls this (the piece produced) that new
spkifs ?

. -
Witness—Yes; the rope broke near the new splice,
which was put in by Mr. Stewart's directions. The new
splice was put in directly it occupied about two hour..
Atter it was put in, the cart was employed in hauling up
coal for four or live hours before any man was allowed by
Mr. Stewart to cuter the cart ; all the bands were then in
the pit.
The Coroner asked the witness whether, in hi.; opinion,
the piece, at its rugged end, had been cut or broken ?
The witness replied that, in his opinion, it mot hare
been broken, and comparing it with the piece which had
been cut off the drum, he believed that the parting of
the rope had occurred at the splicing. Had never been
spoken to by Pillinger, the bailiff, concerning the badness
of the rope. Had not heard the men complain of it, and
say that they could pull pieces of hemp out of it.
The coroner inquired who it was that directed the por-
tion of the rope, when the splicing took place, to he
cut out from it.

Witness said he cut out one piece, but considering that
he had not gone far enough at one end he cut a bit fur-
ther. He eut as much as he thought necessary. Did not
consider that if he had cut further the accident might
have Ia en avoided. if he hail cut 10 feet further it
could not in his opinion have been more safe. Mr.
Stewart slid not see the splice before it was used. There
was no inspection of it by Mr. Stewart or Mr. Pillinger
The cart weighs .5 or 6 cwt., the bonnet f cwt., and the
cart loads are about a tun, more or less. Heard no com-
plaint from the men after the s!ilicing as to any danger.
If any complaint hail been made of the rope, he should
have remedied the cause without consulting Mr. Stewart,
even stopping the works if necessary. An occurrence of
that sort happened about a month ago, when he observed
something the matter with a part of the rope near a
splice, and re-spliced the part after cutting out about a foot
and a halt of the rope. That was at another splice, not at
that now produced.
By Mr. lk van—On Friday night I examined the rope
with the beadsman Ellis. Could observe no sign of any
fracture in it. When we examined it it was about 12
o'clock at night. We had the light of a large fire, and We
also used candles. We looked all round the rope. Should
think it was as strong at a splice as anywhere.
Arthur Brittan—Ou Saturday mondwz, between 2 and 3
o'clock, I came up ice the same cart that the men that went
down were killed in. I observed nothing in the rope of a
suspicious character. It was out of my sight.
Coroner—You mean that you did not look at it with a
, scrutinising eye ?
Witness—l did not examine it.
Coroner—Was anything said to you to lead you to believe
! that there was anything the matter with the rope ?
Witness—On the Saturday morning, after I came out,
Henry Pillinger asked me to stand by his side, that he and
I might examine the splice where the rope was low enough
for us to see it. 1 had no chance to see the splice ; for, be-
fore it came down that I could ate it, the rope broke. The
rope began to turn, and Pillinger said, " Arthur, that rope
is turning." I cast my eyes up, and I don't think that I
had time to speak before the rope broke. I did not under-
stand that Pillinger called my attention to the rope on ac-
count of anything be had seen before I came out of
the pit.
Henry Watts deposed that he had worked at the colliery
for about nine months. lied heard the men between them-
selves express dissatisfaction about the rope, but they never
explained it to the masters. They were afraid of the rope,
not thinking it good enough for the work. It did not seem
safe. It was partly an old rope. Dist not blame the whole
of the rope, but only a part of it. Never had any idea that
the part which broke would do so. The oldest part was at
the other end, the part that went down the pit first. Did
not speak to the matters because " men don't like to speak
their minds."