The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-11 00:00:00

THE PEILYDELE muissr.

PONTYPRIDD, Mosn.a.
11 The examination of Mr. Adams, the consulting
viewer, was contirmed during the whole of the afternoon.
He went on to s►y that he bad taken the measurement of
the air in the return air courses on the 25th July, when
he found 35,540 cubic feet per minute passing through the
Rhondda district, 25,380 through the Blunllechan dis-
trict, and 29,300 in the Duffryn working,. The area
cif coal in work wee from 80 to 90 acres, and the
number of men and boys generally employed :140.
No register of their names we, kept, so that there
was no means of detecting whether any me,
went into the pit who did not belong to the pit's comple-
ment. It frequently happened that a collier took down
strangers to assist him whose names were not on O.e wages
book. The witness then went into a technical description
of the ventilation of the pit, which is unintelligible with.
out a plan. At the conclusion of his evidence the court
adjourned.

TCEADAY.
The inquiry was resumed this morning, the crown being,
as before, represented by Mr. Wales, the inspector, and the
owners of the pit by Mr. C. H. James. The deputation
from the National Association of Miners also attended.
Mr. Adams's examination continued—The Blaenllechan
district is situated on the east side of the pit, the Rhondda
on the west and the Duffryn on the south. The coal
varies in thickness from 41 feet to 71 feet. The inclina-
tion of it varies, being 21 inches in some places, rarely
exceeding that, and in other places undulating. The
level course should be a little north-west and rising to the
north, but that varies also. The coal is worked by means
of an Inclined plane, by an engine on the surface, from the
Blaenllecti. The plane is about 400 yards from the pit
The Rhondda is worked at present by a long straight
heading rising 24 inches in the yard, and is about 1,000
yards long, part of which level we are now about to convert
into a self-acting incline. The Duffryn is worked by'
horse-power by a heading dippeaing to the south about 700
yards. The ventilation of the south aide was conducted
through a dumb drift into the two-foot-nine coal, and
thence into the op-cut. The other districts had separate
returns which joined at the ventilating furnace. There was
one horse found alive nine days after the explosion near
No. 4 heading. There was a roll running from north to
south through the whole of the workings, and throwing the
coal eight or ten yards to the east. This roll was a series
of overlaps of the coal, as if at some time there
had been an enormous lateral preens throwing it
up—doubling it up. There were twenty horses killed,
There were three in the engine plane ; and the others were
found in various other parts of the workings. The horses
near the bottom of the pit were leas burnt than those
further in in the workings. Those at the top of the incline
on the wet district were all badly burnt. Ono of the
horses was blown from the east side into the sump. All
the men and horses employed in the Dutfryn distract and
the workings on the south side of the engine plane in the
Iffssullechan district came out alive, and there were no
tracer of the explosion in those place. All employed in
the dip workings on the north side also came out alive.
1 believe the effects of the fire extended through the whole
of the headings beyond the incline in the Rhondda side,
and through the rise workings in the Blaenllechan district.
Coroner—Can you give us an opinion where the explcs
sion originated ?
Mr. Adams—My own opinion is that there were two
separate and distinct explosions, the first of which origi-
nated in the Illaanllechan, or east district. The foss of
bthioewnexpalwaosiyon.patrearse
retunito
sati.uve
cgokneurossoff itnhtrohnathdistaeoprietpaingnd
near the stable, and into the down-cast abaft. There was
a door which would have been flown down if it had gone
to the up-cast.
Mr. Wales—Suppose that bad been the second explo-
sion ?

1-6. Adams—l think the amine would have been the

Coroner—And as to the second explosion
Mr. Adams—Well, the effect of the blast going up the
down uat would Its to stop the passage of any fresh air
into the Rhondda workings for a time, and then some gas
ly became liberated in that working, came down the
ratbngs, and exploded. The iron doors at the furnace
were blown inwards, and the effect of the blast corning
down the returns would be to blow them inwards. A brick
bridge near the furnace was also blown inwards. I cannot
say in what direction the doors were blown.
William Jones—l was bankaman at the Ferndale col-
liery on the 9th of November. I had been banksman
about four months. I was there the day of the explosion.
About half-past 1 o'clock in the daytime I was at work at
the top of the pit. I was standing about a yard from the
top of the pit waiting for the cage to come up the pit,
being at work at the time. I then heard a laud report
like a cannon, and then saw a black smoke arising from
the pit. The effect of it staggered me, and I was nearly
knocked down. It stopped the pit from working for a
few minutes. The engineer could not reverse the engine
to raise another tram. There was something at the
bottom of the pit. It afterwards went on again, and
drew up the cage, and there was a tram of coal
on it, and the coal wu not disturbed. I did not
hear anything afterwards. I did not hear • second report,
nor see smoke Wale up a second time. If it had I shoal
have seen it. I wss not insensible. lam sure I did not
hear or see more than one explosion.
By Mr. Wales—The engineer stopped the engine in eon-
sequence of having heard the report. I believe he said he
felt the weight lighten, the carriage was blown up a little,
and the rope was slackened.
By the Coroner—l did leave the pit on hearing the
report. I \vent to see where the eagineman was. My cap
was blown off by the blast. I did run away a little when
I heard the explosion. I was frightened and ran to the
lump room first. I did not know for a little time what
bad happened. I never worked below.
By Ili. Wales— l am master bankanian at the pit, and
have sole management of it. I let down about eight men
at a time. I did not let any stranger down, unless he was
going along with some other men. If a stranger cams
there and got upon the cage, I should ask him where be
was going, and if he answered that he was going to work
with another collier who was present, I would let him go
down without his having a note from the overman. Any
of the old colliers there could take a strange man
down the pit with him if he thought proper. I
was employed in the day-time only. There were
not banksmen at night as the pit was not worked at night.
I was employed there from 6in the morning until half-
past 6or , at night. There is an engineer there at night,
and he lets down the firemen without the bankantan.
There are not hitchers employed there at night either.
There is an enginewan engaged at night, but uo banks-
man or hitcher. I give signal to the engineer when any-
one wants to come up the pit. I let the firemen up gene-
rally about 7 o'clock in the morning. The firemen all
came up that morning between 6 and 7, and went down
again.
By one of the jury—There did some strangers go down the
pit on the morning of the explosion. They went down
with the firemen about 8 o'clock. There are men working
in the pit at night. They go down before I leave.
By the Coronet—There were about r,o men working at
night about the time of the explosion.
By the deputation—l do not know of any of the work-
men coming out any day in consequence of the gas in the
works. I did not remember Esau Hodges coming out on
that account, nor any other men. Many men came up in
the day time, but they did not tell me why they came.
It was usual for the tools to be sent down in a tram after
the workmen. Ido not remember them taking their tools
themselves. I do not know of any men having to come
back from their working on account of gas there after
having been sent to their place by the fireman.

A letter from Paris says :—" What a windy,
(sold, comfortless, sad place is the interior of the great
iron cage in the Champ de Mars at the present moment !
With the exception of the Turks and Swiss, the world has
packed up and gone, although there are thousamls of OM
yet waiting the will of the railway people to he carried to
all quarters of the globe. Knocking down and tearing up
and transporting is going on in the building as well as in
the surrounding garden ; but something of tLis wonderful
garden will be spared es a memorial of the Exposition
Internationale of 1867; the only obstacle to it, fulfilment
being, not how small • portion of the decorated scene
shall be retained, but rather how large A space can be
taken from the plain without detriment to its military
utility."
YORKSHIRE .SOCIETY.—The great exbibition Of
the above society was opened at York yesterday. and the
display of cattle, sheep, pigs, kc., was very fine. The
award of the principal praxes was as follows :—For the
hest ox, not exceeding three years, first prize of 101. and
a cup of the value of 251., given by the president freed
Londesborough), Mr. G. Taylor, of Sewerley-cottasßrid-
lington-quay. For the best heifer, not emcee • four
years old, first prise of 10/. and a cup of the value 20/.,
given by the corporation of York, Sir W. C. Trevelyans
Wallington, Neweaatle.ou-Tyne. In these classes Mr. J. W.
Pease, M.P., Darlington, took the second prizes. For the
best ox, not exceeding four years old, silver challenge ell
and 51., Mr. 11. H. Harris, Barnhill, Ferree, N.B. For the
lest ox of any age, 51. and a silver cup, Mr. R. H. Herds.
Far the best cow and heifer, 51. and a ail, er cup, Mr. J.
Reid, Gtaystone, Alford, N.B. For the beet ho, tied Higb•
land cow or heifer, 5/. and a silver cup, Sir W. C. Ire-
, velyan. Lord Weadock and Captain Gunter took prites
for sheep, and the prize of V. and a silver cup for the bed
pen of sheep was won by Mr. G. Wright. of Broughton.
Malton. The prise of 3/. and a silver cup for the best Pig
were taken by Mr. J. Sept, of Liater.hilL, Bradford. The
entries numbered between 700 and 800.
HOSPITAL FOR DUMAS= OF THE HEART, 67,
HARGARZT.ETITET, W.-111• number of patients relieved
'during last week was 117.