The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-10 00:00:00

THE °RIRIE! EXPLOSION.

The adjourned inquest on the sufferers by the
explosion was held yesterday at the Bush Assembly-room,
Merthyr, before Mr. George Overton. Mr. Charles James
appeared to watch the case for Mr. Crawahey ; Mr. Plows
for Mr. Moody. The coroner having addressed the jury,
Evan Bees, sergeant of police, examined—Knew several of
the deceased, Mr. Beddoe, the Eliseo, sod others, also I
Morris and Luke, who died the next day. Viewed thirty- I
two who died the first day, and two who died the next. Two
of these belonged to another district. Mr. Charles James,
mining surveyor, examined—Gethin Pit below to Mr.
Wm. Crawshay. Produced a plan of the pit. Mr.
James described the pit, and the course adopted in its
ventilation. It is an extensive working, and has been
opened 14 or 15 years. Several seams are worked there.
There are two winding pits used as downcast, and one up-
cut, to supply air. The other, or upper, pit is sunk to the
9-foot vein, and is used entirely for that. It was in this
where the explosion occurred. The air used for the ven-
tilation of the pit was at the time of the explosion taken
down No. 2 pit. It was split in different portions, and
taken through the pit. The dimensions of pit No. 2 are
7 by 10, giving an area of 133.6 ; the depth of No. 2 is 188 yds.,
upcast is 78 yds. deep, 10ft. diameter, giving an area of 7851 t.
Mr. Moody exandoed—ls a colliery viewer for the whole of
Cyfartbfa pits, and has held that appointment for nearly 12
years. About 1,100 to I,2oocolliers are employed, and from
16,000 to 18,000 tons of coal produced per month. The plan
of ventilation put in by Mr. James was correct. It was his
duty to regulate and superintend the veotilati ,n. The plan
is correct as regards the day of the explosion., but not for
the Saturday previously, SS on that day a revision was made
of the ventilation. Measured the air on Friday. Wit-
WNW described the course and quantity. Oa the
west side 9,300 cubic feet, on the east, 5,460. The reason
he altered the course of the air was this : he found that the
cement from No. 1, after passing through abandoned
stalls and Joseph Rees' heading was getting very warm ; and
at this point the men were allowed to fire shots. His ides
in altering the air was to give them fresh au, so that they
might blast with safety. Coroner—Do you work entirely
with safety lamps in Gethin.—Yes. And allow blasting—
Yea. By men'.'—No, one man ; one is appointed fur the
purpose. After the change, on the 19th be found in the
return 5,100 feet at the bottom of retort.. J. H. Thomas,
chief surgeon of Cy farthfa, was next examined, and deposed
to the deaths having arisen from suffocation and burning.
After the adjournment at mid-day,
Mr. Moody's examination was continued. He admitted
that he kept no registry of the quantity of air, but Rees
Price, the overman, did, and sent him in a daily account,
i which he filed.

John Eynoo examined—ls a colliery manager over a
portion of the Cy farthfa collieries, and visits any of the
coal nits sometimes in company with young Mr. Crawshay,
at other timer alone. This be did by instructions. On the
day of the explosion was in Gethin pit, and happened to
be in a cross hole at the time which had no com-
munication. The doors were blown into lath.. The first
thing lie saw was a horse jammed between two trams. Going
on towards the pit, he maw great confusion ; boas were
crying, and a treat many collected together. He saw a
home blown into a tram, and underneath the horse sod
tram there was a little boy ; next he heard cries in the
sumps, and found that two boys bad been blown there;
these and a boy be heard groaning up in one of the head-
ings, were saved, though the last was totally insensible.
In his program towards the point, Joseph Reels heading,
where the explosion had been most violent, the after damp
was very strong, and he was obliged to restore a communi-
cation which had been altered on the Saturday previously
before sufficient air could be had to enter the heading. It
was hers where the most of the bodies were found, and
amongst them, whom witness named, was Bcddos, the
overman.
The inquiry was adjourned.

Einociizzln DEATH.—An inquiry was held by Mr.
John Humphrey% coroner, at the Ironmongers' Arms,
Lizard-street, St. Luke's,. yesterday evening, relative to
the death under very shocking circumstances of Mrs. Eliza-
beth Evans, aged 42 years. The deceased was the wife of a
law writer, living at 20, Lizard-street, St. Luke's, end on
last Wednesday night she was found dead with marks of
violence upon her body. Mr. Pottle, surgeon, of Bath-
street, St. Luke's, said that at • o'clock on Wednesday night
last he was called in to see the deceased. He found her
lying dead and almost in a state of nudity on the door of •
small end dirty back room. There was no bed, nor indeed
any other furniture ro the room. The deceased's clothes
consisted solely of an old skirt of • gown and an old shawl.
There was • severe contusion on the face causing a black
eye. The post morent examination showed that the deceased
bad died from disease of the lungs and boat, accelerated
by cold front want of clothes end bedding. There appeared
to be no trace of food in the deceased's system. The
miserable room in which the deceased was found dead, con-
stituting the " home," in which she had lived. The jury
expressed considerable surprise with regard to the conduct
of Mr. Evans, in keeping his wife without clothes or noose-
aary furniture. Mr. Orlando Evans, 20, Lizard.street, St.
Luke's, deposed that the deceased was his wife. The reason
the room in which they lived was denuded of furniture was,
that the deceased used to sell all tha,thiega to buy drink. She
left home three weeks ego to go and assist a Mrs. Loex in
getting reedy for Christmas. She returned on Tuesday
night last in a state of almost complete nudity, and be
refused her admission, and pushed her out. He would
swear that he did not strike her. She was brought to the
plate next evening in a dying condition, and she died that
night. The Coroner said that the conduct of Mr. Evans in
refusing shelter to his wife end thrusting her out is such
inclement weather was highly reprehensible, even if his
allegations with respect to her conduct were founded on
fact. The jury returned • verdict " That the deceased
was found deed from the mortal effects of dhow of the
lunge sod of the heart, and that her said death was seal&
rated by cold arising from the want of clothing, bedding,
and other necessaries of life."
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