The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-08 00:00:00

[STAMPED, id. ADDMORAL]

THE COLLIERY EXPLOSION NEAR BARNSLEY.

BARNSLEY, MONDAY.

The adjourned inquest on fifteen the budies
recovered frost the Oaks Colliery was resumed morn.
in before Mr. T. Taylor, coroner for the Ws.kefiel.l
dis-
tnct, in the Barnsley Court-house. Mr. Vernon Black.
burn, barrister, appeared on behalf of the proprietors of
the colliery ; Mr. Kenyon Blackwell, a commits:eller ap-
pointed by the Rome Secretary, and Mr. berjemit Rubin-
son attended on behalf of the government. Mr. hinds,
from the °dice of Meagre. Shaen and Roscoe, ::pprared on
behalf of the National Miners Aasocistion to watch the
ease in the interest of the sufferers. Mr. Dickinson. inspector
of collieries in Lancashire, was also present. Mr. Mor-
i tan, inspector for the Yorkshire district, was nu; in at-
tendance.
-

Mr. Serjeant Robinson said he thought it due to the
coroner and jury that be should state the reason why be
and Mr. Blackwell appeared there. The government
naturally felt great interest in this inquiry, bet the
action of the gut eminent was entirely independent ; they
represented no) persons, but thought it their duty to give
every facility far the fullest investigation, and whoever
had anything to adduce which they thought would throw
any. light on the matter they were anxious to have ex-
amined. They had accordingly secured the assistance of
Mr. K. Blackwell, a gentleimut of eminence, to watch
the proceedings, and he would from time to time make
such suggestions and oak such questions as he might think
would tend to throw light on the subject of the inquiry.
Thu government also thought it would not be unaccept-
able to the coroner and jury if Mr. Blackwell had legal
assistance, and this was the reason why he (nerjeant
Robinson) was present.
The Coroner said he was delighted to have the milit-
aries of such able gentlemen.
Mr. Dickinson said he wished to state that owing to the
intone anxiety and excitement caused by the recent
catastrophe, his colleague, Mr. Morton, the inspector for
this district, had so completely broken down in health,
both bodily and mentally, that he had been urgently
advised by his medical attendants to immediately
resign his office. He (Mr. Dickinson) had the certificates
of Dr. Atkinson and Mr. Ross, Mr. Morton's medical
attendants, to show that Mr. Morton was quite incapable
' of attending on the present occasion, and under these cir-
cumstances the Secretary of State had directed him (Mr.
Dickinson) to supply Mr. Morton's place.
Mr. Birnie stated that he was present to watch the
proceedings on behalf of the National Miners' Association
and the Beneficent Society of London. He had collected
a large amount of evidence in the ner.ghbouriniod, upon
which he had intended to ask questions ; but on hearing
I of the course taken by the government he hal banded
that written evidence over to Serjeant Robinson.and should
only ask leave to put such questions as he might desire to
put in reference to individual cases that might not be
touched upon in the general evidence.
The following evidence was then taken :
Smith Bates, miner, of Woraborough Common, exa-
mined :—I worked at the Oaks Colliery. I was at work in
' the new south level on the 12th ult. I went down at
5.311 a.m., and left at 12.45 p.m. I went to the box bole,
and was there about ten minutes. William Youle, a lamp
keeper, and Richard Hunt, both told me they were going
to tire a shot directly. I waited and heard the shot tired,
and then the explosion took place, and the tire wits on us
in two seconds. I was knocked down and became insensible.

I only heard one report, and saw the place all in • dame.
The shot sounded very dead, as if it bad blown through
into some workings.
By Mr. Blackwell—l have worked in the Oaks pit for
two years. We wanted more air in the bank where I
worked. We often found gas there, and there was some
there on the day of the accident, and all the day before.
We used the Stephenson lamps exclusively.
By Mr. Dickinson—There bad been gas where I worked
for many a day before the explosion. It was in the breaks
where we wed to fetch the stone from for packing. I was
not allowed to take my lamp there. The further I went
the stronger the firedamp became. We were allowed to
work under such circumstances.
By Mr. Blackburn—Sidduns, the deputy on duty, came
through that morning. A caution was put up on the
" chocks," at the entranoe to the breaks. I did not speak
to Skidoos about the gas.
By Mr. Birnie—About a fortnight before the explosion
there was • deputation of miners who went to the office to
complain of the gas.
By the Coroner—l never complained about the gas.
By the Jury—l have been 2-i years ip coal cedars. The
coal was very solid and very bad to get.
William I oule, examined by the Coroner—l am a lamp
keeper at the Oaks Colliery, and have been there a year.
I stand near the pit bottom between the two shafts.
On--ale 12th of last month, when I got down
• at six o'clock in the morning, I gut my lamps
' ready for the miners, and after dinner I went down
in the stone drift. Between 12 and 1 o'clock John Clayton
and Richard Hunt, who had been working in the drift,
came and had dinner in the lamp-office, which is also called
the box-bole. Afterwards John Robson and Richard Hunt
went round to see if the drift was through, and they asked
me to give them a stroke from the face of the drift so that
they might hear if the drift was bored through. John
Clayton sou at the drift face when I got there. He had
his drill in the bole ready for me to strike, and
I struck • few strokes. When Hunt and Rob-
son came back I asked how it sounded, and
Hunt said it sounded as if it was through nearly.
John Robson and I then measured the drift with a tape,
and we made it a little over or a little under Oa; palls. I
said, " You had better draw your drill awl charge if it's
nearly through." There was a six foot drill in the bore,
and Clayton could just take bold of the end awl turn the
drill while I struck. Hunt said to Clayton, Draw out
the drill, and we will charge," and I went away to the
lamp office. I was preparing to relight the gas lamps at
the pit bottom, which were always blown out by a blast,
and in a quarter of an hour or 20 minutes the shot was
tired. I was running with a safety lamp from the
lamp office when the blast occurred, and (had
only got • few yards when the pit bottom was
Olin a dame. I tried to fight any way out of the flame,
and heard the sound of a chair falling down the pit shaft,
and then fell down insensible, When I came to nay menses
I saw the cage come down and jumped into it. I was
much burnt and was taken home. Thegas lamps that
used to be blown out by the blasting were about the pit
bottom and down the engine plane. Wilson, the shot tire,
used to help me to re-light the gas lamps. They talked of
Mlle/ the drill hole as full =they could and &in.., it. It
might hold half a stone weight of powder, but I could not
say exactly.
By, Mr. Blackwell—The blast only sounded a little
louder than usual. I heard the blast fired and then another
loud report, which I thought was the sound of • chair
falling down the shaft. It might have been the bound of
another explosion. If I found anything wrong with a
miner's lamp I used to report him. I did not often receive
damaged lamps—sometimee not one for many weeks, some-
times two in a week. There were 431 lamps, of which
about 400 were in work. The gas lamps were lit about
400 yards down the engine plane. The gaslainps were not
put out more than MO yards below the pit bottom.
By Mr. Blackburn—l know the damaged lamps
duced. One of them was damaged two years ago. Another,
a new lamp, was damaged a few months ago by John Bates.
I remarkedthat it was • pity a new lamp like that should
be damaged. Another was slightly elamaged the night
before the explosion by a miner named Hamden. He said
it had fallen off the nail. The glees and one or two of
the wires were broken. Ramadan is dead. 1 have found
lamp. unlocked.
By Mr. Dickinson—There were two lamp station" down
the engine plane. At the bottom one there w.“l 1.0 gas.
light, but a safety lamp with the top off was kept there
for the purpose of lighting the other lamp.
Can you tell how many shots were fired on the day of
the explosion!—Only that which fired the pit. It was
800 yards to the station where the lamp was kept with
the top off.
Something has been said about a shot having been
fired on the stein outside the drift ?—I can only say
that I went there about 10 o'clock in the morning to see
if the drift was nearly through, and no shot Lid then
been fired outside the drift. I saw no drill hole there.
There were a few loose piece. of 'done on the steps ; they
bad been shaken down by the shots fired from the face of
the drift. Sometimes there were two shots tired by break-
fast time ; sometimes there were three. There had been
none tired on the day of the explosion up to breakfaud
time.
Robert Thompson examined I am a miner, and worked
in the old south level at the Oaks pit at the time ..f the
explosion. Iwa in the lamp-office when the explosion
occurred. Youle told me they were going to tire a shot,
and asked me to go into the lamp-office while it was
firael. I heard the shot fired, and thought it was not
quite so loud as usual. The lame instant the dame en-
veloped me and knocked me down. I was afterwarl• led
out of the lamp-office and drawn up the shaft. There
was gas in the break of my hank, but not in the working
face. I never complained about the air, but I have toll
Christopher Siddons of the gas, alai ire told um to keep
my lamp away. I have known there was gas by its
putting my lamp out. When my lamp went out I uaed
to send it by one of the drivers to be relighted. I ...eke.
times borrowed • spare lamp. I always kept my lamp
locked.
By Mr. Blackwell—T have worked in the pit about Id
years. The air was good on the face side. It would be a
very long time before the roof of &goat would fall. When
the roof fell it would force the gas out upon na—econte,
times suddenly and sometimes nut for an hour or two.
When the gas was forced out it would sometimes put my
lamp out.
By Mr. Dickinson—My place was 13 or 14 yards wide,
and there were three pocked walla, each four feet wide,
reaching to the roof. 'The roof was rather over five feet
high where it had sunk, but the oral was seven or eight feet
thick. I was not frightened of the gas. If a bit of stone
had fallen and broken the glass of the lamp, the gm was

[TWOPENCE

strong enough in the Ist,:aks to Live taken fire. About nine
o'clocic on the morning of the explosion Christopher Sid.
dons Same and put down the work I had dote. told
me to keep my lampoot }steak. I hsul just thet. told
him there was plenty u gas in tbe break. I have 11,-vie
cottr..itt. d to the tuin.n,' ..luion of the gas in the pit.
The fire at the time of the explosion came from the
dneet: ut- et. d. I heard the report of the
shot LePte fitwt. nad the flute knocked me down, and then
I heard another r..i.ort like L. c.asir falling down el.( -:raft.
Here' •! ntir. , !A I. W:ls next examined—He sail,
am a I ...t•in curter. and wan employed in the Oaks I'it. I
was r:tllP:o7,,i under IVilltau. Poole. On the day of the
esi.'..)E.,u I w.,‘ t p,rt of the pit cilled the Sk V': nth
Ho!.' t ' .. n:e while going back I was
sud:culj. b:.• •..niiethiag, I cannot say what, :ttia I
cattrem I.cl r.w.hing more.
.

R >he. t Cad:. to ei.7uinel —I am a fireman and hav, 1,1101/
en.:.: 1,0 yeara at the oaks Pit, six years ma fintnaa.
On the IV 41!t of toa itt. Isecemher I went down the pit,
at L o'clock, with Retest G. Mitchell, a Ind who
ine.! t., .!.) i.e the I top. Matthew Haigh and
Dilly \V.I.:on, who were also firemen, went down the
Fame ri;ht I took the .o. 7 level district, the south
ra,, from the pit bottom up to No. 2 Jenny.
My.l w t. put up the sheeting, or bratticing. and
state of the workings. I found gos in six
of the fxs:-teen b antis t! ere were in that level. Where I
saw gt, I mark Id the fa,t on the "chocks," writing
" fire' in capita letters. that being the regular signal is
such c 3. I 3ot back tv the lamp office about four oclock,
and th.it r, sorted to Christopher Siddons what I had
seen and doye. Siddons entered the report in a
book. stlbas was under steward of my district. I and
Billy \\T.,.)r. hung on two full caves, as a signal that the
pit h A been evan.ined and was safe. I had no occasion to
make r!.. d ‘nzer .i.rnal. The whole of the banks were, is
wy °pins Jo. safe to work in, only there was gas in the
I breaks.

1.:3,
wine.

—I Raw n 3 ur.usual quantity of gas in the

Mr. 13 tckweli—The gas tru in the breaks and be-
hind th.- C.l7:k‘. The men had to go where the gas was
in thy or hal-y coarse of their work, but they had no need
to take their iAllp1) with them. The position of the gas
cha: r,,..0.10. an a corve will frequently drive the air
one way or the other. The fall of part of the roof will
ootnetintes push the Ins out. I have known such a thin
happen when I have bh.n going out.
Th-• in ;u:ry was proceeding when our parcel was des-
patched.

TH2 CuLL!SRV EXPLOSIONS Fr so. —Altlintigh
the Mansion-Louse Committee di.l not hold a formal sit-
ting yesterday, the contributions to the fund raising for
the r !her or the sufferers by the two terrible colliery ex-
plosi Ramsley end Silk continued to flow in. Among
the su:: received up to 2 o'clock were the following :
Penny suip.criptions by Messrs. Charles Blyth and Co.,
41/. 1::a. ; offertory at the English church of Carrabach,
near Nixr. IRs. ; collection at t'pton and Slough,
14'. 14, ; the Clothworkers Company, 10a. ; Mr.
Ralph Elliott. pi% Pia. ; Messrs. Mann. Cronniart, and
Pau.lin.Jlf. 10s. ; Mr. Charles and Lady Harriet Raimiloa,
13/. ; 24..nars. Krautler and Misville, 10/. 10s. ; the vicar
and churchwardens of Dorking,2ol. ; Mr. Alexander Bell,
10/. ; Mr. Thomas Turner, W. ; Mr. tiouldrworth, 2UI. ;
Mr. J. H. Smith. 21f. ; the Rev. H. I.:. Talbot, 101. ;.
Maas. Hodgkinson, Tooge, and Co., 2,1 t. ; the gentlemen
of the rtubate.odite, 61. Itla. ed.