The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-08 00:00:00

DREADFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

The adjourned inquest upon the bodies of the six
men who were unfortunately killed in the Park
Colliery, Baglan, near Briton Ferry, on Friday, the
26th ult., was held in the Town-
hall, Neath, on
Monday last, before Mr. Alex. Cuthbertson, coroner.
Mr. Thomas Evans, the Government inspector of
the South Wales district, was present to watch the
proceedings on behalf of the Crown, and Mr. I. R.
Tripp, solicitor,, of Swansea, on behalf of the pro-
prietors of the colliery, Messrs. Thomas, Son, and
Co. The evidence was exceedingly voluminous, but
the facts may be briefly stated. From the evidence
given it appears that the Park Colliery is the pro
perty of Messrs. Thomas and Co,, and has been corn
paratively recently opened. The explosion occurred
about a quarter to 8 o'clock on the morning of Fri-
day, and took place in the east side of the six-feet
vein, where fourteen men were then at work.
Wm. Woczley was the general manager of the
colliery, and he deposed that the six-feet vein
was considered a " fiery" or 'dangerous working
place, and the men were consequently required
to work with locked safety lamps. This rule,
however, did not seem to have been invariably
attended to, as on the previous day some of
the men were working in the three-feet vein
with their lamps uncovered. William Thomas
acted as the overman about two days before the
accident, but had been engaged in the pit for four
or five months before, and knew the whole of the
workings. He had not any special directions given
him about the lamps, as he was supposed to know
the duties of overman. The rules regulating the
colliery required the overman to inspect the whole
of the working places before the men descended the
pit in the morning. William Thomas, the overman,
went down the pit about 7 in the morning. Several
workmen went down in the cage with him, and
others followed immediately, but they remained at
the bottom of the shaft, and did not proceed to work.
There were 24 men in the pit at the time of the ex-
plosion, 14 being in the six-feet vein. Of these 14
three were killed on the spot, viz., Richard Edwards
(suffocated), 54 ; Thomas Griffiths (suffocated), 41 ;
and Francis Jenkins (suffocated), 18. Six others
were also dangerously burnt, of whom three have
since died, making six deaths. The whole distance
to be traversed by the overman in inspecting the
workings was about 470 yards, and it would take
him about half an hour. The overman had special
instructions given him not to allow the men to go
to work until he reported all safe. The day before
the accident he (William Woozley) was in the pit,
and considered it quite safe for the men to work.
Believed the colliery properly ventilated, consider-
ing its size. The safety lamps were not locked on
the moment of the accident. He found some li tle
gas in the pit on the Thursday evening, but did not
consider it dangerous ; some of the men were work-
ing in the three-feet vein without the lamps being
covered, but he did not find fault with them for
so doing. William Thomas, upon being examined,
said he had only acted as overman for two days
before the accident. He went to the pit some-
what later than usual on the morning of the ac-
cident, and on the way he was met by Mr. Wooz-
ley, the manager, who told him to make haste, as
he feared an accident. He went down the pit, and
found that several men were then sitting at the bot-
tom of the shaft. He told them to sit where they
were, and not to go to work until he retired from
inspecting the works. He examined the three-feet
vein first, and when there heard the " puff of fire"
_ _

come from the six-feet vein. He admitted that it
was his duty to see that all the lamps were locked
before the men went to work. Had not locked any
of the lamps that morning. He found some gas in
some of the stalls when be examined the colliery in
the morning. Believed the colliery sufficiently ven-
tilated. A door had been put at the bottom of the
pit since the accident. Could not say whether that
had improved the ventilation. John Evans, a col-
lier at work in the west heading at the time of the
explosion, stated that he left his work about five
o'clock on the evening previous to the explosion.
There was gas in his heading when he left, but he
kept it down by brushing it out with his waistcoat.
The overman knew this very well. Some of the men
went down the pit on the morning of the accident
before the overman. W. Thomas, the overman, told
witness not to go to work until after he came back;
but two men, not hearing these orders, went to the
six-feet vein before the return of the overman, and
the explosion occurred immediately. He found gas
in his stall on the morning of the explosion, and was
obliged to brush the gas out with his jacket. The
lamps were not locked. He had great difficulty in
getting out, and was insensible when brought to the
mouth of the pit. One man lost his way and was
suffocated. Dr. Whitby described the nature of the
injuries received ; after which the inquiry was ad-
journed for a week, in order to obtain the evidence
of two workmen too severely injured to attend and
give evidence. The inquiry creates considerable in-
terest in the district. The proceedings of Monday
occupied six hours.