The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-29 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL COLLIERY ACCIDENT
IN GLAMORGANSHIRE.

PONTYPRIDD, MONDAY, JULY 25.

The inquest upon the bodies of the persons killed in
the recent explosion at the colliery of Messrs. Insole and
Co., at Cymmer, commenced this morsiog before Mr.
Overton, the coroner for the Merthyr Tydvil district.
The greatest interest was excited in the inquiry. A more
disastrous explosion had never before occurred in the
district, and the streets of Pontypridd, which is a few
mites from the Cymmer colliery, were crowded with col-
liers anxious to be present at the inquest.
Mr. T. Evans, the local inspector of mines, was pre-
sent during the proceedings, as also were Mr. Mackworth
the late local inspector, and Mr. Dickenson, who were
sent down specially by the Government ; Mr. Huddle-
stone, of the Oxford Circuit, attended on the part of the
owners and managers of the Cymmer colliery ; and Mr.
J. G. Owen, of Newport, attended on behalf of the sur-
viving c )lliers and the friends of the deceased.
The inquest was held at the Butchers' Arms, the prin•
cipal inn in the town, but as there was no room in the
inn sufficiently large to accommodate the jury a shed
was erected in the yard. The portion devoted to the
public was crowded in every part immediately the pro-
ceedings were opened, and every available spot from
which the proceedings could be viewed was speedily oc-
cupied.
The jury having been sworn,
The Coroner addressed them at some length, calling
attention to the nature of the accident, and stating that
at his request the Government had sent down Mr.
Boder, a legal gentleman, to watch the proceedings,
and act in conjunction with the Government inspectors.
The recent explosion had been the most disastrous
which had ever occurred in Smith Wales, or indeed in
the whole of the kingdom. There had been numerous
colliery accidents in the district in former times, but on
no occasion had there been so large a sacrifice of human
life. He entreated the jury to discard from their minds
any rumours which they might have heard out of
doors. The investigation would be of the most searching
character, and all the evidence that could be brought upon
the case, whether scientific or otherwise, would be laid
before them. If they found that the explosion arose from
the culpable carelessness or negligence of the persons in
charge of the mine, or in consequence of a breach in the
act for regulating collieries, it would be their duty to re-
turn such a verdict as would insure a further inquiry in
another court. It was unfortunately the case that in
some mines important rules for securing the safety of
the men had been neglected, and since the act came into
operation all the accidents which had occurred in this
district had occurred in those collieries in which the rules
were lax and in which the ventilation had nit been pro-
perly attended to.
Mr. J. IL Insole, the chief proprietor of the Cymmer
Collieries, was first called to prove the ownership of the
mine in which the accident occurred. The collieries con-
sisted of two pits, called the old and new, in the former
of which the explosion took place on July 15. He pro-
duced the rules by which the pits were regulated. They
wire printed in Welch and English, and he had received
the usual letter from Vie Government approving them.
Personally lie took no part in the management of the
colliery, but lie had given direction, for placing a copy of
the rules in the bands of every collier. The persons re-
sponsible for the management of the colliery were Mr. J.
Thomas, the general manager ; Mr. E. Hay, colliery
agent ; Mr. D. Gray, colliery agent from Feb. until
within a few days of the accident ; It. Rowlands, over-
man ; and three firemen, rained W. Thomas, M. Row-
land, and D. Jones. Mr. J. Thomas was responsible ma-
nager as deSned by the act, and had the entire control of
the colliery. Witness had no communication whatever
with any of the other officers, but it was desirable to
state that he had never curtailed or impeded the expen-
diture of money in order to secure the safety of the lives
of the men. On the contrary, he had always expressed a
readiness to adopt any suggestions calculated to attain
that objecb.
By Mr. 0 wen—ln 1854 witness discharged two firemen
on the representations of -Mr. Thomas. The colliers
struck in consequence, but the new firemen were not
now in his employment. The strike lasted for 22 weeks
and the law was brought upon the men for riot. The
colliers generally expressed a want of oonfidence in the
men, and stood out for the reappointment of the old
men. Considerable responsibility attached to the office
of firemen, it being their duty to see that the mine was
properly ventilated.
By Mr. Huddlestone—Mr. Jabez Thomas, the gene-
ral manager, is a roan of great experience. He hai been
26 years under my father and myself in the management
of collieries, and I have the greatest confidence in him.
He is not a partner.
By Mr. Evans—l have received no communication
from the inspector of the district as to the working of
the mine.
By Mr. Mackworth—A serious explosion occurred at
the Middle Dufferin Colliery some years ago. I have
no recollection of having received a letter from you,
shortly after that accident, calling my attention to the
necessity of guarding against the occurrence of such an
accident in my collieries. I have also no recollection of
having received a copy of the inspector's printed report
upon the Middle Dufferin explosion. I have no remem-
brance of ever having received a letter from you in re-
ference to my collieries. I have been in the habit of
visiting the mines occasionally, but I never saw any
plan showing the manner in which I recommended the
ventilation to be carried out. Mr. Hay was under-
ground manager in 1854 when an accident occurred.
There were rules in existence at that time, but they were
not distributed among the men as they are at present.
Mr. Mackworth here said that be proposed to show
by Mr. Insole that in the rules adopted at the Cymmer
Collieries the provisions of the act of Parliament had
not been carried out. Mr. Insole sent cl copy of a set of
rules to the Home-office in November last, in which the
regulations with regard to safety lamps were entirely
omits ed.

The Coroner said it was not necessary to enter into
any negotiations that had taken pace with respect to
the rules. The jury already had the fact before them
that the rules had been approved by the Government.
The proceedings were then adjourned for an hour.

Mr. Andrew, the chairman of the Euphrates Valley
Railway Company, and Sir J. M`Neill, F.R.S., the en-
gineer in chief, had an interview yesterday with Lord
Clarendon at the Foreign Office, regarding the Euphrates
Railway.