The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-12 00:00:00

.RISCA COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

RISCA, JAN. 11.
After the despatch of our parcel yesterday Mr.
Gray, the head engineer of the colliery, was called
and examined as to the capabilities of the ventilat-
ing machine, which he had assisted in erecting, and
of which he had had charge since they had first
been put in action. This machine is one of Struve's
patent aerometers or exhausting pumps with double
cylinders. The diameter of the pistons is 18 feet,
and they ordinarily work on a 6-feet stroke at the
rate of eight strokes per minute. At this speed the
amount of ventilation produced ought to be 48,858
cubic feet of air per minute. With an 8-feet stroke
at the rate of eight inches per minute, 65,141 cubic
feet Mr. Gray calculated would be produced, and
at 10 strokes per minute the result would be 81,427
cubic feet. There would be no danger according to
Mr. Gray's opinion in driving the pumps at this
increased rate ; but it had never been the practice
to go beyond the 6-feet stroke at eight strokes per
minute. Mr. Harrison had never required him to
produce more, in fact the 6-feet stroke had been
adopted by bis orders, because he was of opinion
that there was quite air enough in the pit. When
questioned as to the discrepancy between the air
actually produced (37,000 cubic feet), and that
which ought to be produced (48,000 cubic feet) Mr.
Gray could only attribute it to leakage in the ma-
chinery and masonry, but the deficiency was equally
great, he said, when the machine was first put up.
In answer to questions from Mr. Brough, Mr.
Gray admitted that some of the valves through
which the air from the upcast shaft is expelled into
the outer air were defective, but he denied that
these defects could anything like account for the
whole deficiency of 11,000 feet. Mr. Lewellin, in
examining Mr. Gray on behalf of the company,
attempted to show that the difference of tempera-
ture between the downcast and the upcast shafts
(i.e. between the air going into the pit and that
returning from it) had something to do with it, but
the Government Inspector pointed out that this dif-
ference could not be more than 30 deg. Fahrenheit,
which would not account for more than 3,000 cubic
feet of the 11,000 feet missing. There seemed to
be no question that the machine was of the best
description and in perfectly good order at the time
of the accident. Mr. Gray had no concern with
the underground workings beyond the charge of the
engines below for drawing the coals up the slope.
The air required for the boilers of these engines
formed no part of the 37,000 feet supplied to the
workings, and was returned to the surface by an
entirely independent upcast.
The next witness called was Geo. Hemmons, the
lampman who has charge of the lamps above ground.
According to his description of the practice pursued
at this colliery, the men on their return from their
work leave the bottom part of their lamps with
the lampman to be trimmed and refitted, taking
home the gauze cover with them to clean it. In the
morning, before descending, the bottom part of the
lamp is returned to them, and at the bottom the
cover is examined and securely locked. At one time
the evidence of this witness appeared to be about to
become very important, inasmuch as by the 41st spe-
cial rule of the eolliery he is the officer who ought to
examine the gauzes and see that the lamps were
locked before descending into the pit, but by his own
account he had never performed this duty. Mr.
Harrison being called on to explain this discrepancy
between the rules and the practice, he pointed to the
43d rule, which empowers him to appoint " some
other responsible person" for this particular luty,
and stated that in the exercise of this discretion he
had transferred it tosthe fireman as the fittest person.
Mr. Harrison added that it was perfectly impossible
for any man to get into the workings without hav-
ing his lamp thoroughly examined.
Shortly after this witness's evidence had been
taken the inquest was adjourned until this morn-
ing, when
William Derrick, a fireman, i.e. one of the officers
of the pit to whose charge a certain district of it is
committed, and whose duty it is to examine
thoroughly into the state of the workings every
morning before the men go to work, was next called
and examined at considerable length by Mr. Brough
as to his inspection of the pit on the morning before
the accident. The witness gave a most minute
account of his journeythrough the various workings
of the eastern district, which occupied him from
6 o'clock at night until half-past 4in the morning,
and by insane of two large maps the jury were able
to follow him step by step. At numerous points in
his progress he tested the air, and fo wid it all right
both in quantity and ivalit. On a'r.-iving at the
supposed seat of the original explosion,b,7 was asked
whether he had heard anything the.
the sudden discharge of svhich blower,"
ceoethe to Mr.
Harrison's theory, was the cause ofa the dis'as for, but
he had neither heard nor seen any traces of • 4s. pre-
sence either when on the spot, eight or nine' lia.ours
before the explosion, or in the current of air w},,cre
ha tried it at various points during the remaim3e.e
of the inspection. At no part of the eastern work-
ings, and he did not appear to have omitted any-
single part which it was his duty to visit, did he
find any signs of 0-as or any "falls." The witness
was also examined by Mr. Evans, Mr. Lewellin,
and Mr. Owen, but the sum of his evidence was
that he had thoroughly examined the district for
which he was responsible in the course of the
night before the explosion, and found everything
eafe and in perfectly good order, fit for working
operations. After a good deal of pressing, Mr. Owen
got out of the witness, in the course of cross-exa-
mination, that some three months ago some of the
men had complained of the ventilation being slack.
The witne es was still under examination when
our parcel was' 4espatched.