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

RETTON COLLIERY EXPLOSION,

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, JAN. 11.
After four days' sitting, the coroner's jury em-
pannelled to inquire into the cause of the death of
the 22 men and lads who perished in the explosion
in Hetton Colliery, on the 20th December, brought
their proceedings to a close at a late hour last
night.
Yesterday, Mr. John Dalglish, the resident
viewer, was examined at great length. He de-
scribed the pit and its workings before the explo-
sion, minutely explained the ventilation, and nar-
rated his personal efforts after the sad disaster had
occurred. With respect to the origin of the dis-
aster, he expressed confidence in the theory of Mr.
Bell and Dr. Richardson, and expressed his belief,
founded upon the expansive force of gunpowder in
a rife, that that flue could contain sufficient gas to
produce all the damage which had been described.
Mr. Matthews, the viewer at South Hetton,
expressed nearly similar opinions with respect to
the cause of the explosion, as did also Mr. T. E.
Foster, Mr. Eccles, and Mr. G. W. Southeran.
Mr. Dann, Government Inspector for Northumber-
land, also expressed his belief that the explosion had
originated in the flues of the boiler, and not in the
workings of the mine, and that the general ventila-
tion of the pit was extremely good.
Mr. Joseph Dickinson, inspector of mines for the
Manchester district, sworn—l have attended here
at the request of Mr. Atkinson, who is too ill to
attend himself, and by the direction of the Home
Secretary. I have been down the East and West
Minor Pits, and have particularly examined them.
I have no doubt in my own mind that there has
been an explosion in the flue in the Davison's
boiler, at the part spoken to by the witnesses between
the boiler fire and the north crossing, where it has
been most violent. I would rather leave it an open
question, as I cannot say that I have clearly
made my mind up as to what caused the explo-
sion. If it has been from gas in that flue of the
quantity described, it has been from gas of a more
violently explosive kind than any that I have hitherto
met with in coal mines. I have endeavoured to sift
the evidence, and made my observations in the pit,
and I have not been able to find that any gas had
accumulated there. I have officially investigated
upwards of a dozen large explosions where from
10 to 15 persons have been killed in each, and
upwards of 100 small explosions of less than 10
persons, and I have never met with a case where
the gas has been of so explosive a character as it
has been in this case, considering the small quan-
tity of gas we have been able to trace out. Unless
it existed in larger quantities than the flue would
hold, it could not be the ordinary ire-damp gene-
rated in coal mines. I consider this to be an explo-
sion of a peculiar nature. It is the only one I ever
investigated without coming to a satisfactory con-
clusion. Ido not think the slightest blame can be
attached to the owners, viewer, or any :party con-
nected with this pit; although I think, with all
the information laid before us, the cause is not

quite clear; we have not been able to find any
ordinary fire-damp. I have no doubt it is new to
the trade, with the exception of the Felling case,
which I never heard of before. I feel quite sure if

the explosion took place in the flue, it became in-
creased in intensity. When it broke down the
crossing, it got its requisite quantity of air from
the intake, and that further violent explosion took
place right and left from the level.
The Coroner summed up the case, and after a
short deliberation, the Foreman delivered the fol-
lowing verdict :—" We find that John Greaves and
21 other persons, on the 20th of December, now
last past, came to their deaths, in the East and
West Minor pits at Hetton Colliery, by an exploi
sion of inflammable gas, which had accumulated in
the flue leading from the boiler of Davison's engine
to the upcast shaft, and which was not accumu-
lated in the workings of the pit."