The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-11 00:00:00

lUSCA COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

RISCA, JAN. 10.
After the despatch of yesterday's parcel Mr.
Harrison was examined by Mr. Thomas Evans,the
inspector of the Glamorganshire district, as to the
splitting of the air in the workings of the east dis-
trict. The 37,000 cubic feet of air per minute
which was passing through the mine was carried
down to the bottom of the slope in one current, and
there split east and west, 22,000 cubic feet—minus
3,000 feet subtracted to clear out a " feeder"—
passing through the eastern district, and 15,000
feet through the western workings. On the east
side the air had three miles to travel before passing
out at the upcast. Mr. Harrison denied that any
advantage would be gained by splitting the air in
the eastern workings so as to send the air through
them in two currents in place of one, nor did he
think that by this means any increase would be ob-
tained in the amount of ventilation. Three miles
was by no means an uncommon distance for a cur-
rent to have to traverse. 'I he " drag"—l. e., the
resistance offered to the passage of the air by the
• exposed surface of the workings—was very small.
The pressure on the water gauge was from six-
eighths to seven-eighths of an inch.
In answer to questions put by Mr. Llewellyn, •
Mr. Harrison said that he had been engaged in
colliery operations ever since he was 13 years of
age. He had been at the Risca Colliery some four-
and-a-half yearn, and when he first came the ven-
tilation was by means of a furnace only. That
only produced from 15,000 to 18,000 cubic feet of
air per minute, and there was then a much larger
surface of coal exposed in the workings. The
result of putting up the present ventilating appa-
ratus was to do more than double it. He had
always done his best to maintain strict discipline,
and to carry out the rules to the fullest extent. All
the suggestions which had ever been made by Mr.
Brough, the inspector, has been carried out to the
fullest extent. The state of the pit was most
'satisfactory so far as he could judge, imme-
diately before the explosion. Nothing could
have been better than the state of the returns"
c., the air which, having passed through the
workings is on its return to the surface, and there-
fore would be abundantly charged with gas if any
unusual amount were present in the mine. The col-
liery was worked on the principles ordinarily
adopted in South Wales, and the workings, levels,
cross headings, stalls, air courses, &c., were of the
usual dimensions. He did not believe that any
amount of ventilation would provide against the
consequences of the exposure of a naked light to a
large accumulation of gas. A " blower" or sudden
discharge of gas mignt vary in amount of gas
emitted from 1,000 cubic feet to 20,000 cubic feet
per minute, and they might continue emitting gas
three days or three months. In the course of clear-
ing the mine to extricate the bodies, he had heard
the noise of a blower somewhere about where the
explosion took place; in the same neighbourhood a
lamp had been found with a hole in the gauze.
Supposing this blower to have come suddenly into
contact with the light thus exposed, that would be
sufficient to produce the explosion. There yet
remained 33 lamps undiscovered in the neighbour-
hood of the scene of the first explosion. All the men
were made thoroughly acquainted with the danger
of opening the lamps. Four had been found un-
locked, but the gauze had not been removed.
Mr. Brough and Mr. Evans both remarked that
they had heard nothing of the blower though they
had been in that part of the mine shortly atter the
accident.

In answer to Mr. 0 wen, the solicitor on behalf of
the relatives of some of the sufferers, the witness
said that he was not aware of any complaints which
had been made by the former inspector, Mr. Mack-
worth, of the bad state of the pit. No such com-
plaint or report had been made since he had been
at the colliery, nor had he ever heard any complaint
made by the men. The air was carried down to the
workings, "split" or divided there, and carried to
the working places by double doors, which were
kept shut by boys. If the doors were left open for a
couple of hours the place would naturally get foul.
Mr. Owen then read a passage from a report of
Mr. Mackworth's, the former inspector, dated 1855,
in which serious complaint was made of the condi-
tion of this mine, ana cross-examined the witness
closely upon it, but Mr. Harrison was positive in
stating that in every particular the defects therein
pointed out had been amended, and the suggestions
of the inspector adopted. In answer to other ques-
tions Mr. Harrison said it was some time since Mr.
Brough had suggested the sinking of another pit ;
it was not particularly with a view to better ven-
tilation, but to make it altogether a better colliery.
The sinking of another shaft would not have im-
proved the ventilation considering, the increase
which would have then taken place in the face of
coal exposed. There was no pit in South Wales
better ventilated for the quantity of coal raised. If
there had been anything wrong the working men
would soon have complained. Mr. Harrison added
that he had always encouraged the men to make
complaints.

Ai this point the inquest was adjourned until
ho next day. _

Next morning Mr. Owen proceeded with his
cross.examination of Mr. Harrison, but failed en-
tirely to shake the favourable description which he
had given in his evidence in chief. In answer to
various questions the witness said that the 19,000
feet of air passing through :the: eastern workings
was travelling at the rate of about seven feet per
second, and there were at work in those workings
68 men and boys, and three horses. This amount
of ventilation was quite sufficient for that number
of men, and for the amount of coal being worked
there. Blowers were most eccentric in their action,
nor could any man calculate when they would come
down, or provide against their sudden appearance.
There were no previous indications of them. A pit
might be worked for years without one, or they
might come off every day. If 20,000 feet of gas
came out of the blower, and 19,000 feet of attno•