The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-01 00:00:00

HE RISCA COLLIERY .EXPLOSION.

RISCA, THURSDAY.
The coroner continued his inquiry yesterday,
after the despatch of our parcel, and resumed it
this morning.
Mr. Morgan Morgan, at present manager of a
colliery in Somersetshire, and formerly employed
for about ten years in the Risca Colliery, which he
quitted in 1858, said he had been down the Black
Vein Pit. Entering first, and at great length, upon
the question of ventilation, he gave the results of a
series of observations which he had made for the
purpose of ascertaining the quantity of air passing
per minute into different parts of the workings
respectively. He stated his opinion was that the
current of air sent down by the ventilating machine
was intermittent, being governed by the strokes of
the piston (the current created by furnace ventila-
tion being regular and continuous), while there
was a drag upon the current in some parts arising
from the insufficient size of the air-ways and
return. The mode of ventilation in the Black
Vein he characterised as being of the most
primitive description, and he advised the
splitting of the air in numerous currents, each
to travel a separate and independent dis-
trict, so as to confine the effects of an explosion to
the particular district in which it occurred, which
would make the pit as safe to work with naked
lights as it was now with lamps. He agreed with
some previous witnesses in tracing the original ex-
plosion to Sage's stall, or some stall near it in the
Fourth East Level, and thought with Mr. Harri-
son, the chief viewer of the pit, that subsequent
explosions followed as the fire reached accumula-
tions of gas in other places.
In reply to Mr. Evans, the witness said he
thought it quite possible to work the Black Vein
without powder, and extremely undesirable to use
it where safety lamps are thought necessary. The
use of powder was in itself a mere question of ex-
pense, and he had never seen coal that could not be
cut without it.

In reply to Mr: Brough, the witness expressed a
decided preference for safety, or spare doors, over
canvas sheets. Being asked whether the system of
ventilation adopted in the Black Vein Colliery,
and which he had described as being of the most
primitive simplicity, was not general in the neigh-
bouring valleys, he replied that there were few if
any pits in the neighbourhood of so fiery a nature as
the Risca Black Vein, and that, just in proportion to
its fire-generating properties should be the care
directed to prevent the accumulation of gas in
a coal mine. He declined to commit himself
to express any conclusion with regard to the cause
of the accumulation of gas in Sage's stall, to which
he and other witnesses traced the explosion, but
unhesitatingly asserted his conviction that there
must have been a rapid series of minor explosions
following the great or primary explosion, and aris-
ing from accumulations of gas previously lurking
in the workings—decidedly opposing the theory of
Mr. Harrison, that the secondary explosions wero
caused by the contact of the flame of the first ex-
plosion with various bodies of gas set free by falls
from the roof, those falls being occasioned by the
concussion. In support of his own view on this
point he said the fire of the first explosion would
pass before the falls took place, so that it could not
actually reach the gases newly set free, and that at
the same time there would not be a proper interval
to allow of a sufficient admixture of atmospheric
IT., viz., three or four parts of pure atmospheric
air to one part of pure carburetted hydrogen, to
render ignition possible. Finally, in reply to Mr.
Brough, he said that years ago, when in the ser-
vice of the company, he recommended the working
of a new pit to the Black Vein, in order to improve
the ventilation.

The cross-examination of this witness was still
proceeding when our report left.

THE STEAMER QUEEN VICTORIA.

We have already reported the safety of the
Queen Victoria. The Western Morning News
describes the process of getting her afloat :
"This large vessel has been extricated from her
dangerous position at Barn Pool, where she ran
ashore on the 2d instant, and she now lies in safety
on Cremyll Beach, where at low water she will
be dry, and therefore can be repaired. As we
have previously explained, two portable steam
engines had been taken on board the vessel,
and arrangements made for driving two of
Gwynne's pumps, which were put in operation and
found to work successfully. The cascades which
poured from the sides of the ship gave evidence of
the efficiency of the pumps. The diver, Benjamin
Harris, went under the vessel, and on finding the
openings through which the water was admitted to
the hull, he shoved in some felt, which had the
effect of stopping a portion of the influx, and it
was then found that the pumps were nearly equal
to discharging the water as fast as it came in. It
was soon obvious that if this contest between
the pumps and the leakage could be maintained
for a few hours the vessel would float as the
tide rose. The engines were put to their speed, and
the race continued with increasing prospects of suc-
cess, and at five o'clock it was found that the ves-
sel was actually afloat. So unexpected was this
result that no steamer was alongside to take charge
of the ship, and a message was hastily despatched to
the Victualling office at Stonehouse for assistance.
The steamer Thais was promptly despatched to the
assistance of the Queen Victoria, and at six o'clock
she was moved from her dangerous position,
and
taken taken out into deep water. It was quickly
ld baer
that with one steamer much difficultyurfo
ex-
perienced in getting this unwieldy h
been given for
posi-
tion, and especially as no time hadn
board the Vie-
fir junto
making suitable arrangements
toria for the unexpected
ell, holdover, proved him-
taken place. Capt. R deliverance which had
and deserves as great
which he acted at the
equalfor ttoheth
self
credit ll receive for the d
ju
critical moment as
hisbe
previous
went with whichp, arrangements were
the
ast 6 clock Lord Yarborough
made. At half-past ceooemlneersgsussewnie:Yli
another steamer on
and,
steam-tug came up
each bide, the
Victoria was brought well under eon-
WA. Fortunately the tide was still rising, and
When she took the ground at an inconvenient spot
it was soon possible to move her off to a better
position. Precisely at high water (7.8 p.m.) she
was grounded fore and aft on Crempl Beach, just
above the ferry, where the bottom is shingle, and
will allow of her resting without damage. It is
Captain Russell's intention to repair her where she
now lies, an operation which will not be difficult,
as at low water she will be dry. In this position
it will be comparatively an easy task to repair her
sufficiently for conveyance to the Plymouth Great
Western Docks, where the capacious graving
dock, which the other day accommodated the large
steam-ship Bremen, will be able to afford all the
requisite facilities forcompletelythe
Queen repairing
Queen Victoria. We congratulate Captain Russell
and the underwriters of the ship on the complete
success which has attended their well-directed
efforts, and which has saved a valuable vessel
from destruction."

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