70

Mr. Wynne's Report.

REPORT On the INSPECTION OF MINES for the DISTRICT comprising NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE, CHESHIRE, and SHROPSHIRE, for the Year ended 31st December 1873.--BY THOMAS WYNNE, Esq.

Stone, April 1874.

SIR, I HAVE the honour to report to you the number of fatal accidents that have occurred in this district during the last year, their fatal extent, and to the best of my ability explain the causes of the more serious portion of them.

Explosions of fired amp have taken place in six collieries and have caused the death of 25 persons, and although the number of accidents is less than in the preceding year, the fatal result is the same.

The first occurred at that unfortunate colliery Talke-o'-th'-Hill, where so many poor fellows had previously met with an untimely end; but the loss of nearly 100 lives, the advice and warning given by myself and many others that the air in those two firey seams was totally inadequate, had no effect upon the Directors, and this explosion followed as a natural sequence.

Perhaps the best description of the causes that led directly to this sad calamity will be found in the words of the witnesses as given at the inquest.

THE LATE EXPLOSION AT TALKE.

The adjourned inquiry into the deaths of the 18 men and boys who were recently killed in the No. 1 pit of the Talke Colliery of the North Staffordshire Coal and Iron Company was held on Tuesday, before Mr. J. Booth, coroner. The inquest was attended by Mr. T. Wynne, Government inspector of mines; Mr. T. Sherratt, solicitor, watched the proceedings on behalf of the company; and Mr. Welch, solicitor, attended on behalf of some of the friends of the deceased and the Amalgamated Society of Miners.

Edwin Durber, fireman at the colliery, was recalled, and the evidence which he gave on a former occasion was read over. In answer to Mr. Wynne, witness said he knew nothing about the mine after five o'clock in the morning of Tuesday, the 18th of February (the day of the explosion). He told Holiday all was right, and at half-past five he handed the care of the mine over to Breeze, one of the deceased. Before he left the pit he saw Grocott's place. It was then all right, and was well timbered. examined all the workings before leaving, and made an entry that all was right.

He

John Graham, fireman, employed at No. 1 pit on the 18th February, in the new seven feet seam, said he went to the pit at eight o'clock in the morning. He was in the eight feet seam the day before. The ventilation was good. He was in the pit, in the old seven feet seam, when the explosion occurred. He felt it a little. He was all through the seven feet and eight feet seams on Sunday morning, and found all the workings free from gas.In answer to Mr. Wynne, witness said they were not short of air on the 17th. There was no particular reason for his going there except to take care. By Mr. Sherratt : Witness never heard of any complaints of defective ventilation. On the day named he went to look to the airways in the course of his ordinary duty.-By a Juror: Witness could not say whether there were two explosions on the morning in question. He noticed one, and started to run; and being very much alarmed, he could not say whether there was a second explosion.

The Coroner here asked Mr. Hunter, the manager of the colliery, whether any of the men who worked in the eight feet seam were alive.-Mr. Hunter replied that he had read in a Wakefield paper that some of the men left the eight feet seam an hour before the explosion occurred, but this was not correct. All the men who worked in that seam on

the 18th of February were killed.

John Marshall Holiday, overman, said he went down No. I pit at 20 minutes past 5 on the morning of the explosion. Edwin Durber was the first he saw. Durber said he had examined the mine and found all was right. Witness went into the new seven feet seam first, and examined it. All was right-free from gas, and in good working order. He went into the eight feet scam at half past ten, and commenced at the main level to examine the workings. He went all over the workings, and found them all entirely free from gas. He finished his examination at 25 minutes past one. Witness

was the last man in the eight feet seam who was now alive.-By Mr. Wynne: There had been no fall of roof in any of the workings before he left. The pit was well timbered. He had been three years overman, and three years fireman. He was fireman when he was 20 years old.-In reply to Mr. Wynne, witness said in Stamper's place there was an air road cut through, He could not say by whose authority that was done. He did not know that Mr. Hunter, the manager, was through the working the day before, and gave orders that the airway should not be cut through. When he saw it he did not know anything was done wrong. In answer to the Coroner, witness said the only complaint that he heard was from Henry Grocott, who said the place he was in was cold. He only heard one report of the explosion. He was 500 or 600 yards from where it happened. By Mr. Sherratt: His experience of colliery ventilation and management extended considerably over six years, and he was thoroughly conversant with the duties of a fireman. He had no hesitation in saying that the pit was well ventilated, and safe to work in on the morning in question. He did not know much of Breeze (deceased), but he had no doubt as to his capability to act as a deputy fireman. Thomas Breeze was the only one in the eight feet seam who had a lamp key, to his knowledge. The key produced was such as was given out to deputy firemen. The men all worked with safety lamps, which were in good order, and he saw no naked lights whatever.

Charles Lawton, under viewer, said on the day of the explosion he was in the pit from six in the morning till 12 at noon; but was not in the eight feet seam that morning. The day before he was in the eight feet seam from a quarter-past six to eight o'clock. He examined the whole of the mine; found it free from gas, and everything safe and in good working order. No complaints were made to him by any one as to the state of the works. He had seen gas twice, but not enough to fill the lamp, in the lower level, about the 6th or 7th of February. In the top heading there was a shot prepared. Breeze had refused to fire because he saw gas in the spindle hole. He (witness) saw it, making it three times he had seen gas in the pit.-By Mr. Wynne: The sole control of the mine was given to Holiday and Breeze, only for the day. He did not give definite orders every day. If the shot in Baynham's place had been fired it ought not to have been, and was improperly fired.-Mr. Wynne: Is it not a serious thing to see a shot attempted to be fired in the form it was ?-Witness: It is. Mr. Wynne: In your opinion would 10 shots have brought that coal down?— Witness: It would not.-Mr. Wynne: And yet that must have been done by Breeze's direction?-Witness: Of course it must, I am sorry to say. Witness went on to say that on Monday the 16th, Grocott's place was in working order, and very cold. There was no fall of roof. The place was well timbered. He gave directions for the starting of the drift at that place, after consulting with Mr. Hunter. Witness thought Mr. Shute would know of this. Witness went to Stamper's place. He saw Breeze and told him that he had thurled there. He said it was cut through a little. Breeze would have the thurling of that place after his bratticing was arranged.-By Mr. Sherratt : He believed Breeze to be a careful, steady man, competent to discharge the duties of fireman. The witness was examined at considerable length as to the state of the ventilation of the pit, and the quality of the coal with reference to giving out gas, and he was also questioned as to the effects of a "fast" shot, that was a shot which had no effect in disturbing the coal and which gave off a flame sometimes to the extent of 60 yards. The fast shot was only 28 yards from another shot and 70 yards from a gob. [A lamp key found in the possession of Birchenough, one of the deceased, was produced, and witness said Birchenough was entitled to have it.]

Robson Moffatt, colliery manager at Clanway, said he left the pit in question about September, up to which time he was underground manager. By reference to plans he explained the extent of the workings up to the time he was there. He heard a fall of roof in Grocott's place after the explosion. From what he saw, he thought one fall took place at the time of the explosion, and that the second was the one he heard when looking for the deceased. In answer to Mr. Sherratt, witness said he thought the explosion took place where Baynham worked.

Wm. Edwards, collier, said he had worked in the 8 feet seam, and was last there on the day before the explosion. He worked near Grocott and Booth in the drift. He had never seen any gas there. He had sometimes been cold from the quantity of air, but never had to complain as to the ventilation or the presence of gas. He had never been afraid to work in the pit. He turned back as he was going to work on the day of the explosion, but that was because he wished to have a day's "play."

Mr. George Hunter, the manager of the colliery, said he carefully inspected the mine on the day before the explosion. There was an adequate amount of ventilation to render the pit safe. On the morning of the explosion there was not the slightest indication of danger, and every precaution was taken to ensure the safety of the mine. The great

force of the explosion was shown where Grocott worked. There was no fail there on the Monday. In reply to Mr. Wynne, witness said he had been a practical collier for many years, and he would not have put a shot in such a place as the one which was fired where Grocott worked. He never saw a more likely place for a "fast" shot.

Mr. W. Y. Craig, manager of the Harecastle Colliery, examined by Mr. Sherratt, stated that by request of the company he made an examination of the colliery on the 26th of February, in company with Mr. Gilroy and Mr. R. H. Wynne. He went carefully through the workings of the 8 feet seam. He described by the aid of a plan the course he pursued, and what he noticed in different places, and he held the cause of the explosion to be a mere matter of assumption. What he saw of the general arrangement for ventilation was good, and he saw nothing to indicate that there was any danger to men working in the seam.

Mr. T. Wynne.-My opinion is entirely opposite to yours.

Mr. George Gilroy, of the Ince Hall Colliery, near Wigan, said he had had considerable experience with respect to the ventilation and working of mines. He concurred in the statement of Mr. Craig. He had no doubt if he had visited the mine on the morning of the 18th of February he should have been satisfied with its condition.

Mr. Welch. But, unfortunately, you did not go there before the explosion.

Mr. R. H. Wynne, mining engineer, formerly consulting engineer of the company, and Mr. C. A. Shute, of Seaham Harbour, near Sunderland, the present consulting engineer of the company, stated that the system of ventilation at the colliery was proper.

Mr. T. Wynne, Government Inspector, then read the following report:-The explosion took place on the 18th inst., about 2 p.m., and as there is no one left to tell the tale, we trust to what we see of its effects to arrive at a proximate cause. There is a downcast shaft 11 feet in diameter, and about 60 yards to the west an upcast of 11 feet, the depth of each being 350 yards. The air is taken along a crut of about 300 yards, then along a level in the 8 feet coal for about 250 yards, which is as far as the levels are driven. About half way along this level an up brow has been driven 200 yards, which I am told had 9,450 cubic feet of air per minute passing up it, 3,303 feet passing to the end; thence back to the upcast. What air did not leak or pass Kenyon's door went up to the upper part of the brow, but on its way was forced about 40 yards into a pair of E levels, both bratticed; thence it passed Stamper's place to Grocott's, a small scale going through Grocott's level. On the 17th of September, he had made a small hole into the upper level, which on the 28th was opened, and which allowed the whole of the air to pass that way instead of its own course of 70 yards further round. There had been a heavy fall in Grocott's drift, and it is suggested that the gas came down with the fall and was fired at his lamp after the fall; but everything I saw goes to negative that idea, as the force of the explosion came towards that drift, and not from it, as may be clearly seen in Booth's drift. The first impression seems to have been that a shot in Grocott's place fired the gas; but I felt certain that was not the case as it was near the floor, and Grocott was found only about ten yards away. Grocott had commenced to cut his coal about 20 yards further in. Baynham had been getting down roof in this road to increase the height from 4 to 8 feet, and had completed about 11 yards. On closely examining this roof I found a shot hole had been drilled nearly close to the roof 40 inches deep; had been charged and blown out, the flame covering the whole range of the 11 yards of high roof. The coal had not been cut, or in any way prepared for blasting; therefore the shot could hardly be expected to do otherwise than blow out. The coal being 32 inches thick above the roof and solid on both sides, Baynham seems to have gone inwards for safety, and Breeze having to pass Grocott, took him with him to where they were afterwards found. After mature consideration I am of opinion that Stamper having opened out his place, nearly the whole of the little air at command went that way; that gas accumulated in Baynham's roof was fired by his shot; and I believe that most of the places above were more or less foul, or the effects would not have been so severe in all parts of those workings.

The Coroner summed up the evidence very carefully, and after the jury had consulted a short time, they returned a verdict of accidental death, stating that in their opinion "the cause of the explosion was Baynham and Grocott's shots, but principally Baynham's; that Stamper's place being ordered to be opened out, when done, it took away from that place an amount of air which rendered it unsafe," and they urged that more efficient firemen should be taken on by the North Staffordshire Coal and Iron Company.

On the 20th February an explosion occurred at the Ivy House Colliery, near Hanley, and so much culpable neglect was proved at the inquest, against both the manager and the underlooker, that the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against them, but at the assizes they were not convicted.

The place where the gas was fired was well known to be foul and without any real ventilation; the manager came to the entrance of this stall and was told there was gas in it, but without examining the place, cautioned the men not to fire any shots, and said he would send some more brattice down, but instead of doing so at once, went to another part of the workings and in the mean time the gas was fired and two lives sacrificed.

On the 4th July two men were killed and several others injured by an explosion at the Chesterton Colliery, near Newcastle, and here, too, gas was known to exist in large quantities, but the management of the colliery was such, that if the workmen themselves did not apprehend danger, there was no one to warn them against it, or to remove it.

There have been three other explosions, each causing one death, but they call for no particular remarks, as they were attributable to causes that are always at work in coal mines, and with the best management mistakes will sometimes occur.

The care that is now enforced in the storing and use of powder has very sensibly diminished the accidents arising from that prolific source of danger, but there still remains that farcical practice of blasting with powder where naked lights are prohibited.

Falls of Coal and Roof.

The deaths from this cause are five less than the year before, and none of the accidents call for particular comment, but when all the managers are convinced that the law now requires" absolute safety" in the roads and working places, and that it rests with them to to prove that all reasonable precautions were taken to make the mine to all appearance absolutely safe, still greater care will be taken in the propping of the roof.

In Shafts.

The accidents have been few in number and only fatal to four persons, and although some of these were attributable to negligence too much praise cannot be accorded to the enginemen, for the care and attention they have shewn in lowering and raising so many men and boys with so few casualties.

Miscellaneous Causes.

Will always produce numerous accidents, as the haste with which all underground work is now done has a tendancy to make those young persons who are employed on inclines and on main roads think more of getting their work done in the limited time allowed than of their own safety.

Ironstone Mines.

Have been worked to a larger extent than heretofore, but without any increase in the number of accidents, which is highly satisfactory, and shows that great care and attention has been bestowed upon the working of them, as some of the seams are of great thickness and are lying in some instances at a rise of from 12 to 18 inches to the yard.

The working of the Mines Regulation Act in my district is very satisfactory, especially as regards children under 12 years of age, for the whole number employed is only ten, and nearly all those who applied to be allowed to employ them very soon withdrew the application.

At first there was a strong feeling adverse to the powder clause, but now that both masters and men have experienced the great advantages derived from control in the quantity of powder used in each shot, no one that I know would like to return to the indiscriminate use of loose powder, and what is still more satisfactory the accidents from "burnings by powder" are 60 per cent. less than they were.

The Right Hon. R. A. Cross, M.P.

Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State,
Whitehall, London.

I have, &c.

THOMAS WYNNE,

Inspector of Mines.