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Mr. Brough's Report.

REPORT of the WORKING of the MINES INSPECTION ACT (23 & 24 Vict. c. 151.) for the SOUTH-WESTERN DISTRICT, during the Year ended 31st December 1873. -By LIONEL BROUGH, Esq., F.G.S.

Clifton, 25th April 1874.

SIR, I HAVE the honour to lay before you the Returns and the Annual Report för 1873, being the first year of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 35 & 36 Vict. c. 76. From the collieries of the district I have received 62 notices of fatal accident, bringing about 69 deaths. This result is less favourable than in 1872, when only 63 persons were killed. It looks, indeed, still more grave when submitted to the usual proportional calculation, which then showed that 111,111 tons of coal were excavated at the cost of one life; whereas, in the year under record, it unfortunately reduced itself to 97,815 tons. I may here observe that the production of this year (1873) considerably lessened itself by a "strike," and to this cause some of the falling off is attributable.

The non-fatal accidents amounted to 215, again less satisfactory than in the preceding year, but then in my district every occurrence, even the most slight, is reported by the managers, in case of death accruing.

The ironstone mine accidents-fatal and non-fatal, were less than ever they were before in my time, but the quantity of mineral gotten was not quite so large as in former years. Only three persons lost their lives, and but eight were injured.

Following all the above details, but entirely separated from them, are six fatal events. At Risca, John Young dropped suddenly down in the brick yard on the 14th of January, but no accident whatever occurred; his was purely a natural death.

A lad named Thomas Pugh had his leg injured on the 28th of January whilst riding on a locomotive. He had no right to be there. Amputation took place, but the shock was too great for his tender years, and he shortly afterwards succumbed.

In March, at the Wheel Emma copper mine in Devonshire, a miner (Thomas Thomas) was killed by the explosion of a shot underground, and I was ordered to investigate into the circumstances, and give evidence before the coroner, which I accordingly did. Mr. Le Neve Foster was not then appointed, but I have subsequently informed him of the death.

On the 24th of the same month (March), a youth was drowned whilst bathing in a pond at the Golden Valley Colliery; he did not belong to the works, but as the water is tepid, boys go there to swim at all periods of the year.

On the 14th of July a child named Trump, five years of age, was playing on the beam of a pumping engine at Nantyglo, when he fell off and was killed.

Henry France fell into an unfenced pit at Nantyglo on the 7th of August whilst passing by on his way home; but as this man-trap was not a mining shaft, but one simply for raising blast furnace cinder to a higher level on the side of the mountain, it has nothing to do with the Act of 1872.

None of these six melancholy cases appertain to the lists, but, as they were notified to me, I cannot do less than make mention of them somewhere or other in the Report, accordingly I do so here as it enables me to include them all in the analysis of the whole of the communicated events in 1873. These, then, correctly summed up, represent the casualties of the entire year, whether they come under the statute or are outside of it.

Fatal separate accidents in coal mines, 62, consequent deaths, 69, non-fatal accidents, 215, inflicting injury on 229 persons. Fatal in ironstone mines, 3, deaths arising therefrom, 3; non-fatal, 8, hurting 14 persons. Casualties not coming under the Act, 6, attended with the loss of 6 lives; total, 294 reported separate accidents, affecting 321 persons, of whom 78 died and 243 were more or less injured. This record, I am sorry to say, reads more like operations in the field than the results of peaceful industry.

In 1873 the district produced 6,749,264 tons 13 cwt. of coal; 276,166 tons 11 cwt. of ironstone and blackband; 83,500 tons 17 cwt. of fire-clay. The number of persons employed in obtaining these results amounted to 35,352 men, boys, women, and girls. Now, in the main summary that always accompanies our Annual Reports, these persons,

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as regards my division of mines, are so placed that they appear as if every one of them belonged to the collieries, but such is by no means the case, for some thousands were occupied (both underground and on the surface) with ironstone, blackband, and fire-clay; but many of the returns sent me are drawn up in such a manner as to leave me but one course to pursue that of massing all the work-people against the coal.

These various minerals with me are often wrought together in the same face of work, and the managers cannot always accurately sift the operations so as to be able to state how many persons were engaged on one particular product, and how many on another. Thus, when they (the viewers) experienced difficulty in the analysis, they put all doubtful labour on the principal product (coal). The Act is not clear on this head, but the 38th section inherently possesses power to rectify itself, therefore, no doubt, in time accuracy will be arrived at, and the debit of workpeople will cease to be more unfavourable to one mineral than to another. Our next annual circular to the owners must be so framed as to realize the classification which the Statute unquestionably intended, that is to say, so many persons underground and on the surface for coal, so many for ironstone, and so many for fire-clay; this will clear up all previous want of perspicacity.

The lists and recapitulations are all so clear that it is not necessary that every accident should undergo separate notice. But a few amongst them, both fatal and non-fatal, must be commented on, in order that those who chance to read the Inspector's Reports may, if they like, learn how to avoid a repetition of disaster. I will commence with the leading and most conspicuous calamity of the year, although it is not the earliest in its date, but then explosion of fire-damp always takes the lead. It occurred on the 5th of April 1873 in a colliery in Cwm Tillery belonging to the "South Wales Company, Limited."

I believe the abstract of evidence which now follows, given before the coroner and his jury at Abertillery on the last day of sitting (the 14th of May), will be sufficient to make it understood, for the case itself is clear enough, although it occupied six days in its investigation.

"I am Her Majesty's Inspector of Mines of the south-western division of the "kingdom. On the 10th April I inspected the South Wales Colliery Company's pit at "Cwmtillery. Messrs. Wallace, Brown, and others were with me on that occasion. "It will be well before I proceed to give evidence, to state that nearly three years ago Mr. Wallace and myself contrived a method of ventilation by means of a third pit to greatly increase the quantity of air in this colliery, and this improvement was carried "out, so that it cannot be said that the safety of the workmen has been neglected by any person now concerned in the investigation of the great disaster that took place on "the fifth day of the month of April of last year. In fact, the alteration I allude "to became a great success.

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"When I effected my inspection shortly after the explosion (I then being ordered by "the Secretary of State to visit some copper mines in the west of England), I convinced "myself that it had occurred in consequence of certain sheets having been left down, "just, in fact, as if frame doors had been left wide open, for these canvas sheets were just as much doors as if they had been constructed of wood and fitted with iron hinges. If, when the deceased persons had resumed their labour after partaking of "their supper, or whatever meal the refreshment may be called, and had had their sleep, "they had discovered gas and had put up the sheets and so restored the ventilation "to its normal and proper state, it is inevitable that that very restoration would have brought the fire-damp right on to them, and they at the time being at work with "naked lights, nothing could have prevented the explosion. But the more immediate bringing about of the calamity in my opinion was that after their supper and their "sleep the men walked with their unprotected lights right into the explosive mixture, "not remembering that the sheets had been left down.

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My deliberate belief is that it is altogether impossible that this accumulation of gas could have taken place if these canvas doors had been properly closed.

"If the coal excavated on the other side of the gob had been passed under the sheets "and afterwards lifted into the trams, there would have been but the merest shadow of suspicion of the ventilation, because the temporary displacement of a superficial foot "or two of sheet could be no appreciable check. Imponderable as atmospheric air is "sometimes erroneously regarded, a travelling column of it is still a mass of matter "possessing weight and obeying all the physical laws which govern motion; it could "not bring itself into an entire state of rest by the momentary uplifting of the bottom "of the canvas doors, that is not to be thought of at all.

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"Another mode might be considered, but I disbelieve in it altogether. It is this, a "sudden outburst of gas, but though I sought for evidence thereof I could not find a "trace of any such occurrence, indeed it is my firm belief that no "blower" had suddenly come off any one of the faces of coal in that part of the pit. I repeat the "conviction in my mind, that the sheets were down for some considerable time and so "cut off the passages of air to the far end, and that this happened during the repose of "the men. During all that time the carburetted hydrogen had slowly and silently "eliminated itself from the fresh face, and by admixture with its atomic dose of "atmospheric air had become quite as dangerous a compound as a barrel of gunpowder, 66 or more so. The end in that very small bit of work, was death to all but a man and a boy. As far as my knowledge goes there can be no other explanation of all this "lamentable loss of life than the one I now offer. If the doors had been closed there "was wind enough to sweep away and render harmless all the gas that could possibly "threaten the men then employed in this division of the colliery."

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There was abundant air in this bit of work, which was entirely new, and canvas sheets were temporarily used. However, they were quite as good and effective as deal brattice boards, and if they had not been tampered with by the men themselves, in order to spare their labour a little, this explosion would never have taken place. The only thing that can be charged against the management was a want of discipline in not putting a stop to the reprehensible practice of men sleeping during their shift, every one of them retired together at the same time into a stall for that very purpose, where, in all probability, they slept an hour and perhaps a good deal more.

The next event in importance happened at Easton Colliery on the 17th of February 1873, when two lives were lost. At the close of a shift one 4 lb. canister was half or two-thirds full of gunpowder, but the other workman's tin held considerably less. In order (as they thought) to arrive at greater safety, they proceeded to empty the minor quantity into the major, so as to have but one canister to take care of. To do this they stuck a candle on a prop in the heading at about a level with their breasts, only two feet from which light they commenced pouring out the powder. In half a minute it exploded and both the men were so fearfully burned as to cause death some few days afterwards. I immediately entered into an investigation of the calamity, and found that the candle being in such close proximity a spark flew from it and ignition took place. Even if the air in the mine had been static and owed nothing to momentum, the accident might still very easily have occurred, for the combustible and the fire were frightfully too close together. But the column of air was in actual motion, and that too in the very direction of the powder itself, which increased the danger a hundredfold, and naturally enough the calamity followed. Men engaged in mining pursuits are all of them familiar with the fact of sparks issuing from candles, and most especially where the ventilation is brisk, therefore, they ought to be more thoughtful, more on their guard.

The viewer said that he himself, his officers, and men were so desirous to obey the new Act, that their very anxiety may have brought about the accident. I thoroughly believe they were all wishful to carry out the general and special rules and obey the law in its every phase, but they should have gone to a greater distance from the light to pour out their powder, that was the fatal error in judgment.

Gunpowder again. At Whitehall Colliery, on the 13th of May 1873, Emmanuel Williams charged a bore hole and then put his uncorked canister behind him and his naked light just over it, after that it is supposed that by slipping on his feet he knocked the candle down and upset the tin and so he lost his life, and indeed, no wonder whatever.

This last case might perhaps come under the head "shot firing," but it is really far more one of the careless use of powder irrespective of the shot hole itself.

The previous two accidents were fatal, but the following, happily, was not attended with death; it occurred on the 27th of February 1873 at the Dean Lane Colliery. A quantity of gunpowder, said to be twenty or thirty pounds weight, was kept loose in a box on the upper floor of the winding engine-house. It is a place where candles are sometimes used, and moreover it was not far distant from the boiler fires, but, however it happened, nobody appeared to be able to explain the cause; a carpenter was badly burned, but recovered.

With such handling as this of an explosive ingredient, which when fired, in less than a second of time expands itself into gases equal to five or six thousand times its initial bulk, how death and destruction did not take place, is to me unaccountable and astonishing; the engineman was in his right place at the handles, and several persons were at the top of the pit close by. Experience evidently does not teach. evidently does not teach. Whether Education

(when it comes) will do anything, we are by no means certain, but much is earnestly to be hoped from it, at present, the warnings of generations appear to be all in vain.

Shot firing.

I might quote every accident of this class that occurred in 1873, for they are all sufficiently serious, but I will simply mention that two were reported to be brought about by the use of copper implements, or rather they were not made of " iron or steel." One of the prickers I examined, and it appeared to me to be copper alloyed with zinc.

It is more important still, that even in the year in which I now write, instances of premature explosion in mines where prickers and tamping rods or stemmers not made of iron or steel were in use, have already been notified to me. As regards one of the cases, it is certified to the head viewer by the firm that supplied him, that the metal he sent him is actually as pure copper as any that can be purchased. This is a serious affair and will have to undergo some sort of investigation in order to ascertain if there is any substance to be found whose violent impact on silicious matter will not elicit a spark of fire. Wooden tools, oak, ebony, or lignum vitæ, will not last long; they will not stand the blow of the hammer, nor will they bear torsion. I venture to remark on this subject, that none but experienced men should be employed in operations 'so dangerous as those of blasting. Safety fuse should be more used than it is, especially in hard ground, such as driving through faults, or branching across measures, at all events the "pricker" is thus dispensed with, and that is a step in the direction of safety.

As already mentioned, I stated at Abertillery inquest that no blower came off; of that I entertain not even the shadow of a doubt. In recurring to it here, it is simply to avail myself of an opportunity to say, that after great explosions, sudden outbursts of gas are too often suggested as the cause of the calamity; again, doors left open, tobacco smoking, lamps tampered with, anything in fact, except the true cause, insufficient ventilation.

A good staff of safety officers and plenty of discipline will go far to counteract human delinquencies. As to gas, the only approach to a "Palladium" is fresh air sweeping throughout the workings; cooling down all the pit, mixing itself up also with emanations in such manner as to render harmless every noxious thing in the colliery. But these desiderata cannot be arrived at unless the shafts from surface to bottom, and every gallery in the mine as well, be of adequate sectional area, accompanied with vast ventilating power. It is no doubt wearisome to read this sort of statement year after year, over and over again, but inspectors reports run in a groove, they are but the mere filling up as it were of printed forms. Still, the offered recommendations can never be too often repeated, every opportunity should be availed of to make them known, whether in annual or in special reports. Many "nostrums "nostrums" have been recommended for the prevention of the explosion of fire damp, but I repeat that the only remedy is an abundance of fresh air, whatever it may cost.

In connexion with this subject I may add that strange theories have been surmised, more especially as regards shot firing:-One is the sudden exudation of gas from fresh coal faces by reason of vibratory action; or, again, vacuum following detonation, thus causing fire damp to rush out of the solid coal; I believe these views to be altogether untenable. Most likely gas was already liberated, and the ventilation was faint. Fire damp will sometimes secrete itself where the deputy's careless safety lamp has never penetrated; then perhaps a chance shot is fired and is followed by an explosion of carburetted hydrogen; flame from some of these shots is often very far reaching indeed. In coal mines where powder is used, plenty of firemen and a searching scrutiny all round about with the "Davy" before the shot is fired, is the nearest approach to safety.

With our present amount of knowledge it is evident that safety lamps cannot yet be dispensed with, perhaps never will. But, in the course of time, human ingenuity will possibly lead to great improvement in them; but we cannot allow those we possess to be superseded except by one of universally acknowledged superiority. Much real ability has been exhibited in the invention of apparatus to prevent the surreptitious opening of locked lamps; but I am impressed with the opinion that the employment of strict able sub-officers, and of respectable trustworthy workmen will be found to be the best way to keep the lamps locked, better than even the most ingenious mechanical process yet discovered. There are other ways of obtaining flame for the temporary increase of illuminating power, or to light a pipe, or for anything else, besides taking the protecting gauze off. In one of our great explosions, the underviewer brought into the inquest room many thousands of matches (a sieve full) which he had found hidden

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