George Richard Burgess, fireman at the Fair Lady pit giving evidence said;

He had acted in that capacity about 3 months. He was employed on the day the accident happened on the afternoon shift. He went down at 2 pm. At that time the day shift had not gone out, and the fireman told him everything was all right. He went round the whole of the workings, but not to the end of the Bangup pit. He made the examination with a Davy lamp and found no gas in any of the places, except at about twenty five minutes to ten, a boy was throwing the coal from No. 2 to
No. 1 level and a piece of coal knocked the pipes down and there was a slight accumulation of gas. He replaced the pipes and that had the effect of clearing away the gas. That was the only gas he had seen during the afternoon. There were 9 men working in his shift, they left off at 10 pm.

He saw the night shift men down, James Burgess was the fireman of that shift and to him, gave a report on the state of the pit, then came out. He had put it in his report book and explained, when gas was found, and cleared away. It was not entered, but the report was that the pit was safe.

He was called out about 4.30 am and told he was wanted at the pit. He was the first to go down. The cage struck against the fence, which was removed and they went down to the bottom, where he found there had been an explosion and there was a deal of rubbish and dirt lying around, but no afterdamp. He went along the bottom or North Level and some distance along found James Burgess, the fireman, who was alive and called out “hello”. He took him out of the pit, and
Mr. Stevenson and Mr. Fletcher went on.

He went down again, went up to No. 2. Slant where he found Millard, he was dead. He then went on to No. 1 and met with the other explorers.

He returned to the top of No. 2 and went through the levels and rectified the pipes in No. 1 Slant to clean away the afterdamp. There were many of the pipes damaged, which were replaced and there was afterdamp down to the third thirling of the back slant. He next went up to the thirling to the back slant, finding a little afterdamp, and the pipes were knocked down. It was giving off gas in No. 1 level he could hear it plainly. The blower was not there in the afternoon, and this was the first time he knew anything about it.

The workings had gone through several small faults but they did not give off any gas to his knowledge. This fault was at the far end and was cut through after he left, by Edward Millard, one of the deceased. The blower was by this fault in the far end of Millard’s holing. The fireman always fired the shots. No shot had been fired that night. There were two holes ready for firing and one of the shots, which had been left, was charged.

He could not tell where the accident happened, nor what had been the cause of it. He had seen the lamps, and as far as he knew they were locked and in working order except for the accumulation of dust.

G.R. Burgess had asked James, his brother (deceased), if he had fired a shot, he replied “no” and that he did not know how the accident had occurred and that he was at the top of No. 1 landing at the time.

Mr. Holding said the ventilation was not so good after the accident as before, some of the stoppings having been blown out, but there was some wind finding its way round. He never had cause to complain since the workings commenced. From his five years experience of mine working, he had considered there was sufficient ventilation, when he left, to render the working safe.

Mr. Wheelhouse said there was given out one Davy, one Lancashire lamp and nine Teal’s lamps. One was afterwards broken all to pieces at the bottom of the pit. All the lamps were numbered and the one broken to pieces was one of Wardle’s. He had two and used to leave one at the pit bottom. This was about 300 yards from the blower. He could not tell from the charring, which way the blast had come. He thought, the cutting through the fault had released the blower: and that fault was 60 yards from the place where the men were found. The gas was still coming from the fault and the wind took it away. He considered it was safe if the wind were kept up to the men, as it was now. The charge in the hole that was left had not been altered. He heard no complaint from the men about ventilation or firing.

Thomas Salmon had worked the engine in connection with the Fair Lady pit; he was on night shift and went to work at 5 pm. On September 11th. The engine was merely used for the purpose of raising and lowering men. They were not winding coal. He lowered the nightshift down, and between that time and the explosion he did not lower anything down to them or receive any signal. He heard the explosion at 25 minutes to 4. At that time there was only him and the stoker on the bank. He sent the stoker for assistance and when Mr. Stevenson and Mr. Millington arrived, he let them down. The shaft was 420 feet to the Seven feet Banbury seam.

He had given out the lamps to the nightshift after lighting and locking them. They were all in working order. (The broken lamp was No 32, which was given to William Wardle.)

William Fletcher, under viewer, in the employ of the company, said he was one of the exploring parties and assisted in finding the bodies. Thomas Edwards and Jesse Salmon, colliers working in the Fair Lady pit, said that the workings were all clear of gas on the previous day and the ventilation was good. Salmon said there was a small blower on the Thursday, the day before the explosion and he called William Burgesses attention to it. It was in the cutting end on the top of No.2 dip in the bottom level. Burgess came and examined it and found no gas and ventilation was good.

The inquiry was then adjourned. The proceedings, having lasted upwards of 4 hours.