Adjourned Inquest 10th Oct

The adjourned inquest on the body of John Jones, an underlooker, who was killed at an explosion in the Deep Pit, Hanley, on 2nd September, was resumed yesterday 10th October.

Mr. Thomas Roberts was the first witness examined. He stated that he was the deputy manager at the Big Pit and had held the post for 2 years prior to the accident, which occurred on Sunday morning of the 2nd September. The pit on the day before the explosion was all right.

On the Sunday morning witness went down for the purpose of preparing the Clayhole bottom ready for using the fan, which had been fixed on the Monday morning. They had to re-set the damper and prepare a flue, in order to turn the steam and smoke from the boilers up the shaft.

Witness and 6 others descended the pit for this purpose a little after six o’ clock. The names of the men who accompanied him were:-

• John Jones, the deceased, who was an under-looker
• Richard Withers, engineman
• George Hopwood, stoker
• Edwards Williams; hooker
• Isaac Dykes furnace-man
• George Hill, pit-fetler.

While Jones was away, he (witness) examined the bottom of the Clayhole shaft as well as the flue. He found all right, and he then went on to the boilers, accompanied by Withers and he had been there a few minutes when Jones returned and called out from the main crut that gas was out. He (witness) then left Withers and proceeded back along the boilers for the purpose of joining Jones and was in the act of going down the ladder from the boilers into the fire hole when the explosion occurred. He could not form any idea where the explosion originated. He was thrown off the ladder into the fire hole and became unconscious.

From the time they left the surface to the time the explosion occurred about 10 minutes only would have elapsed. He could not say what became of his lamp, but supposed it was destroyed. On groping out in the dark after the explosion, witness found that the door which was between him and Jones had been blown down, some pieces of it lying against witness. He was badly burnt on the arms face and head and neck, and likewise received a large cut above both eyes.

The furnaces had been attended to all night by the furnace man named Robert Hughes, who was met at the pit bottom. The Coroner; is this the same furnace we had to discuss once before? – Witness: Yes. Mr. Wynne: Was it not your duty to send Jones round to examine the pit before you took those men down? They were not really going down into the workings. – Was it not your duty to have gone your self, or to have sent Jones to examine the state of the return air before any other man went down? I say it was. – Immediately after Jones told you the dangerous state of the mine the explosion took place? Yes. - Will you tell us how in your opinion the explosion occurred? I cannot say. – Have you not formed an opinion? No; I have not. - All the lamps were locked? Yes. Has there been any change in the relative position of the furnaces since the other explosion in 1881? No; but we have erected a fan and repaired the shaft. From the time of the last explosion up to the present the air has been passing the same way? Yes. Has your attention been called to the danger of the state of things since the former explosion? Yes. – How many times? I cannot say. – Ten or a dozen? I do not know, but several times. – And have you been told that if this matter was not attended to you would have another explosion? Yes: I have been told that. – What did you do then?  We made hast to repair the shaft, in order to get the fan at work. You believed what you were told, that it was dangerous? Yes of course. – Will you say when the fan was put up? It was commenced directly after the first explosion. We had made an attempt to start the fan, but a fire took place in a seam of coal in the shaft which did great damage and which we had to repair. – When you were warned that there was danger in this furnace, did you fix any time when the fan should be started? We have been working night and day to get it ready. We could not however, got on with the work so fast as we expected. – are you aware that this Sunday morning there was a particular danger in your going into the pit? Yes I was aware of it.

Knowing that, can you give me any reason why you took these men down without having first ascertained the state of the mine? I took them down, but with no intention of them going into the workings, but on to the main crut. – But, still, as manager, you are aware that if an explosion occurred they would be as likely to be killed in the crut as if there were in the workings? Yes. – Can you then, give us any reason why you took them down?  I want to give you an opportunity to explain if you can. It was an over-site of mine. – Between the time of the first explosion taking place and the present one, are we to understand hat it was impossible to have got the fan to work? Yes. – That is your opinion? Yes; because we have been working night and day ever since.

Mr. Sawyer, (assistant inspector) the chart produced shows the depression to be greater on the 2nd September than in any other day in the year. The depression was very much greater than on any other day, and more sudden. He looked at the barometer before descending the pit and was surprised to find the extent of the depression. This depression, witness stated, in answer to a jury man, indicated danger. Witness further stated, in answer to the coroner, that whether there was a small or large supply of gas it would all have to go over the furnace.
Further on in the inquiry George Hill, bricklayer, and pit fetler corroborated the evidence of the deputy manager.

He could not tell, he said, where the explosion started from, though he heard the report. He was burnt on the right and left arm, and knocked about considerable. As soon as he heard the report he fell down, and was blown a distance of 4 or 5 yards into the Clayhole bottom. He heard a man cry out, “O Lord, help us!” O Lord, be with us!” but who made these remarks he did not know. Witness to Mr. Wynne, said before the explosion took place he had worked a double turn, in order to get the fan ready.

Richard Withers said he had been with the deputy manager about 5 minutes when Jones came, shouting out, “Thomas, come here; I want you;” and just as Roberts left him (witness) the explosion occurred. Did you hear Jones say anything about gas? Witness had no idea where the explosion originated.

Edward Williams, hooker-on, living in Providence Street stated that after he had descended the pit, Jones took his lamp away from him, and he consequently was left in the dark. In fact, he never got his lamp back. He remained at the spot for Jones to return with the lamp. Only about 5 minutes after Jones had taken the lamp away the explosion occurred. In answer to Mr. Wynne, the witness said he first saw the fire going in the direction of the furnace.

Barry Evans, fireman, deposed to going down the pit on ten o’ clock on Saturday night and remaining until six the next morning. He examined the pit on Sunday morning about 5.30 and everything was clear then. He met Mr Roberts and the deceased in the office before they descended and he explained to them that all was right. – Mr. Wynne: Am I to take it that you positively say that you went to look for gas before coming out that morning? Witness, yes; it was half past five o’ clock.

Mr Sawyer, assistant inspector of mines, said he went down the pit about one o’ clock on the Sunday afternoon, being accompanied by the manager’s son. In answer to his inquiries he was informed that there was no fire in the pit so far as they had then penetrated. On examination he found gas issuing from the Ten feet old workings in the main crut. He was also taken to the spot where Jones had been found. (Evidence on this point was given at the first inquiry.) It was unaccountable to him how Jones could have got where he was recovered. His lamp was found at a distance of 40 yards away. The solution he ventured to offer was that he believed Jones made a mistake; that he ran away, and instead of running towards the Deep Pit he ran the wrong way and got suffocated with choke damp. He, (Mr. Sawyer) had examined all the lamps, and found them in good order, and not at all damaged. 

All of the lamps, with the exception of the one in the custody of Jones, were locked.

As to the cause of the explosion witness said he had no doubt whatever that the ignition occurred through the furnace. On the Saturday night before the morning of the explosion, there was a severe storm throughout England. The barometer sunk an inch lower than it had done all through the year, and very quickly too. That storm would certainly influence the releases of gas from the old workings. The gas thus being set free would go directly on to the furnace. The condition of things at this pit was such that a very strong lowering of the barometer would certainly tend towards an explosion.

On the occasion of the last explosion at this pit, he reported his strong disapproval of the return air being allowed to pass over the furnace. He had frequently pointed out to Mr. Roberts the danger he was running, and a letter was written to Mr. Lucas, which resulted in the working in the Bowling Alley seam having been discontinued. In answer to Mr. Wynne, the witness stated that Mr. Roberts was quite aware of the danger from barometric depression, but he did not think he was quite convinced of the danger from the furnace.

Mr. Wynne stated that from what he saw in the pit on his examination, and what he heard, he had not the slightest doubt that the gas was fired at the furnace. He had had the misfortune to have examined into the cause of some hundreds of explosions, and he must say he never saw anything clearer than this was. He could not help expressing his fear that Mr. Roberts did not realise the danger he was running. He (Mr Wynne) had constantly drawn Mr. Lucas’s attention to the matter and had received that gentleman’s assurance that everything was being done to get the fan ready.

The coroner severely reprimanded Evans, observing that if he did not take care in future he might be arraigned for manslaughter, and pointing out that the explosion had evidently resulted from his careless examination of the pit.
Coroner: Are the present arrangements for working the pit perfectly safe in your opinion? – Mr. Wynne, Yes; and it is a pity the system had not been got to work sooner.

The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death,” and appended the statement that they were satisfied that all the recommendations suggested by Mr. Wynne and Mr. Sawyer had been carried out.