Goodbye Betsy Love, Do The Best You Can

Tragic Message Written In Chalk

Continued From Page 2

CORONER: Who were they?

SCOTT: James Scargill, William Field, Samuel Croft and Rowland Blackburn Garthwaite — or Garfitt as he was called. I thought I detected signs of life in Scargill. I went out with him to the doctor and he pronounced him to be dead. Whilst I was there Crossley and Albert Lodge went down into the Wheatley bed again and I joined them afterwards and succeeded in opening the separation doors between the main intake and the top of the staple. We pushed on until we got close to the staples and I was then joined by Mr Elliott and after consultation with those about we agreed to close the top of the drawing shaft, which was done.

CORONER: Could you do it without going out?

SCOTT: No.

CORONER: You came out then. In the meantime had you seen any smoke?

MR SCOTT: Yes.

CORONER:Could you hear anything at all then?

MR SCOTT:Yes, we could hear the fire roaring.

CORONER; What, still?

MR SCOTT: Yes. I thought seeing that I had an independent air course down the other road that it would be right to do so. I thought that by covering over the top I would thereby insulate all fresh air from the fire. I also put two hosepipes through this covering and connected it with the town's water. We got a supply of over 300 gallons per minute. I then descended the other shaft together with others within as near as I could get. I did not find any difference, notwithstanding the supply of water was a good one. After waiting I again came to the surface at which time Mr Nevin, who was joined shortly afterwards by Mr Mellors, the government inspector, and after a short consultation with them, agreed to stop off the north end of the shaft.The fire was still going on, making a loud noise and there was a strong smell of burning.

We further came to the conclusion to abandon operations that night, between ten and eleven, but what time exactly I cannot say. At that point I thought there could not possibly be anybody alive in the pit.

The Fire Dies Out

Mr Scott, continuing, said: The next morning Mr Mellors, Mr Nevin, Mr Childe, Herbert Lodge and other deputies accompanied me down the drawing shaft, between ten and eleven o'clock. We then broke through the stopping made the night before and found the fire had come to an end, and we then went round the same shaft to the south side of it and found three bodies, two boys and a man. They were in a cabin.

I recognised Herbert Speight, the hanger-oil, but I did not know the boys. They had left their usual places of work to get their dinners and that was why their bodies were in the cabin. There was not the slightest indication of fire about the bodies. On the north side of the pit there were slight traces of fire. I was joined by Mr Beacher and Mr Murray, and with them I set off exploring up the Greenwood boards, finding the bodies of several lads and ponies, all dead; and further as we got west  we came across the bodies of the men, and there was not a mark upon one of them except as was done by falling on a rail or something of that kind. There was not the slightest signs of fire about them.

I went up the Ashton endings and found more bodies there. Some of them had laid themselves down after running. The position of the majority of the bodies showed that they had travelled some distance after the explosion. We found written in chalk on a corve:

"Good-bye Betsy, love; you must do the best you can. From your loving Tom."

There were the words

"God bless us all"

on another corve near. Tom was laid on his face near the corve. At this stage the inquiry was adjourned until Wednesday.

The Eyes Of A Fellow Moved

The proceedings should nave continued at eleven o'clock, but ran late owing to inquiries being made for the Home Office down the mine. Mr Scott should have concluded but he was with Mr Wardell at the pit bottom.

Mr. Maddison Finds Men Alive

The first witness called was Mr. Thomas Robert Maddison, managing partner of the Crigglestone Colliery Company, who said: On the 5th inst. I was in charge of one of the relief parties and went down the drawing shaft and up to the north ending as far as the Glebe board. Mr. Patterson of the Morley Main Colliery, Mr Hy. Embleton, Mr. George Armitage, Joe Brooke, John Hobson and two messengers accompanied me.

We pushed on as rapidly as possible to Smith's endings. On the way we saw corves upset and bodies on the way, but nothing of importance. The atmosphere and ventilation were very good indeed. I never knew them to be better in any pit. There was no fire burning, not even a trace of smoke.

My instructions were to explore Smith's endings where most of the men were employed. When we got up to the seventh board I saw a man laid on the ground with his feet towards me. I felt his legs and they were quite cold. I thought I could hear something as of deep breathing and asked the men to be quiet for a while. I saw the eyes of another poor fellow move and he turned out to be Henry Wrathmell.

This man was at the endings and the other man was four yards up the seventh board. I did not know Wrathmell but he knew me. The pit was only 2ft 6ins where Wrathmell was found and we brought him to higher ground, I put my fingers into his mouth and his lips were quite cold. I had to force his mouth open to give him brandy. I sent two messengers to the surface to tell them we had found a man alive. I left Mr. Patterson and two others in charge of Wrathmell and I went with Mr. Embleton and other men further into Smith's endings and we travelled on our knees to the fifteenth board.

We found nothing until we returned to the seventh board and then we were told that a man called Mallinson had walked out. I did not know him. He was sitting in the endings and he appeared to be very fatigued and said he was very thirsty. Directly after I had seen him I went up the sixth board and found another man who proved to be alive, named John Garthwaite or Garfitt. He was almost dead, he was quite stiff and cold but he was breathing. We carried him up a tram to the ending. He cried out a good deal from cramp as we moved him and then we sent him to the surface. I also saw three men at the first board end alive, and I was told their names were Squire Shires, Dick Wood and Friend Senior. I sent another party down to explore other boards. I also sent four men to explore the back boards. We discovered a live man at Smith's ending.

Forced To Withdraw

Questioned by Mr Young, the witness said the explosion travelled 'along the Glebe board.

George Frederick Beacher, mining engineer of Whittam Road, Sheffield, told the Coroner he was a certified mining engineer and acting manager at Messrs. Crawshaw and Warburton's, Dewsbury, and he explored the north endings on the night of the explosion with two deputies. They were exploring in good air when a messenger told them operations were being abandoned for the night and they were forced to withdraw because of the order.

He went on: On Wednesday we went along the Greenwood's boards and Ashton's boards and returned, the operation taking two and a half hours. We passed and examined eighty-eight dead bodies, and all had the appearance of being suffocated. All the workings in the east and west of Swilley endings were all intact throughout.

On arriving at number 10 board we heard a knock and we were delighted to find a boy named Willie Lightowler, who was in a sitting position. We gave him a drink, and on going further we found two men alive among a group of fourteen, still in the same board, and a distance from the other of 120 yards: There was one tram covered with chalk marks.

Two of the men died, unfortunately, whom we found, viz, Joshun Ashton and John Heywood. Ashton was insensible when we found him, but Heywood was quite conscious. Heywood said: 'I shall remember this for a long time.' We then came into the number nine board and found three more bodies, one of them was George Wilkinson, the deputy, and he was in the attitude of prayer.

Asked by Mr Jones about the decision to withdraw on the night of the explosion, Mr Beacher added: There was not an absolute stopping across the main intake. There was air and smoke coming through the stopping, which was composed of wood, sand and canvas. I found the air still continued pure further into the workings, which was coming down the staple pit. Samuel Woodcock, a stranger to the colliery, was with me, and Ralph Addison and Albert Lodge. I was perfectly ready to proceed myself. I cannot say who came to us to request us to come out of the pit, but there was a message for all of us to come out. We unanimously decided, owing to the fire in the drawing pit, to abandon operations. I informed the gentlemen that there was air in the pit but it was thought we should not risk ourselves more. There was more smoke issuing through the cloth when we returned, and matters here looked more dangerous.

Gas In Evidence

George Sheard, mason, of Thornhill, said he worked for Mr Ingham up to a year ago. He was foreman mason when some work was done to replace iron rails at the bottom of the downcast shaft by the Wheatley seam. He found no gas on that occasion, but did some further work in the shaft when the rope was repaired. He had to cut through the brickwork on that occasion. After they cut through they found gas had come, but there was not so much flame as to prevent them working.

He said they made up the hole with bricks and cement—the rest of the shaft was of bricks and mortar. He had seen gas once before, and once since the Wheatley seam was opened.

George Almond, Combs, Thornhill, said he had been a deputy at the pit for two years and was on the afternoon shift when the explosion occurred. He had known safety lamps used at the bottom of the downcast shaft just once, when they were used to replace ordinary paraffin lamps, but only for one day. He did not know why they were there and never told Mr Scott. When he asked why they were in use he was told Hawksworth had ordered them.

Evidence Of A Survivor

Joseph Mallinson said: I live at Briestfield and am a coal-getter. I was employed at Combs pit and was there on Tuesday, July 4th. I descended with other men and boys at 6am. We did not see or hear anything wrong. We went down the drawing shaft. I went to my board. I was working by myself. I worked on until nearly giving up time, two o'clock, without knowing that there was anything wrong at all.

My hurrier had taken my last tub from me about noon. Have you heard whether he is alive or dead? Oh, he is dead. He did not come back, he was usually gone about twenty minutes at a time.

About two o'clock I saw Henry Wrathmell, who said "there's something wrong, but I cannot tell whatever it is". He was working in the next board. We saw some smoke, and noticed a smell about it, but could not tell whatever it is. He was working in the next board. We saw some smoke, and noticed a smell about it, but could not tell what it was. There were some other men and boys. We made for Ingham's Pit, I cannot say how far we went, I had not been before. We went some distance and then made a turn. We got to a part where there was no road. The lamp of the leader went out, and we went back. We had much difficulty breathing. All the lights went out. Wrathmell lay down, remarking "Oh, I am done".

Wrathmell prayed for his wife and his children and then went asleep. We got back to near my ending again and lay down on my tram and remained still. One of the men died; he breathed heavily, and then ceased to breathe. That was about three o'clock.

The man in front of me was the only one I heard. I remained conscious all the time. I fell sideways once. I could not sit up because of my head. It appeared a long time. I crept under a sheet with Wrathmell. I did not hear any sound or think anything was wrong until two o'clock. I had not done a full day's work because my hurrier never returned with my corves. I did not get any more coal when he did not come back. I cannot say how  long it was until I was found. It seemed a long time — about a week — that I was lying there.

Engineer Justifies Abandoning Rescue

John Nevin said: I live at Mirfield and am a mining engineer and colliery owner and vice-president of the Midland Institute of Mining Engineers. I arrived at the Combs Pit at about three o'clock in the afternoon of the explosion and in my judgment the steps that were taken were right and proper. Our object in putting in the stoppings was to keep the air fresh for the men in that part. We found afterwards that the stoppings had forced the foul air up the staple pit and we had no other course but to turn water into the pit and drown it to put out the fire. If we had continued to explore the pit every one of us would be in the church yard now.

We found evidence of fire in the drawing shaft, where the conductors were entirely burned away, in my opinion a small portion of gas originally caused the explosion, if not, there would have been much more damage done. I think the gas came out of that small fault which runs across the shaft a little below the level or the platform on the North West side.

Mr Rhodes: Do you really think the gas could collect in a sufficient quantity to explode at that point?          

Mr Nevin: Well, gas had been noticed there once or twice. In the natural course it would be carried by the current of air which was coming down the shaft and accumulate at the clough. There were several open lamps hanging within a few yards of the shaft and the gas ignited. The fire had burned its way downwards. This was the cause of the after-damp filling the pit. The atmospherical disturbances of Monday and Tuesday had probably something to do with the explosion.

Mr Jones: I gather that you were one of those who entered into a conference as to the advisability of carrying on the explorations on the Tuesday night?

Mr Nevin: Yes, I was.

Mr Jones: Why did you decide to suspend operations?

Mr Nevin: Because the pit was on fire and we came to the conclusion that we could not prosecute the work further that night. Mr Bencher was not with us, he was fifty yards away at the time, but we communicated the decision to him.

Mr Jones: Then if Mr Beacher tells us he found that the air was clear at that time it is not true?

Mr Nevin: No, it is not.

Mr Young: As a practical mining engineer do you think it a proper system to have naked lights in a pit where you have men working with safety lamps?

Mr Nevin: Yes.

Mr Young: Are you aware that HM Inspectors have reported that naked lights ought not to be allowed in pits that are worked with safety lamps?

Mr Nevin: I am not aware of it.

Use Of Safety Lamps

William. Edwin Garforth, mining engineer, of Normanton, and President of the Midland Institute of Miners, said he had 20 to 25 years experience of mining and agreed with Mr Nevin. He believed the gas came from the fault in the lower seam, some 18 feet below the Wheatley bed.

He further said that the gas escape might have been produced by atmospheric pressure. He thought open lights at the bottom of a down cast  shaft were safe, but henceforth to restore confidence he thought only safety lamps or electric lamps should be used.

Pit Manager Recalled

Mr Scott, recalled again, said that the fault below the Wheatley bed did not come to his knowledge until after the explosion. He did not know before the explosion that safety lamps had been substituted for naked lamps previously at the shaft bottom. If he had known that gas was present in the quantity described by a mason who worked down the mine some time before, he might have substituted safety lamps for open lights at the shaft bottom, but he would not go any further.

He said he was aware of the Mines Act which said if gas was found to exist to any dangerous extent safety lamps only ought to be used, but he hardly considered that gas fired in the way described was a dangerous quantity. He could not say if there was more gas on the occasion of the explosion than referred to by the mason. He covered the down cast shaft on his own responsibility. It was quite correct he sent for his explorers to return on the Tuesday night, and he would do the same again under such conditions. He thought the fire was first in the shaft.

Questioned by Mr Young he said he hardly thought the gas would have fired if there had been safety lamps and in future, according to the rules he would have to abolish the use of open lights in the pit. But he had been down a hundred pits and never seen safety lamps used at the bottom of the downcast shafts.

Oddfellows Help Relieve The Distress

On Thursday, a meeting of the United Order of Oddfellows, Bolton Unity, took place in the Scarborough Hotel, Dewsbury, to take into consideration the advisability of advancing money to the relatives of the members of the order who had lost their lives in the colliery disaster at Thornhill. It was unanimously decided to pay the claims of those in the lodge, namely, about nine or ten men, which will come to over £100. They have adopted this course in order to facilitate matters and relieve as far as possible the distress at once.

Press Also Help

An appeal has been issued to the Yorkshire Press to aid the fund through their columns. We have no doubt as to the result of the application. Newspaper proprietors and journalists generally, are ever ready to help when help is needed, and it is needed in this case.

Kindness Of Police

Everywhere great satisfaction is expressed at the way in which the West Riding Constabulary have performed their duties during this very trying time. Superintendent Midgley, who, of course, was in command, has been kindness itself, and his inspectors, sergeants and constables were worthy of their chief.

Miss Midgley, his daughter, has been helpful with the rescued, and so too, has Mrs William Howgate, of Ravensthorpe.