West Stanley, Durham. 16th February, 1909.

Mr. Tate, another mining engineer stated that on his first visit to the Busty seam and was more definite in his evidence. He said-

“I was a stuck with certain indications which pointed to the force and trend of the explosion having come along the Busty shaft siding towards the downcast shaft. I afterwards had a string impression that it had occurred at the Towneley haulage motor, but this latter idea I found untenable and after hearing the evidence of

Elliott, I had to reconsider my first impression and after careful and exhaustive examinations, I have satisfied myself that the explosion originated on the South side of the pit in the main intake of the Busty seam at a point beyond the curve at the entrance to the Bust west way.

I have ascertained that at the moment of the commencement of the explosion the engine set of laden tubs was just coming out of the Busty way end and would cause a cloud of coal dust. Just beyond the point where the end of the set had reached and near to the shaft siding there is a fall of stone and several balks and props under this fall appear to have been driven outbye towards the way end, whereas at a short distance further inbye the indications are all inbye over. I also noticed that the explosive force shown in this neighbourhood and from thence out over towards the shaft, and was not of a very violent character and there is an absence of serious damage.

All the persons employed in the shaft siding and at the bottom of the pit appeared from the position in which they were found to have had some intimation of the explosion and most of them had made an attempt to obtain shelter from the blast which was approaching them thus proving that it was at that moment a comparatively slow travelling force which had just commenced moreover the bodies did not appear to have been subject to much violence as some of the other bodies which were further away from this initial point. We also have it from Elliott that he heard one of the victims crying out for help.

All these incidents point to the possibility of this point being the neighbourhood of the first ignition consequently it must be coal-dust explosion, as gas could not possibly have been present there. From this point of ignition the force travelled in every direction inbye to the face of the Busty way, inbye to the Bugle way and up the Tilley staple and up the Tilley drift and outbye to the downcast shaft, and up this shaft to the Busty seam and down the shaft into the Brockwell seam. It afterwards came down the Towneley staple into the Busty seam at the other side of the shaft. In my opinion it was an explosion of coal-dust which was ignited at a point on the Busty waggonway on the inbye side of the curve.”

Other sources of ignition were examined, open lights, whether by defective lamps or matches, shot firing, sparking from mechanical friction and electrical sources. All the lamps in the mine were locked and none of the recovered lamps showed signs of damage that could have caused the explosion and sparking from mechanical sources were dismissed as a source of ignition. The fact that the fuses at the surface had blown led Dr. W.M. Thornton, professor of Electrical Engineering at the Armstrong College Newcastle-on-Tyne who was called by the Durham Miners’ Association thought that the explosion was caused by an electrical spark. Three facts led him to this conclusions.

• First a lamp which was hung in front of a large pumping tank in the Busty seam was found smashed,
• second the breaking fuse in the pump house in the Busty seam
• third, a short circuit set up by train of coal dust between the terminals in any of the junction boxes or gateway end switches. He thought the last to be the most likely.

At the end of the inquest the coroner summed up and left nineteen questions for the jury to answer. They retired and after three hours returned with the following answers-

1. What was the cause of death in each separate case?
Answer. As stated by the medical witness.

2. Was the Towneley Seam in a safe working condition (including cables and their insulation, electric and all other plant, whether worked by electricity or otherwise) when the deceased men and boys were working therein on the 16th. February 1909, and up to the moment of the explosion, and had all proper precautions been taken by watering and sweeping to prevent dust explosion?
Answer. All in good working order and all proper precautions taken.

3. Tilley Seam. Was the Tilley Seam in a safe working condition (including cables and their insulation, electric and all other plant, whether worked by electricity or otherwise) when the deceased men and boys were working therein on the 16 th February 1909, and up to the moment of the explosion, and had all proper precautions been taken by watering and sweeping to prevent dust explosion?
Answer. All in good working order and all proper precautions taken.

4. Was the Busty Seam in a safe working condition (including cables and their insulation, electric and all other plant, whether worked by electricity or otherwise) when the deceased men and boys were working therein on the 16th. February 1909, and up to the moment of the explosion, and had all proper precautions been taken by watering and sweeping to prevent dust explosion?
Answer. All in good working order and all proper precautions taken.

5. Was the Brockwell Seam in a safe working condition (including cables and their insulation, electric and all other plant, whether worked by electricity or otherwise) when the deceased men and boys were working therein on the 16th. February 1909, and up to the moment of the explosion, and had all proper precautions been taken by watering and sweeping to prevent dust explosion?
Answer. All in good working order and all proper precautions taken.

6. Was the downcast shaft in a safe working condition (including cables and their insulation, electric and all other plant, whether worked by electricity or otherwise) when the deceased men and boys were working therein on the 16th. February 1909, and up to the moment of the explosion, and had all proper precautions been taken by watering and sweeping to prevent dust explosion?
Answer. All in good working order and all proper precautions taken.

7. Was the upcast shaft in a safe working condition (including cables and their insulation, electric and all other plant, whether worked by electricity or otherwise) when the deceased men and boys were working therein on the 16th. February 1909, and up to the moment of the explosion, and had all proper precautions been taken by watering and sweeping to prevent dust explosion?
Answer. All in good working order and all proper precautions taken.

8. Was the fan of sufficient capacity and was a sufficient current of air passed along in-takes and returns during the back shift?
Answer. Yes, in both cases.

9. Were the lamps issued to the men and boys in good condition and safe as against gas, and were they properly locked?
Answer. They were issued in proper condition and properly locked.

10. Was the West Stanley Colliery in all respects properly provided with all the necessary mechanical power and materials necessary for the safety of the men and boys employed on the 16th February?
Answer. In all respects the jury consider this had been done.

11. Were the manager, undermanager, overmen, deputy overmen, master shifter, engineers, enginemen (both steam and electrical) and all officials of sufficient experience and ability and did they discharge their respective duties in a satisfactory manner and were the general and special rules in force at the colliery strictly complied with?
Answer. We are of the opinion that all the officials enumerated were competent men and that all rules had been complied with.

12. In which seam did the explosion originate?
Answer.. In the Busty Seam.

13. Was there one explosion or more than one?
Answer. One explosion not able to say if there was more than one.

14. In what part of the seam (or elsewhere) did the explosion originate, and in what other parts where there other explosion (if any)?
Answer. On west way, Busty Seam, between curve and air crossing.

15. Was the explosion of gas or dust or partly gas and partly dust?
Answer. A dust explosion.

16. How was the dust ignited so as to cause the explosion?
Answer. What was the cause of the explosion the jury were unable to find.

17. Who, if any, one or more, is (or are) and in what respect culpable?
Answer. No one.

18. Was the explosion result of a cause or causes, which has or have not been and cannot be ascertained?
Answer. A dust explosion. What was the cause of the ignition the jury were unable to find.

19. Does jury desire to make any recommendations or suggestions for the further guidance of the present or future owners of the West Stanley Colliery, or other similar collieries?
Answer. None.”

With the presentation of the verdict the proceedings were terminated.