THE HUNTLY DISASTER

Evening Star, Issue 15607, 25 September 1914, Page 8

THE HUNTLY DISASTER

INQUIRY CONTINUED. At tie coroner's inquiry at Huntly yesterday Daniel Wear, employed as permanent inspector of th? old workings, said it.took six days to make a thorough inspection. On only one <«caeion had he found g-as in anything like a dangerous quantity. Th.-.t was in March last. He reported the matter to the under manager, and the clangor was removed that night by introducing air. He believed that the accumulation on this occasion was caiiwd by the stoppage of -the fan on a Sunday nicht. On other occasions ho found gas in small quantities, which, he did not consider danxcronx. 110 had been working ut TTuntly tor 28 years, during which time there had been no explosion, oxcc.pt on the ocoaaion when Kelly was burned, a feir weeks ago. Ho considered that the mine was dry, but not dusty. ThcTo were- no signs oi -an during the past three weeks.

The opinion of P.r0f06.-x>r Dixon on tho question of the future workiiiß of coal in Ralph's mine and of coal in similar seams was presented by Mr P. Maca.ssev (who appeared on behalf of the Department of .hiK-tiwN His opinion was contained in a ktter written at the request, of the Minister of Mine:;. " Though it is not possible at -present to locate the origin of the, explosion in Ralph's mine," wrote Professor Dixon, "the main loss of life was duo to inflammation of coal dust- lying on ill© road. Tho (lames unversed {ho main intake airway, which is also the haulage ixiad to the downcast cthai't. \o other inflammable agent but coal dust could have b£"«n present in this intake airway in i sufficient quantity to propagate an explosion. Parts of these- roads are. -iv««t-, but a durt cloud raiised by the blast was carried over the wet places and a flame of burning dust ignited (he drat beyond, until it reached the shaft. Tho flame also p<> net rated many of the other roads, blowing and stopping here and there into tho ictuiTirv Jam of opinion that it would be advisable in future to work this and similar coal seams with safety lamps, and I believe thai modern electric; lajnps (which , give far better illumination than oil j Inn-ins) would ho best. Thone are several typt'LS of electric lamps which have passed j the Home Office test. Until such lamps aic procurable I am of opinion thai it would be safe tr> work with naked, lights, provided (1) thai strict tests a.re made for firedamp before the miners enter, and I (2) that the dust in the main- roads is rendered uninflammable, either by tysitematic watering or by systematic, admixture with finely-divided, inert dmat, such as powderd shale, limestone, or fullers earth.''

Joseph Young, formerly o&eiiant inspector of old workings, said he frequently found accumulations of gas in dangerous quantities in old workings, which were barricaded and marked dangerous, but he often found traces of its? presence in old workings. Witness resigned, (hie position as assistant- inspector owing to ill-health, due to poisonous gases. Ok one occasion he had mentioned the probability of an explosion to one of the miners .'(Thomas Hughes), who accompanied Inspector Wear on a tour of Ui« old working. For a fortnight, prior to tlhe disaster he said he had discovered «igns of heating through smonklsriug timber. On August 86 steps were taken to- eliminate all danger. The heating was caused by 5-pon-taneous oomVmsiioii.

John Mao Gill, deputy, with 15 v oars' experience at 12 difiereaib mines, &tid he had never been i;i one safer than th-p H-untly, which wae considerably safer titan the Brunner mine.

Thomas EdwarJ We-bb, for 30 years a miner, eaid there wae only one mine, safer to his knowledges and that was the Elms Colliery, .at Wigan, whero raked lights were used. Safety lamps wy?ro in general use throughout England, but tho men were usually tho first objectors to safeties, as by their use tho \v<Tk was slower, and the freedom less. He. had examined every portion of Ralph's, and never found any trar*» of gas in a working ir.ee. Mr Fletcher, mine manager (recalled at the request of the jury), stated in answer to a. question that the company had no life-saving appliances at the. time of the explosion. They had an ambulance box :m top and below. Replying to Inspector Wright, -Mr Fletdhar said he knew no mines in the Dominion eccoept the Waihi whero life-saving apparatus was kept. As far as he could learn, life-saving appliances were only in their infancy, and from what he had read more Jivca had been lost by the usere of such appliances than had l«?en saved.

At this stage Inspector Wright askod for an adjournment till the. 30t!ii inst. to enablo a thorough inspection of the. mhie by experts to try and locate tho seat of the explosion. Mr Macassey (representing the Miiu's Department) .said there was no poiv.T under the present Art tn compel the, use of safety lamps in mines. A provision, however, would be marie in tho new A<-t.

The solicitors'for the company said there was not the slightest of incomp«tf<enco or Japs© of duty on the part of the Government inspector. '.Pile inquiry was adjourned til! th.? 30th inat. The official inquiry will <pt>n on October 1.