HOW MINING DISASTERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7921, 13 April 1887, Page 6

HOW MINING DISASTERS

At the inquiry in connection with the Bulli mine disaster some remarkable evidence was given by a miner named Woods :— Mr. Bail: How long have you worked in the Bulli mine? Witness : About 15 or 16 years. Mr. Bull; Was there any gas before the strike 1 Witness: Yes. I have seen from 10 to 12 yards of it from the face. Mr. Ball: Did you feel there was any danger of continuing work before the strike ? Witness: Not the least. Mr. Bull: Before the strike did yoa ever see gas kindled many ways l Witness: Only at the top of the " faults." Mr. Bull: On no occasion since the strike has your lamp been locked ? Witness: Not one. Mr. Bull: Had you the key of the lamp ? Witness : No, but saw plenty lying in the sos where the oil was kept. ' Mr. Bull: You said you had fired a shot with a match Witness : Yea, three or four times. Mr. Bull: Have you ever unscrewed your hmp to obtaln*your light? Witness: Yes. Mr. Bull: And lifted the gauze off? Witness: Yea; to knock snuff off the light. 1 _ Mr. Bull: Have you heard the men at any time complain of gas in the heading ? Witness: No the oniy men who said anything were my mates. Mr. Bull: What was said by them ? Witness : On the last shift they told us to bo careful not to take our pipes up the shift to smoke* Mr. Bull: Who said thai ? Witness ; Westwood and Crompton. Mr. Bull: Both of these are dead ? Witness : Yes. both of them. Mr. Bull: Was there a quantity of gas in your hesding that night? Witness : Yes; I tried it. Mr. Bull: Was that before or after being cautioned 1 Witness : Afterwards ; we sat down and had a smoke outside the danger bord. Mr. Ball: Lit your pipe and had a smoke ? Witness: Yes. Mr. Bull : Comfortably? W itneas : Yea, quite comfortably. Mr. Bull: How far from the danger bord? Witness : Right up against it. Mr. Bull: What quantity of gas did you find there ? Witness: Two or three yards inside the danger bord ; gas would "take" a lamp a few yards further • down; she would not '"take" at the "fault;" still further down she would "take" three feet from the roof. Mr. Bull: You are now speaking of the night before the accident ? Witness: Yes. Mr. Bull: Did you hear anything of the wheeler's lamp lighting gaß that night ? Witness: He came running to our heading, and said the gas was alight. Mr. Bull: Where was the wheeler at work Witness : In No. 1 heading. Mr. Bull: What was done? Witness : I started to run out, and said, "I am not going to be in this affair." Before I got to Stentin the gas was out. Mr. Bull: So you tried to make yourself comfortable again? Witness: Yes. (Laughter.) ' Mr. Bull: Did you make any report to Milwood of that? Witness: No. Mr. Bull: Did you think it a matter of sufficient importance to mention to the overman or his deputy ? Witness : I thought nothing of it. Mr. Bull : You were waiting to be blown right out before reporting ? 1 suppose you have never been in an explosion yet ? Witness : No, Mr. Bull: Who was with you when you were smoking your pipe? Witness ; Salisbury. Mr. Bull: Was he smoking too ? 1 Witness: Yes. Mr. Bull: Did you light your pipe with matches or the lamp ? Witness : We lit them with matches, Mr. Bull: Is Salisbury alive? ! Witness Yes. . Mr. Bull: Another lucky man. Did you not know it was against the regulations to go , into the mine with unlocked lamps 1 Witness: Well, 1 don't know. Mr. Bull: Have you seen any regulations? Witness : I believe I have a copy of them. Mr. Bull: Have you ever taken the trouble to read them Witness: No. Mr. Gibson : That shows what legislation does in these cases.