HUNTLY EXPLOSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15729, 2 October 1914, Page 5

HUNTLY EXPLOSION.

, LNQUEST ENDED. CAUSE OF DEATHS. G\S AND COAL DUST. EVIDENCE OF EXPERTS. NEED FOR SAFETY LAMPS. ['■'■' " ! tr.RArH—Sr-ECUL corbestoxdent] HrxTUr, Thursday. T;ir. inquest into the circumstances of the ri- it!..- of the 45 victims of the Huntly • ■.-i.-'.er v., continued to-dav before the oner, Mr. K. Rawson, S.M., and a yi:y. Inspeitor Wright conducted the I""' viiiiißs for the police, Mr. C. .T. links lepresented the Taupiri Coal Mines i • mp.tny. Mr. W. .1. Napier the owners of '' ■• i.:.in-, the Ralph trustees, Mr. P. \|....i>sey the Mine? Department, and Mr. .\ Tthni-ift the relatives of the deceased. I'n.lessor 11. B. Dixon, recalled, said t'l.it no large amount of gas and an - mix--lii •■ mid be required to start a dust expi"-' in a mine. Probably a few hundred < '.hi feet would suffice. Some dust was burred in No. 6 ]> ( ,rd. where the body nf Ma, "as found. He did not know of any case in England where explosions in ruir.fs had occurred simultaneously with M-uniic disturbances. The explosion in Ralph's was caused by a dangerous a i uniulation of coal dust in the mine. The Coroner: Do you tliink a competent manager ought to have known that dust existed in the mine in a dangerous rendition ami quantity?l think very few managers would have known that dust cv.sti.i in the mine in dangerous quantities, and unless they were interested in the dust question and had made experiments on it, 1 don't think they would have been nwave of the dangerous character of lignite t'l.'il dust.

Proceeding, the witness said that falls were sometimes caused by gas pressure. f'c his visit t« the mine last Tuesday, he found a considerable accumulation of gas i i No. 5 bord—so much so that he. could not get over the big fall because of the gas, which put his lamp out. H3 was of opinion that so long as the old workings were kept as op. as at present, they should be treated once with inert dust. He. could form no opinion as to whether the ventilation of the old workings was sufficient.

Strange Absence of Explosions. To Mr. Napier: In order to render the hiinp practically safe by the medium of inert, dust it would only bo necessary to apply an equal weight of finely-divided, incombustible dust with a quantity of coal dust which could be easily raised. It would then bo practically impossible to light the coal dust. In other words there should bo rather more incombustible dust than combustiblo dust present. However, if an explosion of violence had started and travelled 150 yds along a gallery, such a mixture as ho had described would carry it on. With such an accumulation of coal dust in Ralph's, it was somewhat remarkable that an explosion had not occurred before. For any explosion, however, a set of coincident circumstances would bo required. The presence of 2j per cent, of gas would not be dangerous in itself. The explosive point was 5.6 per cent. The violence of the explosion would depend upon the quantify of that percentage of gas in the mifie. .

Witness had not heard it suggested that a blown-out shot caused the explosion. All the evidence seemed to him to point to the initiation of the explosion being due to the presence of gas. It was clear that since the explosion gas bad comefln in considerable quantity from tho point of origin. There must have been a fair volumo of gas in the bord where the body of Martin was found.

Safety Lamps and Appliances. lo the Foreman of tho Jury: There were more delicate appliances for detecting gas than the oil safety lamp, such as tno hydrogen lamp, which would detect from £ per cent, oi gas quite easily. Ho did not advocate hydrogen lamps for mines, as for all practical purposes the oil safety lamps were adequate.

Witness was strongly of opinion that lite-saving appliances should be kept in all mines, and that men should, be trained in their use. Ho suggested that there s-.iuld be a central station in the Dominion to which miners might bo sent for thus training.

Duty to Test for Gas. Daniel Wear, deputy, recalled, said that in testing for gas it was not the practice to examine every borcl in the mine. Some plates were missed because there had never been indications of gas there. His instructions wero to look for fire, not for gas. When ho, found a fall, however, be generally went to the top of it and made tests for gas. There was no one whose duty it was to test for gas in the old workings. Such tests as wen; made wore quite voluntary. Wherr\er witness thought there was likely to be gas lie. tested for it. Joseph M. Rrownlie, lmrsedriver, re called, said Martin was a contract, trucker, and worked in No. 5. Witness did not know what work took Martin into the mine on August 12, unless it was cleaning up brattices or drawing rails from No. - r j. There was no evidence that be was there to help witness. Martin Ilk) been in No. 5 a fortnight before „ 'tin,; out. rails. Investigations of Inspector.

P. \i] JJennie. Oovernmont inspector of cd mines hi Auckland district, said lie (it?:, I.e. iiinn aware of the presence of gas in li," Hunt mines about nix or seven ;.i.;n.- a'.•■■. when ho ignited a small quan lily ni -is in .1 .smaU borehole in the i i. : ..He dt the working faces. He i, , i. d i,i is 'I Inn us sustained by '• i'km . »inre tin ii. both in the Extender] a 'I ii. Ralph's. Th" latter instance,- <.:,, ,| viiin-cs to make a more careful f-\.injn,i!i'.!i it the property, and to re quip. il:e manager to take remedial and ; i .ml; ■ ii.ii ■.' measures, besides irtimati. _ tl-.it hi might leijniie safety lamps 1., be . mp]..\. d. lb' wrote to the man- .-._•(•, .ii tin m: lines in .May. July, and An.ii.- 1 ~,,-t He visited the, mines on (i-.i'idl occasions, but only once did he lied g„■-. Cii August 14 he considered tin amount if ioaldust in the mine to be n,-j'..-l,u lory.

In Kj iy to Inspector Wright, witness R. ( id In. had constantly inspected the mine at iuter\als "f about three months during the past nine years. This year, prior to the explosion, he visited it seven times, the extra visits being induced by the Gliding of gas in the old workings. According to the special rules it was the duty of every employee in the mine to report the presence of gas. During the last two years witness, had received no

complaints whatever from any one employed in the mine. Ho had not found gas in those parts of the mine where men were working in quantities which in his opinion made it necessary that safety lamps should be used. As for the old workings, gas was an ever-present danger, but the men were not supposed to go there. Witness drew the attention of the manager to the Hangers in the mine, and it was for the latter to cope with them. Instructions given by witness had always been carried out, though the dust had not been watered as adequately as he would have desired. Alter hearing Professor Dixon's evidence lie was now convinced it was absolutely necessary to use safety lamps, and had notified the managers that only safety lamps and permitted explosives could be used in the mines. in his opinion, the explosion occurred inside the old workings, near No. 5 bord.

Precautions for Safety. To -Mr. Napier: Up to the time of the explosion witness considered the mine "'as a sale one to worK, with the exception of the turning of the small quantity nt gas ana the iWI dust present. Jtlaa the occurrence not taken place lie would not have, hesitated to permit work to continue as it was being tarried on, except that if he Jiad had the authority under the Art he would have insisted upon safety lamps. In his letter to the manager he stated that if certain contingencies happened satety lamps might be insisted upon. 'Jliose contingencies had not happened up to the time of the accident. To the Foreman: Falls were always dangerous, but witness did not »mow now they were to bo hindered. Falls or debris wticli had been on lire, were sometimes turned over to allow the gases generated to escape. This was as sue a system as taking tli»! falls out of the mine. " .he was aware that lour of the old Huntly mines had fired, but that was because, trie tails lad been allowed to .accumulate without inspection. Where any special dangei was noted on a visit ot inspection, ttiat place should bo visited oftoncr than once a week. To tho Coroner: Ho was satisfied that the \entilation of the old workings was sufficient to caiTV off ordinary accumulations of gas, though the air in isolated comers might have been. warm. Verdict ol the Jury. Counsel having addressed the jury, the coroner briefly reviewed the evidence. After the tea. adjournment., the juty deliberated for 40 minutes, at the end ol which time they returned with a verdict to the effect, that the victims of the disaster met their deaths in Ralph's mine owing to the ignition of a quantity of gas in No. 5 section causing an explosion ol ccal dust. The foreman stated that tho jury had not added any riders id view of the fact that the Government Commission would bo investigating more closely the question of tho.-cause of tho explosion.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY, WORK OF COMMISSION. i. ADJOURNED TILL TO-DAY. ORDER OF REFERENCE. [BY TELEGBAPH— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] ! Huntlt, Thursday. The commission Bet up bv tho Government to inquire into the disaster at Ralph's mine, Huntly, on September 12 last, Teas formally opened here to-day. The commissioners were .Messrs. F. J. Burgees, chairman, J. C. Brown and J. Dowgray. Mr. C. J. Tunks represented the company, Mr. W. J. Napier, the Ralph Trustees, owners of the mine, Mr. P. Macasse} the Mines | Department, Mr. G. M. Newton the Tau-1 pin Coalmine Workers' Union and Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., and Mr. Gould appeared for the New Zealand miners, including unions affiliated with the Federation oi Labour and tho United Labour ! Party, and also for several of the relatives of the' deceased miner*. The secretary of the commission, Mr. J. T Wat-kin* of the head office of the Mines Department, read tho order <jf reference, which was as follows: — 1. To ascertain in what part or parts i of the mine the accident occurred and the nature of the same. 2. To. ascertain how the accident was caused. , 3. To ascertain what lights were used in the different parts of the mine at the time of the accident. 4. To ascertain to what extent tho provisions of the Coalmines Act, 1908, and the general rules, special rules and additional roles, made in accordance with the provisions of that Act were complied . with in the mine, but more especially as 1 regards (a) ventilation and lighting; (b/ the examination of the mine ; fc) the character of the explosives ; (d) the withdrawal lof workmen in case of danger; (e) the I means of escape in case of accident 5. To ascertain the nature and character of the working and general management of the mine, and whether the mine was well and safely managed. 6. To determine the efficiency of the ; inspection of the mine by (a) the inspector of mines for the district; (b) the I workmen's inspectors. 7. To make suggestions for the prevention, as far as possible, of similar accidents and for the safe working of this and other mines in the future. 8. To ascertain if the provisions of the existing laws are sufficient to give the inspector of mines full authority to order the use of safety lamps and other appliances, if in his opinion such appliances are necessary. 9. And generally to make inquiry into any matter or thing arising out of or connected with the several subjects of inquiry, and to report whether any additional legislation is necessary, and the i scope of same or whether an amendment of the regulations under the existing law ran be made sufficient to provide reasonable and proper safeguards. Jhe report of the commission is to bo handed to tho "Minister for Mines, the linn. W. Fnuser, bv November 1 nest. Ihe chairman said that as the inquest was not vet over, and it would be inconvenient for the two inquiries to proceed together, it had been decided to aciionrn the sotting of th« commission until to-mjrrow morning. In the meantime the commissioners would visit and inspect the mine. The commission would be l.renared to take tile evidence of anvl,.;Wv wishing to give it. and the commission would be an open one. The question of procedure, was left over, and it was announced that the evi- ■ if-n-e of Professor Dixon would bo tho first taken. The'commission then adjourned.

HERALD RELIEF FUND. TOTAL OF £389 RECEIVED. The sum of £2o 1.& was yesterday subs' i:1,e,l to the fund opened bv, the HICRAJ.D in: the relief of di.stiess in Huntlv caused hv the mine disaster. The fund has now reached a total of £883 9s s<l. Particulars of the amounts received vesterdav are as follow.— £ s. <]. Waihi .Hi«e Club 10 0 0 Mrs. McCosh Clark 3 0 0 M.C. Epsom 22 0 Mrs. J. Paterson 10 0 V.M 10 0 R. Aehtcn, Scddon 10 0 >>.H 10 0 Freak, fiiblxms. 10s; Sympathiser, 10s; ]> Tornv, ss; Y. Hampton, os; M. Torpv, is: 0.D.1)., ss; A.K.C., ss; Isabella Harricon, ss; H.M.P., ss; D.K.W., is.