H.—l6

6

Thomas Knowles added: I was working at the mine on the morning of the 21st ultimo. I was about fiftv yards from the mouth of the tunnel at 10 minutes to 9 o'clock that morning, when the explosion took place. I first noticed the explosion by a large volume of smoke issuing from the air-shaft. There was a tremendous report, as if the gronnd was going to open up. The sight presented was like a burning mountain throwing a dense mass of debris into the air. A volley of stones, timber, hutches, and debris also came from the mouth of the pit. A boy named Edward Dunne, who used to drive the horse that brought the coals out of the mine was blown out. I saw him enter the mine, and had spoken to him only a moment before the accident took place. I ran towards him, but after breathing twice he expired. I seldom used to work in the mine. I know the old workings well, and have been into them a great number of times, but not during the past four or five months. The horse Dunne had been leading was also blown out of the mine. The course of ventilation in the workings went up one side and returned on the other side. The explosion must have occurred in the old workings. Did you ever have any conversation with the men as to the state the mine was in ? They all seemed quite satisfied, as far as I could hear. Did you hear no expressions of fear about fire-damp ? No; Hodge used to go round and see whether it would be safe for the men to enter, and if it was not safe he stopped them; but if it was they appeared quite satisfied ? And during the last two or three months was it frequent or unfrequent for him to stop them from going in ? There were one or two places that they were stopped from going into occasionally during the last three months, but after the cross openings were through there was no fire-damp to be noticed there any more. Do you know of any accidents having occurred in the mine from fire-damp ? Yes ; there was one. Andrew Jarvie was burnt a short time ago, and laid up for three weeks. Did you see Archibald Hodge on the morning of the explosion ? Yes; I was standing talking to him outside the mouth of the pit. He was taking in two rails for Andrew Jarvie and Walter Hay, to lay a load about 300 yards in the direction opposite to the old workings. Did he get all the rails he wanted, do you think? No; he wanted a pair of long rails. How long was this before the explosion? Ten minutes. Did he get the long rails ? Yes; and he took them in, and put them on a hutch that young M'Donald was'driving. He got on the hutch himself, and held the rails there. He also said he wanted a pair of "turnings." Did he say where he was going to get these turnings? No; all in the new workings were in use, and there were none outside. Superintendent Weldon: To get these, then, would he have to go into the old workings? Yes. The Coroner: Would he know that there were turnings in the old workings? Oh, yes ; he would know every one that was there, I believe. What was your impression at the time ? Where was he going to get them? I could not say for certain; but I thought he was going to the old workings to get them—that is what I thought. Was there any conversation between you with regard to the propriety of going there to get them ? No. You know the place where Archibald Hodge was found ? Yes. Then, taking into consideration the time at which you saw Hodge at the pit's mouth, and the time at which you heard the explosion, did it strike you that it would have just occcupied the interval in reaching the old workings ? Yes ; it struck me at the moment that Hodge had caused the explosion. What was your opinion about the old workings ? I was not in a position to say whether they were dangerous or not; but as far as my judgment led me, I would not have gone in myself with a naked light. A Juror: Did you see how he was carrying his lamp when he went into the mine ? It was in his fingers in the usual way. The Coroner: Was it an open lamp ? Yes. What was burnt in it ? Tallow. What office did he hold ? He was roadsman, and had to keep the furnace burning. He kept the door locked, and the key in his pocket. Charles Samson said: lam a director of the Green Island Coal Company. I am skilled in the working of coal mines. I have had fourteen years experience in the Colony, and was employed nine years as coal miner at home. I have managed mines of my own, the workings of which were rather extensive. I have managed the Abbotsford Mine at Green Island. I have been in the Kaitangata. Company's Mine. I think if all the openings in the old workings were kept closed and tight the ventilation would be sufficient. The old workings ought to have been blocked up, if that was not the case already. It did not matter whether the air passed through the old workings or not, so long as the openings were kept blocked up in a proper and substantial manner. Is it sufficient for mines like this to have one outlet, or should they have two ? I think there ought to be two outlets. But what do you mean by "outlets?" Do you mean outlets for air, or what ?