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THE CYMMER COLLIERY EXPLOSION.…

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THE CYMMER COLLIERY EXPLOSION. ADJOURNED INQUEST.—FRIDAY. (Continued from our last.) The first witness examined this morning; was David Rowlands. He said: I have been fireman at the Cymmer Colliery about two years, and live about 120 yards from the pit. At about twenty minutes to eight o'clock on the morning of the explosion, a boy came to my house and said—" William Powell wants you, a fire has taken place." I took my lamp and went into the pit, and saw several colliers, who had been working in the South Wales headings, standing at the parting, and I asked them they if they knew in what part the fire took place. I went along the level heading and opposite Arthur's dip, I saw William Jones leaning on the corner of a tram, and Thomas Davies sitting close beside him. I asked them if they knew where the fire took place. They said no but we are severely burnt here-help us out. I told some one to take them out, and I and one or two others who were with me, tried to stop up the doorway of Arthur's heading, the door having blown down. I then went on and in John Caemawr's heading I met my brother Rowland, and we sent for some canvas. I next went into Charles' heading, where were several dead bodies. One who was with me said there is a voice in Moses' heading. I then went there and found a man who was groaning. We took him out to the air, but he immediately expired. I then went back and found ano- ther body, quite dead, when, being overcome by th" fuLlI air, I went out of the pit. On my ret"-? f *eat into the "Windwav heading, whe- saw Daniel Thomas and several other*, being so much foul air we could r-oeed, and being exhausted myself, I went home. 1 returned to the pit that evening for the third time, but took no active part in clearing it. My duty that morning Was to ex (mine the Rise District," consisting of Jacob Phillips' and Charles' headings and stalls, and Arthur's dip. The latter place is not worked, but is kept open for throwing rubbish in. I examined all the workings in my district that morning, and also Arthur's heading, through which air passes. I have never seen gas there. The colliers sometimes enter the pit before the firemen come out, but it is against the rules. David Jones' district on the same morning, consisted of John Jenkins' stall, in the airway leading to the windway heading and stalls, Daniel Lewis' heading and stalls, Morgan Griffiths' head- ing and stalls, Griffith Williams' heading and stalls, and Salathiel's heading. I went over that district the previ- ous morning, as we all change districts daily. After ex- amining the pit we meet at the bottom of the shaft and give a signal. Two blows with the hammer signified that something is wrong, and the men are not permitted to descend; but if we give three blows, the breaksman knows that "all is right," and the men are allowed to go down. When I go up, I report to my brother the state of the pit. The other firemen repose confidence in me to do so. If anything were wrong in my brother's absence I would take upon myself the responsibility of preventing any one going down. After we bad finished our round on the morning of the explosion, we met as usual at the bottom of the pit, and David Jones reported that he had seen fire in no part of the works except in David Morgan's stall. I asked him how much fire there was, and he said r only a small quantity. The stall is one yard high, six long, and twenty-two yards wide, and he said the fire was in the middle of the face. He said that a fall had taken place in the stall, and that the fire was in that part. I asked him if he had placed up the mark there, and he said Yes, in the usual place—in the windway of the stall." I told him that the owner of the stall was by the sea-side, and that we would go and examine it after breakfast. We gave three knocks and ascended the pit. Some of the men might have gone down while I went up-I did not see them. The men afterwards went down. The other firemen went home, and I sat on the top of the pit a few minutes, till my brother came. He asked me how things stood, and I told him all right." This might have been from half-past six to seven o'clock. [Witness read rule 20, which sets forth, that all under- men are to report to the overman, and the overman to the manager, all signs of danger.] I have read this rule before, but did not understand it, nor do I now. I did not report to the overman that there was fire in David Morgan's stall, because the owner was by the sea-side. I axamined the stall the day before, but found no gas in it. I tried it by my lamp. I saw that there had been a fall, but not sufficiently large to stop the air current. I was afraid to push my way through it from the dan- gerous position of the stones overhead. The fall in this, stall commenced two months' ago, and continued till the time of the explosion. William Thomas, fireman, made an airway from the straight heading, with a view of strik- ing the stall on the inside of the fault. It was finished three weeks before the explosion, but did not answer the purpose to the extent desired. All the air of the col- liery was not forced through the fault. A hole was left in the door. which door turned the air into the stall in question, so as not to check the whole ventilation. Mat- thew Evans was sitting with me on the top of the pit after I came out, and I do not recollect speaking to any one but him and Rowland, my brother. I do not recollect beckoning to any one, and stating what I had seen-nor caution any one that there would be an explo- sion that day. By Mr. Owen: I was a collier at Cymmer the year before I was appointed fireman, and for fifteen years be- fore that I was a sharpener of tools, at Dinas Colliery. For thirteen years before that again I was a collier, and am now 40 years old. I cannot tell when David Morgan Went to the sea-side, nor when his stall was last worked. I lastr Saturday saw the danger mark placed at the wind- Way entrance of the stall. Two of the pieces were lying ride by side, and the other piece was further in. Rowland Thomas Rowland never complained to me of not doing my duty. Ebenezer Salathiel, Thomas Edmunds, and Henry Salathiel worked in the straight heading the night before the explosion. I h'lve no recollection of speaking with those three men about a fog in the pit that night, but afterwards some one said a fog was in the pit. I did not inow that David Morgan bad not returned from the sea- side, nor that William Thomas was going to work there. I remember having a dispute "ith Morgan Richards about fire in John Caemawr's heading. 'There was fire there—we agreed as to that; and although we cleared it at that time, it gained upon us. I tuld Morgan Richards that he did not know his work, and he struck me, and I defended myself. The men refused to work, because Morgan Richards had told them there was fire there. We then put up the bag to turn the air, before Mr. Hay went down to inspect the place, and fire was found there afterwards. I remember that Thomas Davies, of Treban, only complained to me one morning, that the signal had not been placed in his stall. I explained to him that there had been a signal, and he was satisfied. By the Jury: I cannot say that the pieces of door belonging to Arthur's heading were found blown into the level heading. When lighted candles were used in the works as signals to the workmen that the firemen had been ther; no one would have been exposed to an explo- sion but tile firemen or had gas accumulated between the time the firemen lighted the candles and the arrival of the men, an explosion would have not endangered any one. The system of using lighted candles as signals is much safer than the system of tickets. By Mr. Huddlestone: Mr. Hay told me that the alteration had been made in consequence of a recom- mendation of Mr. Mackworth, the Government Inspector. By the Jury: I had no objection in my own mind to work No. 3 vein in the Rhondda with naked candles, but since the explosion I will say nothing. By the Coroner: I did not find the air heavy in any part of the pit on tiie morning of the explosion. David Jones, fxamined in Welsh, said I am a fireman at the Cymmer Colliery. My duties are to walk into every stall and heading in my round. On the morning of the explosion, I went into the pit about a quarter-past three o'clock, and David Jones, a collier, and two boys went down with me. I went to the flue, and seeing the fire rather small, I threw on some coal. No flueman was there. When I came to David Morgan's stall I found fire. A small fall of about half-a-yard square had taken place. I went to the farther end of the stall, and a cap appeared over the flame of my lamp. I found that gas had accumulated about the middle of the face of the stall, and I put up three pieces of cross timber in the Windway to show danger. There are two windways to the stall, and I placed the signal at the one about 45 yards from the face of it. I then went to the heading and called out to Ebenezer Salathiel, Henry Salathiel, and Thomas Edmunds, merely to let them know what had occurred. I told them not to go into David Morgan's BtalJ, as there was fire there. They were working in the face of the straight heading. The firemen were waiting for me when I arrived at the bottom of the shaft. Morgan Rowlands asked me if I saw anything out of the way, and I told him that I saw a little fire in the middle of the face of David Morgan's stall. He asked me if I had put up a mark, and I told him I had. He said it is no matter; Morgan is gone to the sea-side, and we would go there after breakfast. I always reported to Morgan Rowlands. We came out of the pit about twenty minutes past six. The air in the pit was as good that morning as usual. I have been fireman about ten months, previous to which I was seven or eight years a collier. As we were coming out of the straight heading Ebenezer Salathiel asked me what the smoke meant. I told him I thought it was the smoke from the pit coming with the air. By Mr. Owen: I do not remember any one calling the smoke a fog. I have seen it frequently when a fire hasn been first lit at the top of the pit. No one said it had a sulphery smell. I talked with William Jones, David Lewis, and William Morgan on the morning of the explosion. They were working all night. William Jones did not ask me why the air was so bad. A great many persons asked me the reason of the explosion, but I did not say that there was great blame on us. Salathiel did not tell me there was fire in his stall the night before. By the Coroner: I never saw any colliers pass over the cross timber when they had been put up. By the Jury I do not think there was a very bad fire in the furnace, but I thought there wanted more coal put on it. One of the hauliers looks after it during the night. I am more than 30 years of age. William Thomas, examined in Welsh, said I have been n fiUeman at the Cymmer Colliery about six or seven months. I am 24 years old. Morgan Rowlands and Rowland Rowlands are my brothers-in-law. On the morning of the explosion, I visited the two South Wales headings, and the north side of the pit. I went down about half-past three with Morgan Rowlands, found that all was safe, and came back to the bottom of the shaft. Morgan Rowlands asked me if I had seen anything out of the way, and I answered, no. I heard David Jones tell him that he had seen a little fire on the top stall of the straight heading. He asked him if he had put up a danger mark, and he said he had. Morgan Rowlands then said it does not signify, for David Morgan is gone to the sea-side, and we will visit the stall after breakfast. We then gave three knocks to indicate that all was right, and went up, and I went home. It is Morgan Rowlands' duty to report to the overman. I examined David Morgan's stall on the Saturday before the explosion; there was no fire there then. I saw no cap on the flame of my lamp in any part of the workings. On the morn- ing of the explosion, the air in South Wales was as good as usual. By Mr. Owen I have seen smoke come from a fire at at the top of the pit, come down the down cast, and pro- ceed with the air as far as South Wales. Some of the colliers go down into the pit with us when they want to get off early. It was the custom before I came there, and has been continued since. The firemen of the dis- ric goes with them into their stalls. We examine the old workings once a week or oftener-never less frequently. The court rose at a quarter to seven o'clock. SATURDAY. The business of the Court was resumed this morning at half-past ten o'clock. ° Previous to the examination of witnesses, the foreman of the jury stated that it had been generally remarked out of doors, that a tone of levity characterised their proceedings, not at all consonant with an investigation into the cause of death of 114 individuals. He hoped there would be no more of it while the Court lasted. Mr. Daniel Thomas, manager of the Dinas Colliery, about a mile from the Cymmer Colliery, said: I heard of an explosion at the Cymmer Colliery, on the 15th of July, and I went down. Mr. Jabez Thomas sent to borrow some safety lamps. Mr. Thomas asked me to go down into the pit, to see what I could do for him, and desired me to order whatever I considered necessary. On proceeding along the level heading, as far as the South Wales heading, I saw my son Edmund, and two men from the Cwm Celyn Colliery. A few yards beyond the South Wales parting I saw two horses lying dead. I examined the doors of the South Wales, and found them all right, after which I proceeded to Arthur's dip, and between there and the double parting I saw five or six dead horses. I saw one of the Dinas firemen trying to put up the door of Arthur's heading, which, I believe, was blown downwards. I next proceeded to Charles's heading, on the opposite side of the level, and found the doors had been blown upwards. I next went to Moses's heading, on the same side of the level, and found that those doors had been blown upwards. I afterwards pro- ceeded to the door of the level heading of Charles Phillips's dip. Here I saw Morgan Rowlands, one of the firemen in the colliery, doing something to put the air on. The door was across the level heading, and ap- peared to have been blown inward, toward the face of the working. The hinges were bent inwards, and the door was blown into fragments. Mr. Williams, a former witness, and Mr. Evans, Go- vernment Inspector, agreed as to the door in question being blown inwards. Examination-continued: From Evan Phillips's dip I proceeded through a narrow air-way to the windway heading, and endeavoured to find Edward Powell, a collier from Dinas, but found the air so bad that I was obliged to return, when, meeting with Thomas Salatljicl, I asked him to assist me out, being quite overcome by foul air. Mr. Bedlington joined me at the bottom of the pit, and we held a consultation together, as to the best manner of getting out the dead bodies. We decided upon clearing Charles's heading first, and then stop the air from entering there, that it might be driven forward, and then proceed with Moses's heading in the same man- ner, and to act in this way throughout the colliery. After this, I proceeded to the parting of the straight heading, where I found four dead bodies lying together, but the choke-damp was so bad I could not proceed. After we had got out 27 or 28 dead bodies, I went out for relief. The next day I set to work, and lighted the furnace to ventilate the pit, as some men, on the day of the explosion, had raked out the fire for fear of another explosion. I then got ten or twelve practical men, in- cluding my own firemen, to search the works with me. We divided ourselves into two parties-my son went with one party, and I with the other. After searching the South Wales portion of the works, I went up to tell Mr. Jabez Thomas that this part was in very excellent condition. On going down a secoad time, with Mr. Bedlington, I proceeded to the further end of Charles's heading, where I found a dead horse, but there was no gas there. We then searched Moses's heading, but found no gas there. We made an attempt to search Jacob's heading, but the air was weak, and we returned. We then put up the door, to turn the air up the straight heading, and afterwards, in placing my lamp in the re. turn air current, I found a large quantity of choke-damp coming out. I then ordered a portion of the door to be taken down,that the heading might clear more gradually. Our object to get into this heading, was to get out the bodv of Llewellyn Thomas, which was subsequently found in David Morgan's stall at the farther end. I found the furnace acting well, and went out for the day. On Friday, I examined Salathiel s heading, but found no gas there. My opinion is, that the explosion took plaoe in David Morgan s stall. That produced four or five other explosions in various parts of the works. The strongest signs of fire was in Griffith Williams's heading, on the level. I think a rider bad been worked in the horseway, and a very tender clod, lying between the rider and the coal had given way, leaving a hole where gas can accumulate between the rider and the clod. I saw this in David Morgan's stall, where a portion of clod had fallen. This rider I consider contains more gas than the vein of coal lying beneath, and when an explosion takes place, the concussion drives out the gas from the hollow between the rider and the clod. This will account for a number of explosions taking place in various parts of the pit. I saw marks of fire in John Salathiel's stall, but in no other part of the windway heading itself-but in the first stall. I am of opinion that the explosion came from the inside of the works. An explosion always sucks a body towards it, and the door that had the bent hinges might have been drawn inwards. The fire, from an explosion, always goes against a current of air. That is the way in which it is fed. I believe that fire did not pass through some of the headings without leaving signs. By Mr. Dickenson I consider it safest to work the rider coal with the main bed-we work it in Mr. James's pit, but there the clod is but fifteen inches thick, whereas in the Cymmer pit it is twenty inches thick. I think that the rider at the Cymmer pit should be worked with the main vein. It is not usual in South Wales to bore holes through the clod to let the gas from the rider coal, when the rider coal is not worked. Mr. Dickenson thought it was indispensible for every mining engineer to attend to places where naked candles are used. Witness thought this objectionable—if the rider gave way, the dangerous gas would always rise to the top. Mr. Dickenson: But the boreholes would let out tue gas—perhaps witness did not know it was always adopted in the North of England, and with invariable success. Witness said he was not aware of this. By the Coroner: If there had been a sufficient current of air in the pit, no doubt the gas would have been rendered harmless by being carried off. I consider that the system of ventilating the pit is the proper one, but some of the airways are too small for properly ventilating beyond the fault in the colliery. I also object to carrying the intake and return currents parallel, with only the gob between them, except for temporary purposes. The mode adopted of working the colliery is not consistent with the system of the Rhondda Valley, as the headings are not driven parallel. If the headings were nearer, the ventilation would be carried from one to the other, and by keeping them parallel, we work out a stall about every month in the year.-Adjourned for an hour. On re-assembling, Mr. Dauiel Thomas was further examined as to the defections made in working the head- ings-the rule was, they oaght to run parallel with each other. He considered that 16 feet area was too small for an airway for so large a colliery, and this was at present all the apace both for the intake and return a:r beyond the fault where nearly the whole of the fire was traced. He believed that seven thousand cubic feet of air per minute would keep the pit ventilated, and was quite sure that the upcast shaft was sufficiently large for the colliery-the necessary quantity of air would pass through it without the furnace being unusually heated. The ventilation of the pit would have been greatly improved if a communication bad been made .with Mr. Insole's other pit, and had he anything to do with it, he would do it immediately. By the Jury I did not ask Rowland Rowlands his reason for saying that Llewellyn Thomas's body would probably be found in David Morgan's stall. [The witness stated what Rowland Rowland's said to him in Welsh, and Mr. Miles, one of the jury, who had hitherto interpreted, declined to do so further.] A conversation here arose as to what should be done with Welsh witnesses, and Mr. Huddlestone asked the Coroner to appoint a sworn interpreter. The Coroner afterwards took witness' own English interpretation of the conversation. By Mr. Owen: I was in the South Wales headings several times—the air was very weak in the face of No. 1. I was not in any of the stalls. I found the same split of air in Moses' as in Jacob's heading. The Aberdare colliers were with me in the colliery on July 24, and I remember saying, when I came to the point leading from Salathiel's to the straight heading, I hope for the sake of the boys, this is not the main airway." I alluded to the overman and firemen. I made the observation because I considered the airway too small. By Mr. Huddtestone When Rowland Rowlands made the observation to me about Llewellyn Thomas, they had been looking for him the whole of that day. He told me that he had been a doorboy before thar, and they had no place for his work, and he thought that was the place where he must be. I told William Foster and Thomas Butler, Dinas firemen, to search in the straight heading for the boy, and Foster told me it was too dangerous to go there. Last Saturday was the first time I went into David Morgan's stall; I saw three pieces of timber there, lying in the windway, about 39 yards from the en- trance of the stall. Foster and Butler saw the two caps belonging to the boys—Thomas—in the stall, and pointed out the place where one was found. I measured it and found it to be fourteen yards 'from the rib, close to the face. The stall is 66 yards long and 12 yards wide. Mr. Owen asked the Coroner whether he might now examine Mr. Insole, relative to a letter he had addressed to him in 1854, for dismissing the two old firemen. Mr. Huddlestone objected to opening a case which had occurred two years ago. Mr. Owen said the appointment of firemen two years ago was in the hands of the colliers, that this privilege was taken from them, and hence the strike. The men felt it severely that they should not appoint the men who held the life or death of the colliers in their hands. He, on the part of the colliers, wrote to Mr. Insole, to come to an arrangement upon the matter, and hence the mis- management which hal been going on from that time till this, and he was prepared to state that he should be able to prove by evidence that had the old firemen been re- instated, the explosion would not have taken place. Mr. Huddles one protested against the admission of such evidence, which he argued could not be legal evi- dence. What could a circumstance which took place two years ago have to do with this case, when the fire- men that were then appointed were not-now in the colliery. The Coroner said that this was not a criminal inquiry -there was no prisoner charged, and he thought that every matter that would bear upon the subject should be received, although the evidence might not be strictly legal. The jury expressed their desire that the etter should be read. Mr. Inscle said he had not the original, and Mr. Owen said he had not the written copy-he, however, produced a printed copy, which he stated he was prepared to swear was correct. Mr. Insole admitted its correctness. The Coroner here read the letter, and also Mr. Insole's reply. Mr. Huddlestone: You have it upon your notes that the two men appointed in the room of the oldHremen have been discharged, and others appointed in their stead. Morgan Rowlands, a collier, was examined in Welsh. He said I am now a fireman at the Cymmer Colliery, having been re-appointed since the explosion. I was fire- man there at the time of the strike in January, 1854. I was not fireman constantly before that. I was one of the men the colliers objected '10, as they thought me inex- perienced. I remained as fireman in the employ of Mr. Insole, and I left the work about eight or nine months ago, because I thought there was too much fire for the men to work safely. I complained to Mr. Jabez Thomas the manager, of the fire, and asked him if Rowland Row- lands had complained of it to him. Before I spoke to Mr. Thomas, I complained to Rowlands, who told me to keep it as quietly as possible. When I mentioned it to Mr. Thomns, he said he knew noti ing about it, but if horses or timber, or 12 to 15 men are wanted, I will send them, and everything bhall be done to make things safe. After that, Mr. Thomas said that he would have Rowland and Morgan Rowlands into the office to speak about it, and four days after putting a bag at the mouth of the stall of John Caemawr's heading, the two Rowland's went to the office. I had walked that stall wtth Mu^ Q,Q.:L Rowland Rowlands before, and the first time we went there we found 60 yards of gas. I met them afterwards at the office; and talking with them about the fire in the stall, Morgan told me it was my lies. I told Mr. Thomas if he would be ieve them rather than me, I would not go down again. I did not say, "You'll find out the truth some day." When Rowland said it was my lies a battle took place between us. Mr. Hay was in the office at the time. The bag" was put up to wall in the fire. After the bag was put up, Mr. Hay did not find the fire. After the explosion, I asked the Aberdare firemen to exa- mine the stall in John Caemawr's heading-about which the dispute arose. I bored a hole large enough to admit my head, and held my lamp up, and it fired immediately. I closed the hole up, and we went for six or seven men in whose presence I pulled down the bag and showed them the fire. We then consulted together as to the best method of letting off the gas. I turned the air upon it -not letting out too much at the time for fear of an ex' plosion-and now I have cleared it nearly all away. We considered that from 100 to 120 yards of gas were in the stall. The reason why I left the work was because the lives of the men were entrusted to me, and I could not have my own way in carrying the air to take off the gas, Mr. Thomas preferring to believe the Rowlands rather than me. By Mr. Huddlestone: I have not applied for work in the old pit since I left the situation as fireman there. I worked in the new pit as collier. I said I would never go into the old pit again while the Rowlands were there. 1 would be afraid of my life. Mr Hay's report was now read. It was dated 27th October, 1855, and stated that the stall complained of, when he went to examine it, was not dangerous, as it contained but two cubic yards of gas. At half-past six o'clock, the court adjourned till Monday morning. MONDAY. It being understood that some of the colliers, formerly working in the Cymmer pit, would be examined, there was a large attendance of spectators, but in consequence of a change of weather the court was held in a room in- doors, and consequently several were unable to gain admittance. Previous to commencing the business, the Coroner stated that he had received several communications from gentlemen in various parts of the county; but as it was impossible for him to reply to them all, he trusted that the reporters would announce through the papers they severally represented, that he was greatly obliged to those gentlemen for their valuable suggestions. Ebenezer Salathiel, collier, sworn: I was working in the Cymmer old pit on the night before the explosion. I saw a small explosion of gas from the rider in Griffith Williams's heading. I observed a fog in a small heading leading into Jacob's heading. I had never seen such a thing before, and did not know what it meant. I worked that night with Henry Salathiel and Thomas Edmunds, and just as we left work and came down to the crossing leading to David Morgan's stall, David Jones, fireman, called out and asked if any one was turning a rubbish hole in the face of the heading. I replied-There was not, and ho then said he need go no further. He said there was fire in David Morgan's stall, and told us not to go in there. As we were walking out, Thomas Edmunds asked David Jones what that fog meant. The latter re- plied that he did not know, but he thought there was no danger in it. We told him that we never saw it there before and nothing more was said about it. No one tried the fog by the lamps. The morning after the explo- sion I met David Jones, and asked him if he had told William Thomas there was fire in David Morgan's stall, as is the rule or custom to do ? He replied that it was not his duty, but he had told Morgan Rowlands, as it was his rule to do. By Mr. Evans: I did not notice anything particular on the candle while coming through the fog. While we were at work that night, our candle was fixed in the face of the heading, and the flame of the candle flagged very much, from the cffects of fire. I spoke to Henry about it, and he replied, I suppose it is caused by the oozing of gas from the coal. I made no reply to his remark, but examined both sides of the tram, and finding the air passed as usual, I became satisfied. By Mr. Dickenson I had never seen the candle blaze so much as on that night, but I had seen it flag, because there is a good deal of fire in the coal. By the Jury: David Jones did not tell me that William Thomas was going to work in David Morgan's heading on the morning of the explosion. I afterwards heard some one say that he was going there. By Mr. Owen The strength of the fog that morning was at the top, and Henry Salathiel carried the candle out through it in the usual way, about the height of his thigh. By the Jury: I found the greatest deficiency of air while turning Salathiel's heading. I have never worked in any part of the pit, except beyond the fault and in South Wales, but I always observed a cap on the candle. The cap was larger in the works beyond the fault than in South Wales. I cannot tell the length of the cap in the worst places in the pit, because, seventeen months ago, while I turned Salathiel's heading, I worked with a lamp. I have never complained of the state of the air, except on that occasion. I complained to Morgan Row- lands, and a brattice was made it did not improve the ventilation. I did not think seriously of a cap on the candle, providing there is a good current of air. Henry Salathiel examined, said: I am nephew to last witness, and live at Dinas. I was working with him the night before the explosion in the straight heading. I was too far from the candle to notice it, but my uncle said to me, about three o'clock in the morning, that there was something wrong with the candle. I told him that it was no doubt the gas from the face of the coal. I saw him examine the air. I came out with him and Thomas Edmunds. I carried the candle, and as we came through the level, and from the little heading to Jchn Caemawr's heading, but I did not notice that the candle was affected by it-I thought nothing about fire. I have seen a cap ■on my candle every day I have worked in the colliery, and sometimes I have noticed it an inch and a half long. There is danger when there is a cap, but I did not com- plain to the foreman, because I did not think the danger sufficient. 'Griffith Williams examined, said I was going to work in the Cymmer old pit on the morning of the explosion. I had proceeded along the level from sixty to eighty yards, when I neard a sound which deafened me at the time. I immediately knew that an explosion had taken place, and turned to fall down, when I was blown down. I heard a blowing over me heavier, heavier, heavier, and I thought it was all over with me. Should it turn, I supposed the air would kill me. After the explosion, I and William Howells, who accompanied me, ran towards the shaft. I heard some screaming and some groaning. On arriving at the South Wales parting, we proceeded towards the face of the heading when I met from ten to fifteen persons, some of whom were on the ground, and others attempting to get out. A month before this, William Thomas worked in the stall above mine, and one day he sent the boy who worked with him, to ask me to go into his stall, as he was afraid to work there oivaccount of the fire. I went in and saw William TntHnas lying on the small coal, and said to him Halloa! what is the matter ?" and he replied, that he thought there was fire. I tried the air, and then took the candle, and moved gradually through the stall. It had a bad look. What I mean is—a large cap on the candle, and the candle flagging; the cap on this occasion was three inches high, and rather blue. I told him not to work any longer there on the face of the stall until he had cut the top off. He then left the stall. On the Thursday before the explosion, Hezekiah Davies came into my stall and asked me how I found the air, and adding, that he could get none in his stall. I then went into his stall, and found that the air carried the candle slightly. I then tried the broad part between the goaf and the face of the stal), when I found that the cap on the candle was two inches long, and that there was not a breath of air. Hezekiah Davies told me that he had been into the wind- way, and found that the air did not move the candle in the middle of the road, and that the fog was so thick, that he could not see to the far end of the heading. I then tried my stall, and found the cap on the candle to be nearly two inches long. Hezeziah Davies was killed by the explosion. One reason why I did not complain was, that I did not expect the gas would fire another reason was, that I thought the fireman ought to see that the pit „ a9 thoroughly ventilated; and, lastly, 1 thought that Rowland Rowlands wou d turn me away for complaining as he bad done Morgan Richardson before. He had pre. viously stopped me two turns for complaining to Mr. Jabez Thomas that he had sent no trams for me to clear away a Pnwtuni x wa.8 overman at the cymmer Pit at the time of the strike in 1854, and acted as fireman as well. I retained the appointment about fourteen months, after which I was discharged by Mr. Jabez Thomas, who assigned no reason for discharging me. While I was at the Cymmer, Mr. Mackworth, the government inspector, came to inspect the pit, but Mr. Jabez Thomas was from home. He complained of the ventilation, and said the air should be aivided into six slits, and marked, with his pencil, on the plan in the office, the nature of the alteration, and where it was to be made. I went down the shaft with Mr. Mackworth, and he asked me how many men and horses were employed in the pit. At another part he examined the quality of the air of the pit returned from the south side, and said that it was not good. They then went to the fault, at -7 the end of the level heading, where the quantity of air was much less than at the bottom of the shaft. I then took him to John Caemawr's heading, where he said the quantity of air was deficient, and the windways too small. Mr. Mackworth then told me the best way he considered to work a colliery, was to drive the headings to the further end of the property, and to work the headings back. The second best plan, he said, was to divide the colliery into branches, and send fresh air into every branch. The third best plan, was the one adopted at the Cymmer Colliery. David Evans, from Cardiff, was there, and accompanied us over i portion of the works. Mr. Mackworth, on our return ? the office, took a piece of paper, and shewed me how f) measure the air, and told me the quantity that should te allowed for each man. He also drew a plan of a new iue, and shewed how the air was to be divided into six ilits- Mr. Mackworth also told me to take all the doors tway from the level heading that could be spared, and U drive as much as possible to the further end of the wsiks, to make a communication between the level to Jclln Caemawr's heading, and to widen the narrow wind- w'.vs. I reported to Mr. Thomas all that Mr. Mackworth sai, and the plans he gave to me. I directed Morgan B>vlands to make several alterations, but he was not so radily obedient as he had previously been. I was one o the firemen at the Cymmer, to which the colliers ob- jeted at the time of the strike. I had been a collier- evr since I was eight years old, and had been a fireman at-he Dinas Colliery, foi four or five years. We carried ot; some of Mr. Mackworth's recommendations, pulled dem some of the doors in the level heading, widened th windways, and made a communication between the level and John Caemawr's heading; the colliers all said the air was thereby greatly improved. By the Jury: Mr. Thomas told me that the colliers objected to my being in the pit for any purpose. John Morgan, collier, working in the New-pit, at Cymmer, said: I had two brothers working in the Old- pit, and they were both killed by the explosion. I went down the pit, and saw Morgan Rowlands, and asked him if he knew where William Thomas and Llewellin Thomas were at work that day, and he said he did not know whether they were in the pit. I then asked Rowland Rowlands, and he told me that he wanted them to go to I work at hauling—that they denied to do that, and that J he sent them into David Morgan s stall. Evan Thomas was with me when I asked the question of Rowland J Rowlands. William Thomas had been a haulier before, I and could drive two horses as v.ell as one. I Evan Thomas corroborated the evidence of the last I witness. witness. Roderick Morgan, a lad, employed as a collier, exa- mined in Welsh On the morning of the explosion I went to Rowland Rowlands, to ask for work, and he told me to go and work with William Thomas, in David Morgan's stall. I did not go down, but went behind the smiths' shop, to play at ball, till William Thomas came up. Some days before I asked for a job, and then I was sent to Thomas Williams, but he was then driving a hole, and there was not room for me Í) fill coal. Edward Williams, examined in Welsh, said: I now work under Mr. Crawshay, of Merthyr. I formerly worked at the Cymmer, for six years. I worked in the upper stall of John Caema-vr's heading, and having fin- ished there, I left, because I wished to leave. I some- times saw a cap on my candle, about two inches and a half in length, and the air was very bad. I complained to Morgan Richards of the fire, and he replied that he knew of it, and that he would venture to assert that there were 60 yards of fire in that heading, and that this was a point of dispute between Morgan Rowlands and himself. I twice received notice to leave-once, because I did not keep my top cut; but I did not leave on that account. William Morgan, collier, said On the Friday before the explosion, about seven o'clock, Thomas Davies, of Trebanog, called out to me, and said, No fireman has been in my stall this morning, for here is my ticket where I left it last night." I told him not to go into his stall. I went to my own stall on the same morning, and my step-son, who had arrived there first, said there was no air in it. I examined the windway, and the face of the stall, and the flame did not move, and a long red cap was on the candle.' I then covered my candle over, after reducing the flame as small as possible, to see if a mark had been placed there. There was no mark, and I afterwards tried the gas, but it would not explode. I then went back to fill my tram. I had no ticket, and the firemen usually placed np a shovel or mandril to show they had been there. The reason why I did not complain when I saw a cap on the candle, was, that I did not wish to be turned off. I had seen some turned off far complaining. William Marshall, examined: I was banksman on the morning of the explosion. The firemen came out of the pit at twenty minutes past six o'clock. They walked away towards home, and Morgan Rowlands came back and sat upon the pit. After a short time he saw three or four colliers coming towards the pit, and then he rose up and walked towards them. He motioned to one, and said, Come here." I don't know the man's name, but I know him by sight. He told the man not to go on for a little bit, or he would be sure to be burnt. I ran to William Powell, the breaksman, and told him what Morgan Rowlands had said to one of the colliers. I said to William Powell, .C Now, mind, if anything should 1 happen to-day." He answered, "Yes; and mind you < too." I then went to my work. I am not sure that the I collier spoken to by Morgan Rowlands went down. < About three-quarters of an hour after that a tram of coal < came up the pit, and as I was pulling the chain off it, a ] puff of wind and dust and water came up the pit. I did I not know what it was, but William Powell said to me, f "There, Henry, you said so and he called to David Davies, the weigher, to tell him that he thought there I was a fire off. Immediately afterwards the signal was 1 given, and the two hitchers came up. I asked William 1 Powell if he saw anything come up the pit. He siid he ] had. We then found out that an explosion had taken ( place. ( By Mr. Huddlestone: Twenty-five or thirty colliers ( might have gone down after I spoke to William Powell. I It was not my business to caution them. I By Mr. Owen It was not my duty to let men down. I had no authority to caution them. By the Coroner I am not a collier, and knew not the nature of an explosion. William Powell, breaksman at the Cymmer Old Pit at 1 the time of the explosion, said I was at the pit, at » work, when the three firemen came up. They gave me f the usual signal that all was right, and I let some six or t eight men down at the time they came up. Morgan Rowlands sat down on the top of the pit. A short time 1 afterwards Henry Marshall told me that Morgan ] Rowlands had told one of the colliers not to go down for I a little bit, or he would be sure to be burnt. I did not i take much notice of that, as Morgan Rowlands had been I in the habit, when he had seen anything amiss, to caution I the man, and I therefore supposed that he had seen the I man himself, and cautioned him. Had I the least idea t that there would be danger, I would not have let anyone ( down after that. < By Mr. Huddleatone My own son was in the pit, and t was killed. s By the Jury: I do not know that it was Morgan 1 Rowland's brother-in law who was warned not to go down that day. I have beard some of the colliers say so, but I I know nothing myself. i Thomas John said he was working in the face of 1 Morgan Griffiths' heading on the night of the explosion up to half-past five in the morning. I did not notice anything peculiar in the air of the pit that morning. «i Adjourned at seven o'clock. ] TUESDAY. J The jury re-assembled this morning at the usual 2 hour. t John Edmunds said I was one of three colliers sent t from Aberdare to view the Cymmer rit after the explo- sion. Jenkin Jones and William RPPS were the other two deDut.ip= Ttr ni-si day we went down was on Fri- 1 aay, the 18th of July. Mr. Evans, the Government In- I spector, accompanied us. We first went to the furnace t and measured the south and north returns. I thought the < furnace was very small, and that the up-cast shaft was considerably too small. The face of the South Wales ] heading was 36 yards before the air. We next proceeded < to examine the stalls, and found the main return airway 1 two feet nine by three feet three inches, which I consi- ] dered extremely small and quite insufficient for the pur- t poses required. We next proceeded to the airway lead- ing to John Caemawr's heading, and found it four feet < ten inches by two feet ten inches. I consider that too ( small. We proceeded down the level to Arthur's dip, but could find no traces of fire coming out of it. We t then went to the bottom of John Caemawr's heading, and s found that previous to the explosion there was but fine] I door, whereas there ought to have been two. I make this remark because all the air which passed through the doorway returned to the pit. The same remark applies also to Arthur's dip. The overman stated that the second door had been taken away to form a bay there. Proceed- 'n ing thence we came to Charles' heading, and were told the door had been blown up into the heading as was also Moses' heading. We next went to Evan Phillips' dip heading, and found, in a stall on the right, which is the main intake airway. We followed the windway here, leading through a fault into the wind way heading, and found the airway six feet by two feet four inches, which I consider too small. At the end of the fault the air is split, a part of which goes into the windway heading, and the other part traverses the gob, and joins the intake at the further end of the windway heading. I examined this heading and did not find any gas. We next went on to Morgan Griffiths' heading, and found the door had been blown up in o the heading. From thence we pro- ceeded to John Ffynonwen's heading, but seeing no gas I went, accompanied by Daniel Thomas, into the face of the level heading, where we found 40 yards of gas, and Mr. Evans advised us not to proceed farther. In Griffith Williams's heading, on the rise, the door was blown up. We then came to Salathiel's heading, where are three doors; the first was blown up and the other two down. There were strong indications of fire and gas in the head- ing at that time. The pillar adjoining the first stall was charred. I believe that there were two explosions in this heading, which accounts for the doors being blown diffe- rent ways. The doors are placed across the heading. We came back to Jacobs' heading, and found the door of the first stall on the left blown inwards, as was also the I .< 4 second. We proceeded no farther that day, as there were 230 yards of gas there. On the following day we again examined the pit, commencing at Moses's heading the first and second doors of which were blown upwards and the third and fourth downwards. The door of the second stall was blown inwards, and all the other stall doors were uninjured. We found some candles in the heading below the first stall, melted into a shapeless mass by the action of the fire. I can form no opinion why the doors were blown in different directions; but the remark which ap- plied to Salathiel's heading would apply to this. On the following Monday we went into Charles's heading, and found the two first doors blown up, and the third door was blown 16 yards. The first stall had no door; the second stall door was blown into the stall; the third stall door was uninjured, and the fifth on the heading was down. There were marks of fire in stall No. 3, which had been idle for some time. I think an explosion took place in that stall, which would account for some of the doors being blown different ways, but not all. On Tues- day we applied at the pit, but were not permitted to go down. We went down on Wednesday, and the two Go- vernment Inspectors were with us. I went through the pit on Thursday. Mr. Daniel Thomas asked me to go down at Mr. Jabez Thomas's request. We examined the bays under the level heading, and found the air leaking in four or five places between the pit and Evan Phillips's dip heading. We then went to Jacob's heading, to try and get the gas out -about 230 yards. There were three slits of air over the bays, and I asked Rowland Rowlands if they were there before the explosion, and he said they were. I found a quantity of candles in that head- ing, which, I suppose, a man was carrying along, as I found his cap and tobacco-box. On Friday, I went to the pit again, but in consequence of what I was there told I was afraid to go down. On the Tuesday, when we were refused admission to the pit, Rowland Rowlands said we should not go down. I asked him which was master, he or Mr. Thomas ? He replied, I am so much master as this-no one should go into the pit to-day. I then went to Mr. Jabez Thomas, and he also refused, unless accompanied by one of the inspectors or one of the surveyors. I bad told him we wanted to examine the windway heading from Charles's head- ing to John Caemawr's, and because he refused us permission, I said, I suppose there is some- thing there you don't want us to see-our object is to view the pit before any alterations are made." On the Saturday we went in again, accompanied by the three Inspectors, and travelled most parts of the works. In Griffith Williams' heading, on the level and extending up the heading, we found strong traces of fire, the coal being charred on both sides the roadway. We found traces of fire also in Morgan Griffiths' heading. We next proceeded to the straight heading and found traces of fire there, but I did not enter David Morgan's stall We measured the airway at the bottom of the heading, and found it four feet eight inches by three feet; being eight feet less than the south return, near the fence, and which I consider a great deal too small. I do not think that there does require so much ventilation in the No. 3, Rhondda Valley vein, as in the pit where I work at at Aberdare, because there is not nearly so much fire there. I consider the ventilation of the Cymmer pit bad in com- parison with the ventilation of our pits. I believe if this pit had been properly managed this accident would not have happened. I believe there were at least four or five different explosions at the same time. I believe the first place where the gas fired was between Griffith Williams' heading and Morgan Griffiths', and that stopped the ven- tilation in all parts of the pit, and that the concussion forced the gas from other places upon the men's candles. I believe that this could not have taken place had the fireman who examined that part of the works done his duty that morning. I mean the two firemen who ex- amined the south side of the werks. I believe that they either did not properly examine the works, or that they did not report correctly afterwards. I do not believe it possible for a sufficient quantity of gas to have accumu- lated between the time of the firemen going into the pit and the explosion and the reason I speak thus positive I visited the place beyond the fault, afterthe explosion 50 yards before the air, and three days afterwards oa visiting it I found the gas had not accumulated. The ventilation of the pit might be greatly improved by stop- ping up the leakages and carrying the air to the further end of the works, and regulating the air backwards equally throughout the works. This pit is not ventilated correcfly upon the principle intended. The pit in which I work is ventilated on a very different and greatly im- proved principle. Adjourned for an hour. Jenkin Jones, collier, working at Mountain Ash, said: I was one of the deputation who accompanied the last witness. I heard John Edmunds' evidence, and agree with it in every particular. On Friday, the 18th of July, I found a split in the level heading in the upper stall, leading to Evan Phillips's dip, and a half-door on the heading to turn the air into the stall, and that stall was driven through the fault, into the old workings. In the second stall a hole was made in the gob, which ap- peared to have been recently made-but Rowland Row- lands said it was made before the explosion. We did not believe it had been. The object for making the hole was to turn the air in the I roper direction. I be- lieve that the system of ventilation throughout this heading is bad, and that the air ought to be carried, through all the stalls, to the face of the heading, instead of by the splits spoken of by the last witness. We examined the straight heading to David Morgan's stall to find out if there were any traces of fire. There were some few slight traces, but nothing very strong-I found the dust had been thrown up. This was on the 26th of July. I saw no sticks, such as would have been used as the danger signal. I found no sticks at all there, yet, if there had been, I must have seen them. In the level heading, close by the face, we found the gob completely shut up-we could not find anywhere for the air to get round the face to the return air course. On the 23rd of July I went to John Caemawr's heading, accompanied by Rowland Rowlands. In going thither, in the windway between Charles's and John Caemawr's headings, we measured the area, and found it to be 3 feet 8 inches by 2 feet 10 inches. This is not sufficient, as I consider that the windways should be as large or larger than the area of the up cast. 011 coming down to John Cae- mawr's heading, Rowlands said, "This is the stall Morgan Richards and I cannot agree about." I asked him if I could go in, as Morgan Richards had requested me to look at it. He said I could not, as the bag was too thick. I am of John Edmunds's opinion, that the colliery is very badly ventilated. By Mr. Huddlestone: The invariable custom is to place the sticks across the middle of the horse-road, in case of danger, on the inside of the door of the stall. I will not swear there were no sticks in David Morgan's stall, but, I believe I must have seen them if there had been any. William Rees, collier at Aberaman, the other member of the deputation from Aberdare to the Cymmer Colliery, corroborated the evidence of the previous witnesses. Thomas Butler, fireman at the Dinas Colliery, said that on Saturday, the 30th of July, he went into the stall where they told him Llewellyn Thomas was found. Mv partner. William Foster, was with me. and he nir>1r<ui up aA cloth cap, lying on a lump of ooal, about 14 yards down the stall from the rib. I was about two or three yards from him. I myself found a cap on the horseroad. They were both cloth caps. No one was with us. I saw some sticks lying about 27 yards from the face of the stall. The sticks were such as we generally use for propping the roof. William Foster, another Dinas fireman, corroborated the evidence of the last witness. (Continued in our 3rd page.)

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