from The Illustrated London News, October 5, 1844

Second Day - Tuesday.

The coroner and jury re-assembled this morning at ten o'clock precisely, pursuant to adjournment, and immediately proceeded with the examination of witnesses. The room was again crowded, and the most intense interest prevailed.

On the opening of the court, Mr. Marshall stated that the owners were anxious for the fullest inquiry, and he was authorised to say that if the jury wished the pit to be examined by disinterested professional men, they would render every possible facility, and also leave it entirely to the coroner and jury to select the viewers for making such examination. The evidence was then proceeded with as follows :-

Robert Beaney: I am a miner at Haswell, and worked in that part of the mine where so many of my fellow creatures have suffered - the broken part, which is called Brockley Whins. On the morning of the accident I worked there, being engaged in taking out a pillar, and left at ten o'clock. Several persons were taken out dead from the place at which I had been working. The state of the ventilation was then perfectly good. I have worked seven years and a half in the colliery. In the little pit the whole coal is worked with candles, and the broken with Davy lamps. I consider it safe to work the whole coal with candles. I always regarded Haswell pit as one of the safest in the trade. On leaving my work I met about fifty men leaving their work. None of them expressed to me any apprehension of danger. A deputy examines the pit before every fresh shift of men enters it. It is the duty of the deputies to see that every part of the pit is in a safe state, and where necessary to put in timber for the safety of the men, it is their duty to do it. George Hill, one of the persons killed by this accident, was in my place a little before I came away, examining it, I cannot speak as to the cause of the explosion. In my opinion no blame attaches to any person for this occurrence. I have heard men working in the whole part of the coal complain of having too much pit. When working in narrow places, I have on some occasions asked the deputy to leave the brattice back a little, which had the effect of throwing less air into the part in which I was at work. The current of air there was too strong.

By Mr. Clough : In my opinion there was enough air going into the part where I was working, to carry off any inflammable gas that might be made there. A person is appointed to examine the Davy lamps every morning, and to lock them before they are used. Every lamp I have seen on the colliery has had such a lock. I have often seen boys of 12 or 13 have lamps ; such boys assist in getting the tubs up, and clean the tramways. It would not be so safe for them to have candles. These boys carry the lamps about with them. There is greater danger from lamps being carried about than hung up. In my opinion it is necessary for boys to have a light, and there is less danger from a lamp than a candle. I have seen way-cleaners put a candle or lamp up in one place, leave it there, and work till they were in the dark. I never heard of any complaints from the men employed at Haswell that the boys were entrusted with lamps. I have heard them complain since the strike of three men being employed in the waste, who were not practical men, and they observed that, if danger occurred, these men would not be aware of it. They did not say they apprehended danger from these men working there. If they apprehended danger, it was their duty to make complaint to the master wasteman. It is the duty of hewers, if they had any complaint, to communicate them to the viewer, under viewer, deputy, or the overman. I do not know of any man who would not make a report to Mr. Foster from fear of losing his work. There would be no danger if old pitman were working with the strangers. The safety of the pit and the lives of the men depends very much on the waste being kept clear. The responsibility o keeping it clear rests with the master wasteman. I have confidence in his judgment, for he is an experienced man. It is the duty of the master wasteman to go about from one to another of the men working in the waste.

By the Coroner : I consider the explosion had been the result of accident.

Joseph Short lives at Haswell, and is a pitman, and has been employed eight years and a half in this pit. Was last at work on Saturday morning, and came up about half-past eight o'clock. Was working the Brockley Whins course, and had worked there six weeks previously. Had worked in the third wide board at the Brockley Whins flat. The state of the ventilation previously, and up to the time he left was good as it could be. Had not the slightest apprehension of danger from any cause. Worked with a candle in the whole part. There had not been the slightest indication on the candle of inflammable air. Has been down the pit since, about half-past four o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Had been in the broken at the Meadows Flat. The distance from there to the place where candles are used is some hundred yards. There was no danger in working that parts of the pit with candles. Has not worked in the broken since the strike. Has not been quite so far as the Meadows Way-end since the explosion, and cannot say where it commenced. Considers the Davy lamp a perfect safe-guard, if the indications it gives are attended to. Would rather prefer the Davy lamp to any other. Has carried his lamp from place to place through a strong current of air, and has never seen the flame forced through the gauze by the current. When he was down the pit he saw no indications where the explosion commenced. Has always found the ventilation good in those parts of the pit where has worked. Has never heard during the eight and a half years he was worked in the pit any complaints made by others that the ventilation was bad. It was one of the safest pits he was ever in ; but has been in other pits where as little gas was given off as in Haswell pit, but he has never found any. Thomas Joplin was called, and deposed : I have been two years and a half employed at Haswell Colliery. On Saturday I left the little pit at three o'clock, twenty minutes or half an hour before the explosion. I had been working at the third board on the rise side of the Brockley Whins Flat, and had done so during the last month. When I left work the ventilation was good, and I had no fear of any explosion. On coming from my work I went across the Brockley Whins Flat, along the wagon-way, direct to the shaft. I took my lighted candle with me, and if there had been any inflammable gas, it would have been indicated by the candle. I did not see any such indication. Up to the shaft the ventilation was good. In coming out I met the current of air at the Meadows' way-end. The current was strong. I worked about a year and a half in the Meadows Flat, and from my knowledge of the place, I think the current of air on Saturday, when I left work, sufficient for the ventilation of the pit. Never heard complaints of the ventilation of any part.

Wm. Farish : Lives at Haswell Colliery, and has worked nearly three years at the colliery. Was at work on Saturday, and left at ten o'clock in the morning, and worked in the ninth headway, and two bodies were found in the same spot where he had been previously been working. These persons followed him to work in the same jud. This is the same place where Williamson was taking down the jud, and at the very same place where he had been working. When he left the place the ventilation was good. The air was usually good, and there was no deficiency. The pit, he thought, was one of the best ventilated pits he ever knew, and he is upwards of fifty-three years old, and has been a pitman about forty-four years, Has not been at the place since the explosion. When he left there was no appearance of gas. In his opinion, the late explosion was purely accidental, and not caused by negligence. As far as he can judge, nothing could have prevented it.

By Mr. Marshall : Has worked in life for nine collieries, and never saw one better ventilated. Lost a son by the explosion.

By the Coroner : Does not believe the explosion took place for want of ventilation,

By Mr. Marshall : when they were at work on Saturday morning, they heard a noise like thunder in the goaf, and had never before heard such a noise ; we thought it was above where we were working, and we left the place, and when it ceased we returned. The goaf is the place where all the coal has been removed. At that time the Davy lamps did not indicate the presence of gas. The same noise was heard shortly after again when they went in ; it was no so load as the first noise. They told one of the chargemen of the occurrence, and he said it was caused by the falling of one of the old boards, and that they saw themselves. The person to whom they told this was John Williamson, the deputy, who was killed.

Ralph Errington : Has been employed nearly eight years in Haswell Colliery, and worked with last witness, and left at ten o'clock on Saturday morning, when the ventilation was as good as possible. Can form no opinion as to the cause of the explosion, and cannot tell whether it was the result of accident or negligence. Nothing could have been done, in his opinion, by anticipation, to have prevented the accident. Where they were working the current of air was so strong that they could scarcely keep their lamps burning.

By Mr. Roberts : If there had been a current of air going through the place where the accident occurred it would not have happened. Where the was working is the place where the accident is generally supposed to have commenced, The evidence of this witness was generally a collaboration of that previously given.

Thomas Scott : Lives at Haswell, and has been a pitman twenty-three years, eighteen of which he has been a hewer. He has been seven years and a half at Haswell pit, and has worked in the waste six years and a half. Was at work in the waste on Friday night, and left at two A.M. on Saturday. Was not at work at that time in the little pit. For a month previously had been working in the waste of the little pit - a month previously to Monday before the accident. Was through the whole of the waste during that time. The ventilation was always very good. No men have been working in that waste since he was in. Has been a little way into the waste since the explosion took place, and it was in a good state to-day as twelve o'clock. Could see no indications where the explosion took place. The Haswell pit was considered the best ventilated pit on the river Wear. Has worked in all parts of the pit, and never found any want of ventilation. Has frequently heard the men complain that there was too great a current of air in all parts o the pit. The three strange workmen in the waste are under the charge of three experienced pitmen, to whom they are only assistants, and in no way responsible for the work done ; the experienced pitmen are alone responsible, and if anything happens, they are accountable. The men that are with them have to take charge of both of them and their Davy lamps. It was possible enough for the explosion to have taken place if there had not been a current of air into every part of the pit. If a heavier body of gas came off than there was air to overpower, an explosion might be the result, and it is his opinion that was the case in this accident. It was possible for a sufficient quantity of gas to have come off from the removal of the jud as would cause the explosion. He has never seen any gas in the course of six years and a half in Haswell waste. He has known in the Charlie pit, at Lambton, the air as clear as in a bell, and in half an hour the Davy lamps were rolling full of gas. Considers the Davy lamp very secure - as secure, or more so, than any other that he knows anything about. Is very certain every care is taken that is possible in the air courses in the waste.

Mr E. Fenwick Boyd : I am check viewer for the owner of the royalty of Haswell Colliery. Since the explosion I have been very frequently down the pit, and carefully examined the Meadows' flat. I found a very good air travelling, and marks on the whole side of the timber, the effects o the explosion, all in one direction. The stoppings and crossings were blown down in a contrary direction from the working places. There had been large falls of stone from the roof. I consider that the explosion had taken place near the highest headways course of that flat, and near to the face of the working places. I also examined a few of the boards in the Brockley Whin's flat, and found the blast had gone in that direction, but the fire had not been so strong. I am in the habit of visiting 25 collieries , and I only know of one so well ventilated as Haswell - in the quantity of air, and general attention to direction of that air. On examining the temperature, I found it at the surface 46, and at the bottom of the pit (which is 160 fathoms deep), 53 : at the face of the workings, close by where the bodies were found, 58. In one instance I recollect the temperature being reduced ; the air was returned upon the furnace cooler than when it went in. I can only state that the explosion must have been occasioned by a lighted candle or lamp coming in contact with an explosive mixture.

After some other immaterial evidence, the inquest was adjourned till the next day (Wednesday).