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I am a back overman in the east pit, Brockwell seam. I have been 15 years in the pit in January last, and I have been overman 11 years. I was down the pit at 5.30 on the evening of the 17th. I had been in the Shieldfield and Sunderland Bridge districts. I tried for gas but found none, and when I came to bank I was satisfied as to the absence of gas. I heard a report while in the house but did not think at the time it was an explosion. When I came to bank at 5.30 there was nothing which I saw which showed any trace of danger.

(Mr. Bowey.) What part of the pit were you in that night? — I was in the Sunderland Bridge and Shieldfield districts.

What time did you go down? — 10 o'clock in the morning.

And you say you did not see any gas. Did you make any examination for gas? — Decidedly I did.

In what particular district did you examine for gas? — In the districts I was in that day. I found a trouble in the Shieldfield way Barrons Jud, but it was very slight.

Did you make an examination on the 13th April? — Yes, and the 17th.

What did you find on the 13th? — It is reported in my book.

(Mr. Morley.) You reported that you travelled through No. 4 north, and found a little gas in Grabbin's place? — Yes.

And on the 16th you travelled in the Sunderland Bridge way, and found no gas except a little in Brabbon's Jud, ventilation good.

(Mr. Bell.) You had nothing to do with the west side? — No, sir.

I am a deputy in the Shieldfield district, Brockwell seam. I have been engaged at the pit for 13 years on the 31st April last. I have I have been 12 years a deputy. I have found gas in the Shieldfield district, and the last time was on the 15th April last. I reported it and it was cleared away. I was down on Monday morning before the accident, and I was at down at night again. I rode to bank at 17 minutes past 12 o'clock that night. I had been in the Shieldfield way. I found a little gas in the goaf edge in Nesbitt's Judd on the south side of Shieldfield engine plane. It was below and to the east of the hitch. There was not much gas, and I found none to the west of the hitch. I tried for gas that night, but this was all I found.

(Mr. Edge.) Did you remove it? — It was out of the way. There was a man working in the pit that night, and I withdrew him.

When you left the pit did you consider it safe? — Yes, I considered it quite safe.

(A Juror.) The gas would fire your lamp? — Yes.

How do you know whether it was much or little? — There was a blue flame, and it was just pulling away at the light.

(Mr. Edge.) You saw the light draw a little. If there was more gas you would see the blue flame on top of the light? — Yes.

Did you see anything to lead you to think there was any danger? — No, sir, not the least.

Did you hear the explosion? — Yes.

Where were you? — In my own house. I heard a heavy report and then a buzz after it.

I think you went down the shaft with the first lot of deputies after the explosion? — Yes.

Before you got to the bottom of the shaft what happened? — The shaft man shouted "hold." We could not get any further because the skeets were bent and the cage could not get any further. We got out of the cage and slid down by the skeets and bunting. When we got to the bottom we found the air was very strong, coming down the east pit. I was sent into the Team Valley District. We were ordered to go into the return. We could not carry our lamps, and we lost one of our lights, it went out. We went to Mr. Johnson with it and he said we had to get two Geordie lamps. Three of us went by the engine plane till we saw a lamp, and then we met two men nearly three-quarters of a mile in., George Tindale and another man. I asked Tindale if he saw any change and he said "No." They asked me what was the matter, and I told them. Neither of them had felt any change whatever. When I came with these men out of the Team Valley, we went down Sunderland Bridge bank. We passed two dead bodies, and came to

the Shieldfield way, where we found Coldwell and Faulkner, both lying dead, and Peter Strong at the end of the Shieldfield turn. Moor and White came to us at the end of Shieldfield way, and we parted company, and proceeded straight ahead. We came to where there was an overcast blown out ; it was on the out-bye side of the Whin Dyke. We were driven back by the gas. It was hydrogen gas. It was explosive, and it showed very keenly upon the lamp.

(The Coroner.) Of course you would find difficulty of breathing ; this is the effect of after-damp? — Yes.

(Witness continuing.) We came back a bit, and then we were ordered to bank to get some stoppings put in. The stoppings had all been blown out ; they were blown right and left.

(Mr. Bowey.) What did you do to clear away the gas? — The coal was nearly all worked out there, and I tried to timber it up.

This gas would go into the return? — Yes, the air was going that way.

This return comes by the Shieldfield way? — Yes.

What time was it when you found this gas? — Between seven and eight o'clock at night.

What time did you leave the working places? — I left the men and drew the place between half past nine and ten o'clock that night.

You allowed the men to work two hours after you found the gas? — I found gas on the goaf.

What time did you first see the gas? — Between half-past nine and ten.

How long did the man work after you saw it? — He filled one tub.

Who was the man? — James Leorer.

How long did it take you to draw the jud? — Half an hour

Then it would be half past ten o'clock? — Yes, the man filled two tubs after I drew the jud.

Did you stop with him? — No, sir, I went to another place.

(Mr. Bell.) Was there gas in the judd when you started to draw it? — Yes, on the goaf edge.

It is six yards long and five yards wide? — Yes.

Do you consider it safe to draw a jud when there was a falling of gas? — It was not full.

But there was gas in it? Do you consider it safe? — Well, the gas was out of the man's way, sir, when he was working.

When the judd fell it would bring the gas out? — The judd did not fall that night, sir.

When did it fall? — I do not know. It was fallen when I saw the place next time after the explosion.

(Mr. Morley.) You went to put stoppings in? — Yes, sir, they were all blown out in-over. We went down the pit to see if we could find anybody alive, and then we had to retreat.

Were the timbers blown about much? — Yes.

Which direction? — They were mostly blown in-over.

When you came to the stoppings did you find any of the bricks blown in? — Yes, the bricks were blown from the air-crossing and were leaning in-over.

How about the Shieldfield way ; were any of the bricks blown in? — They were all blown in-over there, sir. I was in the Shieldfield way after the explosion. I went down at eight o'clock in the morning, and went into Shieldfield way. I got as far as the landing. We found everything blown in-over.

(Mr. Bell.) Were you employed in the search for the bodies? — Yes.

Have you seen a good deal of the pit? — Yes.

Have you formed any idea where the explosion took place? — I have not, sir.

Do you think it happened in the Shieldfield way? — No, sir. There was never a shot fired there that night after I left it. I fired five coal shots that night before I left. They were to be south of Shieldfield way down the trouble. There was no stone shots fired in Shieldfield that night.

Did you see a shot at the Shieldfield way end as you were coming out? — Yes, they were just starting with it as I came out.

Do you know anything about other shots being fired? Any at Coldstream or Croxdale? — No, sir.

How do you fire the shots? — Touch and wire.

What is your system of examination before you fire a shot? — We examine it very carefully and if we see any indications of gas we are not allowed to fire. We examine a good bit back.

Did you examine the other boards? — Yes.

If you were going into the middle board what place would you examine before you fired it? — We would examine the next one in the direction we were going.

Do I understand that you did examine the board on the right and left hand sides? — Yes.

How far did you go up? — To the face of the coal.

Had you any authority to fire shots? — Yes, sir.

(Mr. Edge.) I believe you were there when two waste-men were found? — I was. They were George Marsh and Thomas Cook. We found them in the return close to the crossing.

What did they die from? — From after-damp.

Where had they been working? — In Shieldfield return, about nine pillars back from the workings.

(Mr. Bowey.) This is a considerable distance from where they were found? — Yes, they had strayed away a good bit from where they were working.

Have you red the rules? — Yes, sir.

Do you know the 13th rule for deputies. Immediately to withdraw any workman from a place rendered dangerous from noxious gases. Do you know that rule? — Yes.

Why did you not act upon it? — The gas was out of the man's way of working.

The goaf would be charged with gas? — Yes, there was gas in the goaf.

Have you a license for shot firing? — Yes.

Have you it with you? — No, sir.

What does it say? — That I am an authorised person to fire shots.

Is this the license that you have? (handing a form) — Yes, it is like that.

But this says nothing about firing shots. It is a license authorising a person to carry a lamp key? — It means lamp keys and firing shots.

Are all the men who carry keys authorised to fire shots? — Just the deputies.

Is there any difference in the license between firing shots and carrying keys? — No, none that I know of.

Do not the stone men fire shots? Do not you know that Coldwell and Faulkner were firing their own shots? — I do not know. I have never seen them fire them, and I have never seen other men fire them.

Then only deputies have licenses? — I have only seen deputies with them.

We may take it that there were no licenses before the 14th April?

(Mr. Edge.) Yes.

(Mr. Bowey.) Is there any record of it.

(Mr. Bell.) There is no record, but Mr. Johnson will explain it. All deputies carry keys, but the key has nothing to do with firing shots.

(Mr. Bowey.) The giving of the key has nothing to do with the firing of shots? — I say it has.

(Mr. Bell.) Not for shifters ; only for deputies.

I am night shift deputy in the Sunderland Bridge district of Tudhoe Colliery. I have been nine years a deputy. My work was in the Sunderland Bridge district, but I did not fire any shots there. I went down the pit at a quarter to 5 o'clock on the evening of the 17th April and returned to bank at a quarter past 12 o'clock. I had been all round the district of Sunderland Bridge. I was down to the landing of the goaf by the pipe way, and round about the places, and I found no gas. When I came to bank I had not seen anything to make me think it was not safe. I had been in my own house about an hour when the explosion took place.

(Mr. Bowey.) What is the particular district you had charge of? — The Sunderland Bridge district.

Just say where you commenced to examine and where you left off.

[Witness pointed out the district on the plan. He examined all about the Sunderland Bridge district.]

Did you find any gas? — Occasionally.

How often have you found gas? — Well, I have not found any gas for six or seven weeks before the accident.

How often before that? — Well, on several occasions, but the reports will give a proper account of that.

Where did you find it? — Well, I found it on both sides of the Sunderland Bridge way.

What return would it come to? — Below the hitch on the west side of the return.

Do you know that there was to be a shot fired near these doors, not far from the Shieldfield way? — I know this, that the men were drilling a hole as I come out.

Do you know what time this would be? — I cannot tell to a minute. It might be five minutes past 12 o'clock.

How long would it take them to make ready when you came past? — I cannot tell ; I just passed them.

All the gas which passes these doors would go into the return? — Yes.

Have you a license for shot firing? — No, sir, I have not.

Do you ever fire shots? — No.

You are a deputy and yet you do not fire shots? — That is so.

(Mr. Edge.) No shots are fired in this district.

(Mr. Bowey.) Have you fired shots as a deputy? — Yes, when I was here before.

(Mr. Morley.) You had found gas in some of these workings? — Yes.

(Mr. Morley, reading from the report book.) On the 10th February you found gas by the hitch on the Pipeway? — Yes, I had not found gas for six or seven weeks before.

Have you been down since the explosion? — Yes, sir.

How far have you been since the explosion? — I have been all over my own district.

Have you been into the west part of the pit? — No, sir, but I have been in Shieldfield I have into the Croxdale curve, but not far.

Have you formed any impression as to where the accident commenced? — No, I cannot tell.

Have you examined the part about the entrance to Shieldfield way? — Yes.

And do you think the explosion took place in those workings? — I cannot say, the indications are in-bye there.

(Mr. Bell.) Is that shot of Coldwell's a likely place? — I cannot say.

But what do you think? — It is possible but hardly probable.

What were the indications? — I thought they were all in-bye from the shaft.

What indications did you see? — Balks of timber were blasted and mud was sticking on them.

(Mr. Bowey.) Is this the only indication you saw? — Yes, and I noticed that the timber that was not blown right out was leaning on one side. It was leaning in over.

What was the crossing like at the Shieldfield end? — I think it was blown both ways, blown from underneath, and in-bye into the return.

There was nothing out of position that would indicate which way the blast had come? — No.

Was there anything to be seen upon the main intake? — Yes, there was a portion of bricks, and I think they had been blown against the roof.

And you cannot tell whether they had been blown in or out-bye? — I would not like to say.

What you speak of as indications is that the timber was marked from the out-bye side. Do you think that it shows that the explosion had not been caused by that shot? — I cannot tell. It may have but I do not think so.

Do you think that the timber being cased on the out-bye side shows that the explosion did not occur from this shot? — Well, I have told you I did not think it did.

Do not you think it quite possible that the blast might have gone into the return airway and back over? — It is possible enough.

On the 17th April is the state of the barometer correct as reported in your book, 29 exactly? — Yes.

Is this a low state of the barometer? — It has been lower.

Is this low? — Yes.

Is it a state of the barometer that you should think you ought to be vary careful? — Oh, yes, sir.

It was the same on the 15th April? — Very likely.

The overman's book shows something different? — Did he take it from the same barometer? (laughter) — I took it from the bank barometer in the lamp cabin at a quarter to five o'clock, and it was then 29.

Of course there might have been 20 different barometers in the pit showing different things.

(Mr. Bell.) The barometers at bank and in the pit will show different things according to the pressure of the atmosphere. There is a good deal of difference.

(Mr. Edge.) Which barometer did you examine? — The one at bank.

(Mr. Bowey.) Did you examine the one down the pit? — No, I did not.

Is it not your duty to do so? — No, I have never been told.

Have you read the rules? — Yes, sir.

And you do not know it is your duty to see the state of the barometer in the pit? — I think it my duty, although I do not do it at times because we have one at bank.

(Mr. Bell.) What is the depth of the Brockwell seam? — 87 fathoms.