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I was a night shift deputy in No. 4 district west pit, I have been 14 years employed at the colliery and seven years a deputy. I have been a deputy five months in No. 4 district, the ventilation there was good and I never had any complaints about it. I examined every day for gas, but never found any. I was down the pit on the 17th of April and came to bank at 12.15 a.m. on the 18th. I had searched for gas in my district that night and found none, and the ventilation was good when I left the pit. There was a lamp hanging up at the caution board where old No. 5 takes up. I put the lamp out, and left it hanging on the prop. I left this district five minutes before 12 o'clock, and I then considered it was perfectly safe. I heard the noise of the explosion in my own house. I have never known any gas in No. 4 district. I was the last man except the stone-men that left the pit that night. I followed the shift out.

(Mr. Bowey.) How far were you along No. 4 district that night? — In to the face.

What orders have you with regard to this lamp? — We have to keep it lighted for every one passing by.

What are your orders with regard to putting it out? — We have to put it out when the last man leaves the pit.

Are your orders verbal or in writing? — They are in the rules.

Do you know what rule it is? Just take the rule and see if you can point it out. Have you read the rule which tells about putting the lamp out? — (Witness.) I cannot say I have read it.

What directions have you with regard putting out this lamp, did you ever get orders from anybody? — We always get orders from the master.

Never mind what you always do. Did you ever get orders from anybody? — We got orders from Mr. Johnson.

Now look at me. Did you ever get orders from Mr. Johnson about this particular lamp? — We got orders.

No, No, No. Did you ever get orders from Mr. Johnson? — Yes.

When? — Five months ago.

Where did you get the orders? — From the office.

Will you swear distinctly that you got any order as to what you were to do with regard to putting out this lamp? — Yes.

What were you to do? — The last deputy brings his men.

I am asking you what you were told to do? — To put the lamp out when the men are all out.

Did he tell you to take it away and put it in the chest? — No, sir, he never told me that.

Then any person may light it after you put it out? — There is nobody in the pit to light it.

It is not a locked lamp? — No, sir.

Might not ??rivers have a key? — I do not know that they had a key.

But might they not have a key? — They might for anything I know.

(Mr. Morley.) You say your instructions were to put it out when the last of the shift came out of the workings? — Yes, sir.

Would this apply to the stone-men? — No, sir.

When did these two men get into No. 5 way? — They came in at the 10 o'clock shift.

Did you leave any other men in these workings? — No, sir, only these two.

Did you know they were there when you came out? — No, sir.

Where had you been when you came past this caution board? — In the workings on the in-bye side of the caution board.

Might there have been hewers in there up till 12 o'clock? — No, sir, not in No. 5.

Where had you been immediately before coming down there? — I had been in the workings looking after the men.

And where had your men been working? — In the west side, No. 4.

Where did they turn out from the main intake to get to where they were working? — They turned to the left, back over on the in-bye side of the caution board.

(Mr. Bell.) Did they go through the door? — Yes.

(Mr. Morley.) Close by the caution board? — Yes.

Close to the south? — Yes.

How many men had you working? — Seven.

Did they leave before you came out, or at the time? — They came out before me.

(Mr. Bell.) Did you come out alone? — With one man named Connor Forster.

You say you passed the caution lamp and put it out. Are you sure you put it out on this occasion? — Yes, sir.

Have you told anyone since that you think you put it out? — No, sir.

You never said that since the accident you did not know whether you put it out or not? — No.

Be quite sure about it. Did you tell someone that I think I put this lamp out? — No, sir.

(Mr. Morley.) Have you been down since? — No, sir.

(Mr. Bell.) Who was last through this waggon-way door? — Connor Forster.

How far was he behind you? — He was may-be 10 yards behind me.

Did he see you put this lamp out? — I cannot say.

(Mr. Morley.) Did he pass the lamp after you? — Yes, he passed the lamp after me.

(Mr. Bell.) How far was Forster behind you when you put the lamp out? — I cannot tell, he was on the in-bye side of the door when I put it out.

(Mr. Bowey.) Would Forster pass the lamp after you would put it out? — Yes, sir.

He would? — Yes.

Why did you put it out before he came? — I was standing beside the door when he came out.

Then he would see you? — Yes, he would see me standing.

Why did you put it out before he came? — Because I was standing waiting of him.

He was immediately behind you? — Yes.

Did he pass before you? Yes, he passed me beside the caution lamp.

Was the lamp out when he passed you? — Yes.

(Mr. Bell.) Then you would follow him out-bye? — Yes, sir.

And he would have to pass this lamp if you had left it? — I was standing at the lamp when he passed you.

Is the lamp on the inside or out-bye side of the board? — Out-bye.

(Mr. Bowey.) You said that he was 10 yards behind you. Where were you when he was 10 yards behind you? — I was in front (laughter).

Of course you were. But where were you by the caution board? — I was coming towards the door.

And he was behind the door? — Yes.

And you waited at the door till he got on the out-bye side of the door? — Yes.

I knew he was coming 10 yards behind me and I blew the light out just as he came up to me.

(A Juror.) Was there any occasion for this lamp being lit? — Not at all. He had another lamp with him.

(Mr. Bell.) Which of you shut the door that night? — Me, sir. I blew the lamp out and closed the door after me.

Does this door stick? — No, sir, it works well on its hinges.

I am night-shift deputy at New No. 5 pit. I have been working 30 years in pits, and I have acted as a deputy for about eight years. I have been deputy in No. 5 Pit about four years. I have not found gas in my district for a period of two years, and the ventilation was good. I came to bank about 20 minutes past 12 o'clock, and I was the last man out of No. 5 district. I left it in good order, and did not see any danger.

(Mr. Edge.) I think the explosion has not taken place in New No. 5.

(Mr. Morley.) Do you call anyone to prove the state of New No. 5 after the accident?

(Mr. Edge.) Oh, yes. We have the scientific evidence, and the evidence of the explorers.

I am night-shift deputy in No. 6. I am accustomed to pits, and have been working at this colliery for the past 14 years. I have acted as deputy two-and-a-half or three years. I last saw gas seven or eight months since in No. 6. The caution board was on the in-bye end of the landing, and, in my judgement, this was the proper place for it. I came out of the pit about a quarter to one o'clock on the morning of the 18th, and was the last man out from No. 6. It was all right when I left it, and the ventilation was good. I did not see anything to cause me any anxiety as to any impending danger. I examined the place where John Robson was working. He was working right in-bye close to the goaf. I examined all the working places that night, and I found no trace of gas whatever.

(Mr. Bowey.) Have you been in the pit since? — Yes.

When? — On the morning of the explosion.

What part did you go into? — The West Pit, north side.

Did you get into No. 6? — No, sir.

When were you first in No. 6 after the explosion? — I would not like to say to a day.

Then say to a week. Is it a fortnight ago? Have you been into the place since? — Yes.

(Mr. Bell.) Did you observe the timber at the fall where this set was caused by the explosion? — No, sir.

Did you observe the timber when you came out that night? — No, sir.

Did you find any falls upon the road, or any of the bogies broken down ;—No, sir, everything was all right when I left.

(Mr. Atkinson.) In the in-bye of No. 6 did you observe any of the effects of the explosion? Had it been there? — No, sir, it had not been there at all.

I am a night-shift hewer in No. 5, and I have been eight years in the pit. For the last three quarters I have been in No. 4. I have never seen gas in No. 4. I was working in No. 4 on the night of the 17th. I came to bank at half-past 11 o'clock. I left the chest at 22 minutes past 11, and it took me five minutes to got to the bottom of the shaft. I ran part of the way. Everything was safe as far as I could see when I left No. 4. When I came out I passed the chest opposite the caution board. I was there when James Cairnes was found. He was found at the fall. Lambton and Burnes were found on the in-bye side. There was a very heavy fall there upon the set, and Cairnes was under the fall. There had been two shifts working there before I went. Ralph White was my deputy.

(Mr. Bowey.) This set would be running would it not? — I think it would be running.

And the fall is on the set? — Yes.

Going in-bye or out-bye? — I cannot say.

Cannot you tell by the position in which they were found? — Well, the timber in the tram was going in-bye.

Very well. And this was part of the set? — Yes.

Was the whole set covered by the fall? — I cannot say, but I think not.

(Mr. Edge.) Was there any tub out from the fall? — Yes, there was a timber tub just out of the fall.

Was the chain broken? — I believe they had to get a chain to get it off the bogey.

(Mr. Bell.) Do you know how many tubs were on the set? — She generally runs with 44, but I think she had more at that time.

Were any of these men you found in the tubs? — Yes, Lambton was in a tub. I believe Lambton was in the 38th tub.

From the front? — Yes.

Was he at the out-bye or in-bye side of the fall? — The in-bye side of the fall.

Did you see anything of Connor or Armstrong? — I did not see Armstrong.

(Mr. Morley.) How long was it after the explosion that you went to where the fall was? — It was a day afterwards, for I was carrying lime to stop the stoppings.

When did you go into No. 6 way? — On Thursday night.

Did you notice the direction of the timbers? — No, sir, I did not.

Where the stoppings all blown out? — All that I saw. Mr. Tate was with us, and all the stoppings seemed to be shifted a little.

Where were all the stoppings blown? — In-bye.

Were the timbers blown down? — I am speaking about the Alma Bank, along No. 6 way, to where the fall was.

Were they blown out there? — Yes, they were lying all shapes.

Which way were they generally lying, as though they had been blown in-bye or out-bye? — I cannot say.

(Mr. Bowey.) Did you observe any indication on the timber which way the blast had gone? — No, sir.

Do you mean to say there were no indications? — There might be, but I did not observe them.

What were you there for? — I was there to get the bodies out if they were found.