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On Sunday, the 14th October, 1906, about 11.40 p.m., an explosion occurred at Wingate Grange Colliery situated near Wingate in the County of Durham, the property of the Owners of Wingate Grange Colliery, causing the death of 24 of the 204 persons then underground. *

At the outset we wish to place on record our appreciation of the efforts made by all the officials of the mine, from the agent and manager downwards, to rescue the imprisoned miners who survived the explosion, to recover the bodies of the dead, and afterwards to arrive at the cause of the disaster; every facility and source of information was at once afforded us in our investigations.

THE INQUEST.

The inquest on the bodies of the persons killed was opened, on the 17th October, at Wingate Grange, by Mr. Crofton Maynard, Coroner for the Easington Ward of the County of Durham, when only evidence of identification of the 23 bodies then recovered was taken, and an adjournment made to the 31st October, when it was resumed and continued over the 1st and 2nd November.

Forty-five witnesses were examined.

The verdict of the jury was :–

The relatives of the deceased men and the Durham Miners' Association, of which they were all members, were represented by Mr. H. F. Heath, Solicitor, of Sunderland.

The following officials of the Durham Miners' Association were present

Alderman W. House, President; Mr. J. Wilson, M.P., General Secretary Mr. J. Johnson, M.P., Financial Secretary; Mr. S. Galbraith, Joint Committee Secretary; and Mr. T. H. Cann, Treasurer.

The owners of the colliery were represented by Mr. A. Mulligan, barrister, instructed by Messrs. the Hon. Charles Russell & Co., the legal representatives of Mr. James Lynum Molloy, the Trustee in whom the legal estate of the mine is vested.

Mr. A. H. Ruegg, K.C., to whose skill in eliciting the facts we are much indebted, was present representing the Secretary of State. We were present, as was also Mr. H. Walker, the only Assistant Inspector at the time in the Durham District.

Valuable expert evidence was given at the inquest by the manager and under-manager of the colliery and by Mr. Simon Tate, agent for Trimdon Grange and other collieries, by Mr. W. C. Blackett, agent for Charlaw and Sacriston Collieries, and by Mr. C. S. Carnes, agent for the important group of collieries owned by Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan & Co. We also gave evidence.

Mr. Tate referred to cases similar to the present where charges of explosives fired on dusty roads to dislodge timbering or break up a haulage wheel had caused explosions of coal dust and air.

Mr. W. C. Blackett gave sound advice as to the course miners should pursue after an explosion, and Mr. C. S. Carnes detailed at some length precautions he had taken with respect to dust at Murton Colliery where he was formerly manager and at the collieries he is at present connected with.

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* On the 24th November, George Mason, aged 60, a shifter, who had been in the Harvey seam at the time of the explosion, died at his home. A medical certificate was given that death was due to bronchitis. The relatives were not satisfied and applied to the coroner, who held an inquest, after a post-mortem examination, and the jury found that death was due to "sub-acute pneumonia set up and caused by cold, wet, and exposure suffered in the Harvey seam of Wingate pit for some hours after the explosion on 14th day of October last."