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14. At this time the manager of a neighbouring pit had arrived, and Mr. Johnstone went to the surface to consult with him. Mr. Oswald, the Government Sub-Inspector, had been telegraphed for, and arrived at the pit about 8 o'clock, and after a brief consultation the party was proceeding towards the shaft with a view of descending, when the explosion occurred.

15. Mr. Oswald and the manager at once went to the fan, and finding that was uninjured proceeded to the downcast shaft to descend and rescue any survivors. On the cage being drawn up one man was found therein in a dying condition. A rescue party at once descended accompanied by Mr. Oswald, but though every effort was made the afterdamp was overpowering, and only five men were saved, and but a small proportion of the bodies recovered. One man was found dying in the engine-house; two at the bottom of the shaft, showing that the explosion, though not severe, was far reaching in its effects. It was decided next day to flood the pit, and this has been done, as there could, in the opinion of the inspectors (Mr. Willis, the Chief Inspector, being then present), be no reasonable hope of any living men being in the pit, which was then in a condition forbidding the further risking the lives of the rescuers.

16. Besides the expert evidence of the manager, the opinion of Mr. Liddell, 11 years manager of the Whitehaven Collieries, was obtained. This gentleman spoke, also, from a knowledge of the St. Helen's Pit. Mr. Dacres, a Durham manager of 30 years experience, and Mr. Semple, for 13 years manager of the Crosby Collieries, also gave evidence, and various theories were discussed before the jury as to the cause of the explosion and the best means of coping with such a fire. Mr. Dacres suggested the presence, at about 10 or 12 feet above the working seam, of a seam of "crow" coal highly productive of explosive gas, and that possibly the fire burned its way through the working seam causing a fall of intervening strata and setting free such gas, which would necessarily he ignited by the burning coal.

No other of the experienced mining engineers suggested or commented upon this view. It was again suggested that the brow was the seat of a "trouble" which might be the harbour of a considerable accumulation of explosive gas, and Mr. Liddell alleged that if there was a breakdown in the ventilation in No. 3 District, it would be dangerous as the air would foul very quickly. All the evidence went to show that the ordinary gas coal would be consumed by the fire generating it, and I am of opinion that the balance of evidence was in favour of the theory now to be stated.

17. Bearing in mind the gaseous character of the two brows, it is probable that the change in the ventilation, and the consequential temporary lying dead of the air, caused the gas to accumulate in the workings in Hogg's Brow in dangerous quantity. That on the ventilation being restored the effect was to drive this accumulation, rendered explosive on the infusion of air, on to the fire and to be there ignited. It seems, in support of such a theory, that the fire burned for 12 hours without causing any damage beyond its immediate ambit, and that the explosion followed immediately after the change of air.

The course taken by the explosion was principally against the current, but both "intake" and "return," were damaged, bodies being found in each. The damage done to the pit was relatively small. The electric wire contiguous to the shafts was, however, entirely destroyed, and one man was apparently killed by its winding tightly round his neck.

18. It was suggested at the inquest that the firing of the shot in such a neighbourhood and the means subsequently taken to cope with the fire were blameable, or at least errors of judgment. However this may be, the mining engineers and colliery managers were unanimous in their testimony that, under the circumstances, no fault was to be found with either procedure, and upon the evidence taken before the coroner I am of opinion that there is no case for a prosecution.

ROBERT WOODFALL.

5, New Court, Carey Street,

June 12, 1888.