Sir,

As instructed by you I attended the Adjourned Inquest on the bodies of the 136 men who were killed in the explosion at the Wellington Pit, Whitehaven, in the County of Cumberland, on the 11th May, 1910.

Mr. Edward Atter, the Coroner, and the jury, had taken evidence of identification of the bodies as they from time to time recovered from the pit, and the adjourned and formal inquest had been fixed for the 15th October, 1910, but it became necessary, owing to the non-completion of the exploration of the pit, and the fact that there were still bodies missing which might yet be recovered, further to adjourn the inquest until the 15th November, 1910.

At the sitting on the 15th October, it was announced by the Coroner that Mr. R. A. S. Redmayne, H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines, had been appointed by the Secretary of State under Section 45 of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1887, to investigate with him the causes and circumstances surrounding the disaster.

Mr. Richards, M.P., representing the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, welcomed this announcement, and stated "it would give great satisfaction to the mining community to know that Mr. Redmayne intended to assist the Coroner so far as the mining, technical and scientific part of the Inquiry was concerned.

The Hearing.

On the 15th November, 1910, the formal adjourned Inquest was opened at the Town Hall, Whitehaven.

There were present on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Mr. Samuel Pope, Barrister-at-Law, instructed by the Solicitor to the Treasury ; Mr. J. B. Atkinson, Inspector of Mines for the district, and Mr. H. A. Abbott, Assistant Inspector.

Mr. Rigby Smith, and Mr. M. T. E. Boddell, Barristers-at-Law, instructed by Messrs. Brockbank, Helder and Ormond, appeared on behalf of The Whitehaven Colliery Co. ; Mr. Chapman (Messrs. Chapman and Baxter) represented the Managers ; Messrs. Andrew Sharp, J.P., Herbert Smith, T. Richards, M.P., John Hanlon (Local Miners' Agent), and Thomas Cape (Assistant Local Miners' Agent) appeared on behalf of the relatives of the deceased workmen.

The hearing was continued on the following dates, viz. :— 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 29th and 30th November and 1st and 2nd December.

At the termination of the evidence the Coroner summed up and submitted 11 questions to the Jury, together with a number of supplementary questions upon which the opinion of the Jury was invited.

The Jury, after deliberating an hour and thirty-seven minutes, returned as an unanimous verdict the following answers to the several questions submitted to them :—

Question 1. — Were the 131 bodies of the men and youths who are specified upon the attached list marked "A" those of the workmen who went down in the Wellington Pit, Whitehaven, on the last shift on the 11th day of May last, and which, bodies have since been recovered, identified, and are now the subject of this Inquest? — Answer: Yes.

Question 2. — Were the three bodies which were respectively discovered in the Wellington Pit at Whitehaven, on September 29th and 30th and October 13th last, and have not since been identified, those of the workmen who were in the Pit on the 11th May last, and subsequently died there? — Answer: Yes.

Question 3. — What was the cause of the death of these 134 bodies? — Answer: An explosion or explosions.

Question 4. — If the cause of death was through one or more explosions was such caused by ignition of gas or coal dust or by gas and coal dust combined? — Answer: By gas and coal dust combined.

(a) When did such explosions take place? — Answer: May 11th, 1910.

(b) At what part of the Pit did such explosion (or explosions) occur? — Answer: At No. 3 North .

(c) Did a defective safety lamp occasion the explosion (or explosions) or how was such occasioned? — Answer: Not sufficient evidence to show.

Question 5. — Did all the deaths occur at the Wellington Pit on and after the 11th May last and prior to the 13th May last? — Answer: Yes.

Question 6. — Was the closing of the Pit on the 13th May last an expedient and a rightful act? — Answer: Yes.

Question 7. — Could any, and if any, what other means have been adopted when the occurrence had happened to get into the workings past the friction gear to recover the workmen who were then in the Pit? — Answer: None.

Question 8. — Was or were there any person or persons in any way negligent or responsible for all or any of the deaths and if any person or persons was or were so negligent or responsible, who was such person or persons and in what way was such negligence or responsibility occasioned? — Answer: None.

Question 9. — If the deaths were occasioned by an explosion was such attributable to the non-observance of any statutory obligation? — Answer: No proof.

Question 10. — Was due and sufficient care and all reasonable precautions taken for the due safety of the workmen in the 3rd, 5th, and 6th North Districts ; especially as regards preventing workmen from working in places where gas was then known to be present ; by maintaining the airways of intakes and returns in proper condition, by keeping all the working places supplied with a quantity of air adequate to render them safe and proper to work in and to render harmless all noxious gases? — Answer: Yes.

Question 11. — Are there any recommendations to be made with respect to the future working of the Wellington Pit or other like coal pits? — Answer: Yes.

The Jury's Recommendations

1. That there should be a Register of properly kept of the names of the workmen who descend the pit at the different shifts.

2. That there should be a book kept specially and entries made in it containing records of the particulars, such as the dates and times when and the names of the workmen and working places where, withdrawals took place and by whose orders and for how long the withdrawals continued, and the cause of the withdrawal, and that the entries of all gas found should be recorded in the book.

3. That there should be a Report book of the Statutory Inspections of the pit workings kept below ground and to be accessible for the inspection of the workmen.

4. That the findings of gas in the working places by the officials should be more generally noted and reported in writing by them.

5. That the ventilation of the pit be made more adequate.

6. That a system of watering the main roadways by means of a spray be brought into operation.

7. That a special rule be made that no lighted lamp be allowed to be placed on the ground of the working place whilst the getting of coal is being proceeded with.

8. That the workmen on being given their working lamps should be supplied with a tally, having the number upon it corresponding with that of the lamp.

9. That the doors of the return airway should have special keys provided for the opening of the doors by the return side of the airway.

10. That at every pit there should be a company of men trained for rescue and ambulance work, with the necessary appliances.

11. That a strict observance of the Special Rules by all workmen and officials should be enforced.