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Description Of The Colliery.

The Harvey Seam exists at a depth of 636 feet from the surface at the shafts, and the workings in this seam are very extensive. There are two coal-drawing shafts, both of which are sunk to the Brockwell Seam at a depth of 900 feet from the surface. In addition to the Brockwell Seam, the Busty, Harvey and Low Main Seams are worked, the total output being about 1,200 tons a day, nearly half of which is obtained from the Harvey Seam, the thickness of which at the shafts is three feet five inches.

System Of Ventilation.

The ventilation was induced by means of a "Waddle" fan situated near the top of the upcast pit, and the last measurement prior to the explosion showed it was exhausting 52,450 cubic feet per minute from the Harvey Seam at a pressure of 1.7 inches water gauge. In addition to this a small portion of the Harvey Seam air current, amounting to 6,960 cubic feet per minute, was drawn to the Westerton "Sirocco" fan situate at the South Pit. The measurements of the air current in the Harvey Seam at the last measurement previous to the explosion were as follows

Measurement of Air.
Stables	5,600	cubic feet per minute.
West Side	2,615	,,   ,,
Drift Way	6,700	,,   ,,
3rd North	4,945	,,   ,,
4th North	4,653	,,   ,,
South Doors, right side	3,045	,,   ,,
South Doors, left side	3,265	,,   ,,
1st North	3,330	,,   ,,
Old South Return	4,500	,,   ,,
Leasingthorne	3,000	,,   ,,
Scale at Old South	1,500	,,   ,,
Total	43,175	,,   ,,

Occurrence Of Firedamp.

Firedamp has been met with in every district in the Harvey Seam at some time or other, but not in such quantities as to create any difficulty in the ventilation. The most recent entry of "gas" in the report books showed that it had been detected on September 11th, 1912, in the Drift Way.

In the south or upcast pit, drawing of coal did not take place below the Harvey Seam; the Busty, Brockwell and Low Main Seams being worked from the north or downcast shaft. The Harvey Seam workings extend about 2½ miles towards the north-east, and about eight months previous to the explosion were holed through to Westerton Colliery belonging to the same firm. There was also a holing through to Leasingthorne Colliery, but its use as a travelling road had been discontinued although a small air current still passed through to Leasingthorne Colliery.