Tweet

The Opening Of The Inquiry And Hearing Of Evidence.

That part of the Inquiry relating to the hearing of evidence was opened at the Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, on December 3rd, 1919, at 10 a.m., and the hearing occupied the whole of that and the two following days. Owing to the exhaustive character of the Coroner's Inquest, it was not necessary for me to call as many witnesses as I should otherwise have had to do. My thanks are due to Mr. H. M. Adams, H.M. Coroner, for the assistance he has given me, and in making this report I have taken into consideration the evidence at the Inquest, as well as that at my Inquiry.

Parties Represented At The Inquiry.

The different parties represented were —

The Midland Coal, Coke and Iron Co., Ltd. (owners of the Podmore Hall Colliery), and the Agent and Manager by Mr. A. R. Ellis (of Messrs. Peace and Ellis, Solicitors, Wigan).

The Miners' Federation of Great Britain by Mr. Herbert Smith and Mr. Harry Twist.

The North Staffordshire Miners' Federation and the relatives of the by Mr. E. V. Cave (instructed by Messrs. Hollinshead and Moody, solicitors of The Midland Miners' Federation, by Mr. W. Latham.

The General Federation of Firemen's, Examiners' and Deputies' Associations of Great Britain, by Messrs. W. Johnson and W. Frowen.

The North Staffordshire Colliery Firemen, Shotlighters, and Overmen's Association, by Mr. J. W. Sumnall and Mr. T. Bloor.

The National Amalgamated Union of Enginemen, Stokers, and Electrical Workers, by Mr. Harper Parker.

Mr. Baillie Wilson, of Dunfermline, also attended the Inquiry on behalf of the Carnegie Hero Trust Fund.

Witnesses Called.

The following witnesses were summoned and examined at the Inquiry.

1.		Joseph Smith (Manager of the Colliery).
2.		Albert Mayon Henshaw (Mining Engineer and Managing Director of Talk o' th' Hill Colliery).
3.		James Rayney Leach Allott (General Manager and Mining Engineer of Birchenwood Collieries).
4.		Amos Daniels (Agent of Bignall Hill Colliery).
5.		George Arthur Mitcheson (Mining Engineer).
6.		Walter William Clifford (Superintendent of Central Rescue Station, Stoke).
7.		William Dyde (Captain of one of the Rescue Brigades).
8.		Edward Warren (member of one of the Rescue Brigades).
9.		James Thomas Machin (member of one of the Rescue Brigades).
10.		George Hawley Greatbatch (Chairman of the North Staffordshire Rescue Research Committee).
11.		Dr. Henry Briggs (Professor of Mining, Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh)
12.		Walter William Clifford (recalled).
13.		Daniel Joseph Holland (miner).
14.		Frank Lingard (Miner and one of workmen's inspectors).
15.		George Biddington (Checkweighman).
16.		Arthur Roberts (Overman in night shift).
17.		Henry Downing (Fireman).
18.		Isaac Sutton (Fireman).
19.		Oliver Bromley (Agent of the colliery).
20.		Charles Herbert Weaver (Under-Manager).
21.		Granville Poole (H.M. Senior Inspector of Mines).

 

A copy of this report was kindly donated by
West Cumbria Mines Research.