The Tudhoe Colliery Explosion

A Blue-book has just been issued containing the report of Mr. A. Morley, M.P., upon the circumstances attending the fatal explosion which occurred on the 18th of April last in the Brockwell seam of the Tudhoe Colliery, Durham, and resulted in the loss of 37 lives. The coroner's inquest, which was attended by Mr. Morley on behalf of the Home Office, was opened on the 19th of April, and continued on the 22d, 23d, and 24th of May. At its conclusion the jury returned a verdict "that the cause of the explosion was through the fall of stone in the engine-plane, but how or by what means the said stone fell there was no distinct evidence to show ; and they also found that the deaths of Andrew Cauldwell, Joseph Faulkner, and others, were purely accidental." Three theories were put forward as to the locality where the explosion originated. The first theory was that a sudden escape of gas was set free by a fall of stone from a trouble which crossed No. 6 way in the west workings, the fall extending for some distance along the main intake on each side of the point where the trouble crossed it. At this point, at the time of the explosion, a set of 50 tubs was being drawn in by the hauling engine near the foot of the west shaft. Six men were riding in the tubs, and a naked light was being carried by one of them. The suggestion put forward by the owners was that as the set of tubs was being drawn in by some accident either one of the timbers was knocked out of its position or something happened to disturb the supports at the point where the trouble crossed the rolley way, and by that means the fall took place setting free a large quantity of gas, which was ignited by the naked light carried by one of the men. The second theory put forward was that the explosion occurred through a shot fired in the main intake of the Sunderland-Bridge way, and the third was that it was due to a large accumulation of gas from the goaf at the western end of the Alma bank forcing its way down to a lantern at the caution-board by the landing on the Alma bank. So far as the indications on the timbers and supports of the mines could be relied on, they were equally consistent with the first and third theories, but they did not throw much light on the solution of the question. Mr. Morley states that the evidence was not conclusive as to either theory, and that the true solution of the question must remain doubtful. As the result of the inquiry, which was in his opinion conducted, both on the part of the owners and on behalf of the men, in a thorough and satisfactory manner, with every desire to make it exhaustive, and to arrive at the true solutions of the questions under consideration, Mr. Morley submitted the following conclusions as justified by the evidence ; "(1.) The mine was generally well and carefully managed, with every desire to provide liberally for the safety of the men employed. (2.) The general system of ventilation was good and effective, with the exception of the two points — (i) the too great reliance placed on single doors for the ventilation of any part of the mine ; (ii) the length of goaf face along which the air current had to pass in the Coldstream way before reaching the last working place in the district. (3) More care should be taken to insure a thorough knowledge and understanding on the part of the overmen and deputies of the rules applicable to their respective duties, especially with reference to the reports of gas wherever found, and however small the quantities may be."