19^th November 1910

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The Whitehaven Pit Disaster

The official inquiry into the Whitehaven pit disaster was resumed yesterday at Whitehaven, Before Mr. Atter, Coroner, and Mr. Redmayne, Chief Inspector of Mines.

Thomas Graham, overman, stated that when, six hours before the explosion, he inspected the two brakes in No. 3 north he found all clear of gas and nothing to indicate that anything was wrong.

Questioned as to where the explosion originated, the witness advanced an opinion that the mischief arose at the far end of No. 2 brake, in No. 3 north, but what caused it he had no idea. Examined by Mr. Rigby Swift, representing the owners, the witness said that his reason for not suggesting to the under-manager at 5 o'clock on the evening of May 12 his plan for getting at the men by the main back dip, was that he knew that whatever he said would have had no effect.

Mr. Swift. — The success of your plan depended upon your being able to put a stopping across the main engine plane on the far side of the fire at a point which, circumstances have since shown, must have been within eight or ten yards of the fire ? — Oh, no. If it had been too hot there we could have gone further down on the south back dip.

The fire was so hot and smoke so dense in the main intake that you could not get nearer than the fan-site ? — Yes.

You proposed to go down to exactly the same fire, only on the other side ? — Yes.

Do you know that the fire was so hot as to melt the solid iron wheels and solder them to the steel cable at the friction gear ? Could you pass within 20 yards of a fire like that ? — It was not so fierce when I wanted to go down.

Can you suggest a practical scheme ; we say that nothing could be done after Henry, the under-manager, met Wear and Kenmore ? — I say it could by my scheme.

You know that Wear and Kenmore passed the fire at 10 minutes past 10, and a few minutes later it was too hot for them to come back ; I suggest that you could never have walked past it ? — I could have gone another way (pointing to some old workings on the plan).

By Mr. Redmayne. — If they could have got past the friction gear 30 minutes would have sufficed to get the men out.

Mr. Redmayne. — It would have been a policy of desperation.

The inquiry was again adjourned.