Workington Explosion

Jury's verdict: "A Neligent Act."

The inquiry at Workington into the circumstances under which five men and a boy were killed by an explosion at the Siddick Pit on November 27 was concluded yesterday.

The Coroner, summing up, said it was a matter of public importance that they should probe to the cause of the disaster, and bring home the responsibility, so far as it was possible to do so. It was surely more than a coincidence that four explosions had occurred in Cumberland in the past two years. The whole public mind was uneasy.

The jury returned a verdict that the explosion was caused by the firing of a shot, that the firing was the negligent act of some person, that there was no contributory negligence, and that there was not sufficient evidence to fix a verdict of manslaughter on any person of the staff. They expressed the opinion that the rescue work carried out by Overman Pell and McMaster and Thwaites was worthy of commendation, and added that more care should be taken in the filling up of the various reports by deputies and like officials.