1. On the 19th April of the present year an explosion occurred in the William Pit, No. 3, of the St. Helen's Colliery Company, at Workington in Cumberland, at about 8 o'clock p.m. Thirty persons lost their lives thereby, being killed outright or subsequently dying from the injuries they received. On the 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, and 26th days of May following, an inquest was held on the bodies of 11 men, which (for reasons herein-after stated) were all that had been recovered. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and attached no blame to any person in respect of the catastrophe.

The proceedings were attended by myself, as counsel on behalf of the Crown, and by Mr. Willis, the Chief Inspector of Mines for the Newcastle District.

The Miners' Association, the relatives of the deceased, the owners, and the manager, were represented respectively by their solicitors. No shorthand writer was present, and I am therefore unable to give the whole of the evidence in this report, but will specifically refer to the important witnesses when dealing with the facts to which they deposed.