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mine at a water gauge of 3 inches. The air was well distributed and there was no doubt that the mine was well ventilated and 50,000 cubic feet per minute went into the west district of the Rhas Las seam in which the explosion occurred. This was supplied to two ventilating districts within the meaning of the ‘Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1887’. Of this quantity, about 26,000 cubic feet per minute went to Clark’s district on the right hand side of the engine plane and 26,000 passed round Gwilym’s level district. The whole of the district was worked by locked safety lamps which were Clanny’s which were bonneted and fitted with an old fashioned screw lock, during the night as the management thought that there was more danger from gas being liberated by repairing roadways and the falls of roof that were necessary following such work, than during the day shift when the coal was won. As a result naked lights were allowed on the day shift.
Firedamp was not given off freely as the seam had been worked downwards from the outcrop which had drained off the gas to a considerable extent. The only occasion that gas had been reported in 1902 was on the 9th. January, when a fireman recorded, "A small diluted blower in Joseph Shapland’s No.9 heading."The main engine plane was naturally wet, especially on the floor owing to water running down it from the shafts and in places there was water pouring down from the roof. The double parting of Gwilym’s level was also wet. Although the workings inside that parting were dry, they could not be said to be very dusty but there was no watering down.
On the night of the 3rd. June, in the Rhas Las seam there were 37 persons at work engaged on repairers. Of these 24 were in Clark’s district and 13 in Gwilym’s level district. Of the thirteen, three were engaged in clearing a fall, a haulier was taking away the rubbish that was produced and three men were stowing this rubbish. Another man was stowing rubbish that was being produced by a repairer on Gwilym’s level and brought to them by another man. Apart from these men there were three repairers at work on the main drift below Clark’s level. All these men had safety lamps which had been locked at the lamp station before they went into the workings. They were supervised by two experienced firemen.
About 10 p.m., a fall took place on the main drift, 120 yards above Clark’s level. The two firemen, having been told of the fall, were quickly on the spot and set men to clear it. They succeeded in partially doing so several times, but fresh falls continually occurred, so that it was not until the day overman, who had been sent for, cleared a way through about 5 a.m. on the following day, that there was any reliance on keeping the passage over. Meanwhile, Griffith Davies, the fireman on Clark’s district examined his workings and found them clear of firedamp, and took the precaution to warn his men to be careful of their lamps and keep them near the floor, as there was not the usual amount of air circulating. William White, the fireman of Gwilym’s level district, stated on oath that he examined his workings about 1 a.m. and found nothing wrong. He however, did not think it necessary to tell his men of the fall and warn them to be careful.
The fall was still being cleared when the explosion occurred at about 3 a.m.. William White was in the main drift, just below Clark’s level and he felt the reversal of the air but heard no report or saw any flame. He and two men went down the drift and tried to get along Gwilym’s level but were beaten back by the afterdamp. They then went further down the drift and made their way along the face as far as Edward Lewis’s dip but failed to go further and had to retrace their steps as the afterdamp was too strong.
When they reached the main drift, they were joined by others and the fireman and one of the men became unconscious and had to be carried out. Griffith Davies, the other fireman, went along Gwylim’s level a short time after and 88yards up Lloyd’s heading, found the bodies of Edward Williams, William Eustace and William Strange and the body of a horse. The haulier and the horse were burned but the two other men were not, probably through them having been in the rubbish stall at the moment of the explosion so that they were out of the course of the flame.
Firedamp was not given off freely as the seam had been worked downwards from the outcrop which had drained off the gas to a considerable extent. The only occasion that gas had been reported in 1902 was on the 9th. January, when a fireman recorded, "A small diluted blower in Joseph Shapland’s No.9 heading."The main engine plane was naturally wet, especially on the floor owing to water running down it from the shafts and in places there was water pouring down from the roof. The double parting of Gwilym’s level was also wet. Although the workings inside that parting were dry, they could not be said to be very dusty but there was no watering down.
On the night of the 3rd. June, in the Rhas Las seam there were 37 persons at work engaged on repairers. Of these 24 were in Clark’s district and 13 in Gwilym’s level district. Of the thirteen, three were engaged in clearing a fall, a haulier was taking away the rubbish that was produced and three men were stowing this rubbish. Another man was stowing rubbish that was being produced by a repairer on Gwilym’s level and brought to them by another man. Apart from these men there were three repairers at work on the main drift below Clark’s level. All these men had safety lamps which had been locked at the lamp station before they went into the workings. They were supervised by two experienced firemen.
About 10 p.m., a fall took place on the main drift, 120 yards above Clark’s level. The two firemen, having been told of the fall, were quickly on the spot and set men to clear it. They succeeded in partially doing so several times, but fresh falls continually occurred, so that it was not until the day overman, who had been sent for, cleared a way through about 5 a.m. on the following day, that there was any reliance on keeping the passage over. Meanwhile, Griffith Davies, the fireman on Clark’s district examined his workings and found them clear of firedamp, and took the precaution to warn his men to be careful of their lamps and keep them near the floor, as there was not the usual amount of air circulating. William White, the fireman of Gwilym’s level district, stated on oath that he examined his workings about 1 a.m. and found nothing wrong. He however, did not think it necessary to tell his men of the fall and warn them to be careful.
The fall was still being cleared when the explosion occurred at about 3 a.m.. William White was in the main drift, just below Clark’s level and he felt the reversal of the air but heard no report or saw any flame. He and two men went down the drift and tried to get along Gwilym’s level but were beaten back by the afterdamp. They then went further down the drift and made their way along the face as far as Edward Lewis’s dip but failed to go further and had to retrace their steps as the afterdamp was too strong.
When they reached the main drift, they were joined by others and the fireman and one of the men became unconscious and had to be carried out. Griffith Davies, the other fireman, went along Gwylim’s level a short time after and 88yards up Lloyd’s heading, found the bodies of Edward Williams, William Eustace and William Strange and the body of a horse. The haulier and the horse were burned but the two other men were not, probably through them having been in the rubbish stall at the moment of the explosion so that they were out of the course of the flame.