THE WALLSEND ACCIDENT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1624, 1 August 1887, Page 3

THE WALLSEND ACCIDENT

TBE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. Gbeywouth, July 31. The report of Major Keddell, the Commissioner appointed to enquire into the cause of the accident m the Wallsend mine, is to band He Bays that the primary canse of the accident was the faulty manner m which James Luna drilled the hole and, prepared the shot. Before requesting >he overman to fire it He drilled -a hole with a drill of which one corner was off, making the hole too small for the usual cartridge. He tamped the ehot wich coal dust, and did not pay sufficient attention to the ' clearage of the coal at the face. The overman wan responstblo for not having examined the shot properly, taking Dann'a statement for granted. The Com mtssloner has no doubt that it was not n purely gas explosion, as many miners state In their evidenoe ; and he is of opinion that the management of the Wall Bend mine has been lax, and sufficient preoautious have not been taken to secure the safely of the men working In it, considering that it hw been notoriously subjeot to the appearance of gas m all the working places, and inntanoes are given from the evidenoe, auoh as firing shots with a naked light, olearlog gas " In places " while the men are m the adjoining workings, tamping shots with coal dust, neglect of deputies to enter In the report-book all the imt»noes of gas ignition, and the want of oare m inspecting and cleaning safety lampb. Major Keddell makes several suggestions. Shots ought to be fired by heated wire and touch paper, and gas should not be cleared out of plaoes till the men are out of the mine. He recommends the substitution of other explosives, Buch as some nitro-glyoeriae compound or lime oatridge. The report-book is useless, as tome of the most important entries are interlineations. He strongly uig.'B the proprietors to procure better lamps for their underviewers and firemen, and all who have to try for gas. Ho considers the Davy lamp out of date, and thinks Living's gas indicator would be a valuable atsistanoe to the manager of the mine.