HUNTLY INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 7

HUNTLY INQUIRY.

STARTLING EVIDENCE,

GOVERNMENT ENGINEER'S WARNINGS.

ALLEGED CONCEALMENT AND

DECEPTION.

(By Telograph.— Prose Association.) Auckland, October 7. The most sensational evidence yet submitted-to the Royal Commission" now sitting at Huntly was heard this morning, when Mr. Wilford called Frank Reed, Inspecting Engineer of Minos and Consulting Engineer for the State Collieries of Hew Zealand. The witness said that ho had examined the Taupiri niiiies several times, during the last eight years. It was not until last Christmas that he had had information suggesting that the mines were dangerous. During the Auckland Exhibition he was examining candidates for certificates in testing for firedamp, and his suspicions were aroused by -the number of men who came from the Taupiri district; He said to one of tfiem: "'Why are so many of you..men coining, from Taupiri ? You have no gas in the mines there.'.' ... . ...,-" The miner replied: "Haven't we I" Another told'nim that there had been several cases of burning. Ho wrote to Boyd Bennio (District Inspector; "asking him ' to' ascertain from the Miners' Union whether cases of burning had occurred. Bennie replied that the union would give him no information. In reply to a letter from the inspector; tho'manager of Ralph's Mine, Fletcher, wrote on January 14 giving particulars of' three instances where the minere had been burnt. Witness reported to the Under-Secretary of Mines. Here, witness, after examining a file of iiis letters which bad been called for by the Commission from the Department, stated that some of the most important letters had not been sent. Hβ had written sis or seven during the early part of the year, and two since the explosion. . Mr. Macassey (representing the Crown Law Oiiiee) ■ asked. for the dates, so that he could, send for-the missing letters. He desired to keep nothing back. "f Fear a Holocaust." Resuming, the witness said that about the end of January he wrote to the l tlnder-Secretary enclosing Bennie's letter, and stating that he regretted to report a breach of the law by tho management of Ralph's Mine, inasmuch that gas explosions which had, caused injuries to minere had been concealed by the management. That letter stated that the elements for. a colliery disaster were all present. He received no reply to that letter, but when Parliament opened he was requested by the Undersecretary to , give an opinion on. the Mining Act > Amendment Bill. Witness replied, and made reference to the conditions in. Ralph's Mine, and stated that if action were taken aad disaster ■occurred as .the result of the inadequate law, the inspecting branch of the Department could not be held responsible. The witness asked that preference be given to the Amending 'Bill. He wrote as follows: — ■ ' "I fear holooaust at Ralph's : Mine." ■ He wrote on July 29, drawing attention v to the burning accident to a miner.named Kelly in Ralph's Mine. In that-letter he stated: ,

"This , accident jmigjht'-liavo been , - ■ a- holocaust."-' F■Th©? !l 'serioushe'ss !,> of ■'■' these explosions at Huntly cannot bo -lightly passed over.' Should anfe .other Ivaitangata or Brunner dis- ;,■ 'aetef occur the public 'would con- ■ • de'mn us. Tho manager should ho . made to realise the seriousness of the position," ; : ' .Six , .'or.Seven Warnings. . ■ -..■ Witness continued to feel 'uneasy, and on August 11 he wrote to the UndentSecretary suggesting that a prosecution would do goodj even_ if it failed owing to an obsolete Mining Act, for it would at least show the public that ,tho -Department was alive to the position.- -Witness received a request from Mr. Blow asking for particulars of the dangerous conditions' reported by Inspector Bennie in the collieries- in the 'Auckland district, and was also asked for suggestions ao to the remedies. In his report, .dated August 16) witness referred to the Taupiri mines under the following headings:— i "Fire damp prevailed"j-,"Several miners burnt by gas"; "Disastrous explosion possible." Hβ recommended that only, safety-lamps be allowed 'EigTit days before the disaster at Hiintly he- came up to the Thames," bringing some safety electrio lamps, with which he demonstrated to Inspector Bennio in one of the Thames mines. • Subsequently he asked Bennie to take t,hem to' Fletcher, and to try to get Mm to instal them in Ralph's Mine, which he regarded as.a dangeroue one. . ..'.'. Witness then went to Greymouth, ■ and on the day preceding the explosion at Huntly told Mr. I. A. James, of.the State collieries, that he feared a disaster at" Ralph's Mine. On the following day a clerk canie into Ma office, and reported news of the disaster, whereupon Mr. James remarked: "Why, Reed, yofc told me yesterday this was going to happen!" Witness stated tnat the.- reasons vhkh actuated him .in "hammering in six or seven warnings to the Department were< . (a) The large area: of the high workings in Ralph's mine. (b) The difficulty of maintaining ventilation and preventing,/ ignitions of gas, any one of which might have caused a holocaust, and the amount of dust, present. ' . . . -

(c) 'Weakness of the Act. (d) Naked lights and flame, producing explosion, in use. (e) Inexperience of the men all round resulting from the lack-of facilities-in New Zealand for the instruction of colliers iu regard to the dangers of gas.

Interesting Cross-examination. Under examination by Mr. Wilford. the witness said that if naked lights had not been in use the disaster would not have occurred. Mr. Wilford: May I ask why you did not take steps to got legislation to deal with this matter?—" Well, 1 was a member of tho New Zealand Mines Commission of 1911, which strongly recommended the use of safety lamps. Those recommendations were on record" ~ , „,, Does the Bill subsequently drafted to cive effect to the commission's recommendations contain changes providing for the use of safety lamps?—"ies. It contains our recommendations verbatim." „ ~„ „ That is two years ago?—Jos. After that Bill was drafted did a deputation visit Wellington to oppose I attended tho deputation at tho request tof-the TJnder-Secretary and tho Minister of Mines. Notwithstanding the Opposition of tho deputation clause- by cause, the Minister stood by you and said that tho Bill would go on?—"ies. If- that Bill onforcmg tho uee of safety-lamps had been passed cou d this disaster have happened ?-"I decline to answer." , ~ . . Tho Chairman of tho Commission: No man could speak definitely as to X \t. Wilford: Did the. want of safety lamps cause the explosion t— Certainly. A naked light caused at. Dangerous Pillars. ' Do you consider.that tho pillars in Halph'e mine are dangerous?—' Yes. It ia only, a question of time wnen. the

coal frets away and then down thoy come." As men. have, been burnt in bettor ventilated places, is that not evidonco that gas is being given off in the newer workings?—" Yes. Are the boards unusually high?— "Yes. Some of them.are the highest I have ever seen—probably tho highest in the world." And that makes it difficult to test for gas?—" Yes. Any practical man would know that." Do you consider the mine a dusty mine?—"l do not consider it very dusty, but I regard its dust as being enormously dangerous." If there had beon a proper inspection of No. 6 Bore on the morning of the 12th by a competent man with a safetylamp, do you think any lives would have been lost? —"No, moat decidedly not." Considering that on January 14 Mr. Fletcher wrote admitting the burning accidents in the Taupiri mines, should precautions have been taken?—"l think so." \ ' Do you consider Ralph's Mine adequately ventilated?—"l think the ventilating fans, while meeting _reguirements of the Act, are hardly adeq'utite in. proportion to the size of the mine." Counsel for the Owners. Examined by Mr. W. J. Napier (representing Ralph's Estate, owners of the mine.), witness said that he had no denned duties in connection with pri-vately-owned coal mines. Ho did as he was directed to do by the-Under-secretary of Mines, and he had no official position. If asked to report as to whether tho mining inspectors were doing their duty, he would' dp so. Have you reported to Parliament what you have reported to this Commission regarding the Taupiri mines?—l haro not written my report for this year yet. 1 only, heard of the condition of Ralph's mine by accident, and not from your company, which suppressed facts. ■ So you discovered the state of Dhe mine by accident? —More by good fortune, I would say.

' Concealment of Facts. . Then but for this good fortune you might have gone , on for ten years without discovering the condition of the mine?— Yes. Seeing'that I was dealing with people of the character of this company' for suppressing, facts. You consider the people connected with the company have a special aotitude for concealing facts from the inspector?— Yes. They have done w very successfully. Is it a good system, do you .think, tinder which an inspector can be deceived inspector was dealing with deceitful people who had failed to report explosions that had occurred. It is possible, then, to deceive and keep in ;he dark the inspecting engineer. • How long have you held that position ?—Eight years. And aa a fact, for seven, years, you did riot know the condition of the Tau-. piri mines, and were successfully, deceived?—l was not informed. Explosion Theories. "What quantity of fresh air would prevent the explosion of an outburst of gas?—lt depends on the quantity of pas, and the air admitted; the amount of coal dust present, and the kind of lights used. : Is' it not a fact, that the quantity of pure air through a mine is immaterial, because an explosion' is sudden and overpowering ?—I would not say that. ' I gather from authority on, the subjeot that though 'a mine may b© well, ventilated, yet an explosion might occur through blowers, or a sudden burst of gas. Is that the case?—lt may be, but what with naked lights. Do you think that the disaster had «ny,-:connection, with, the ..White Island "'eruption?— No. "• - Seismic disturbances do have- the offect of liberating gas, do they not?— Gas would be.liablerto bo liberated in the vicinity of tho eruption. Only in the vicinity?—lf in Rotorua thero were magazines of gas alongside a volcanic disturbance those magazines might be fractured, and the gas liberated. As to attributing the disaster at Huntly, however, to the White Island blow up," that is too far-fetched. The inquiry was adjourned until tomorrow.. - There are still' twelve wit-' neses to be examined. THE MAYOR'S RELIEF FUND. £ e.'d. Amount previously acknowledged ; 185 1 0 Archdeacon Fancourt 11 0 "H.D.8." .'.. 10 0 "G.J. and 1.T.," Upper Hutt 10 0 ■ 18S 2 0 TRADES HALL RELIEF FUND. The joint secretaries, Messrs. L. M. A. Rearden and J. Read l , acknowledge receipt of the following amounts: —' £ s. d. Previously . acknowledged .721 8 1 "Wairarapa Daily News"... 9 6 6 Collection, •J. Townsend (Blenheim) .'....' 35 5 0 Grocers' Union 2 2 0 West Coast Workers' Union 53 12 0 Labourers' Union (Christ- . church) 3 0 0 Soft Goods Employees 3 7 6 Mrs. J. H. Fairbairn and guests. Occidental Hotel 815 0 General Labourers' Union ■ '(Wellington) 6 0 0 Collection, A. Agnew (Wei.lington) 1 -5 6 Total 843 1 7 A donation of £100 has been made to tho Huntly Relief Fund by the Wairarapa Farmers' Union Executive. "THE DOMINION" RELIEF FUND. A fund for the relief of sufferers in *the Huntly disaster is now . open at The Dominion Office. We have to acknowledge.the following donations:— £ s. d. Previously acknowledged ... 30 .2 0