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28. Were you there when they put the fan on ?—I was. 29. How long did it take to erect the fan ?—They were a few days. 30. Did you see any one test the air or try to go into the tunnel during the time the fan was in course of erection ? —No one went in until the fan was started from the time the mine was closed in on the Monday morning. 31. The Chairman.] Do you think any one could have got in?— They never attempted to go in until after the fan was erected. 32. Mr. Corby.] When the fan was started and they went in, did you go in ?—I went in along with the rest. 33. Who was with you ?—Johnnie Clark and several others. 34. Who led you? —I believe it was Mr. Dixon. He was leading man that morning. 35. Do you remember a man named William Cunliffe being in that morning? —I do, but he was in a certain distance behind us. 36. Do you remember that the brattice was put up in the tunnel to concentrate the draught on the fire?—l do. 37. Did you Aear Mr. Cunliffe make any remark ?—I did not. 38. Did you think it was a proper thing to put the draught direct on to the fire ? —I do not say that. 39. If they had kept the main haulage-way clear would they not have been able to erect temporary stoppings on those bores going on to the main drive, and thereby, with enough assistance, been able to put in permanent stoppings of wood and clay, without letting the fire interfere with the main road ?—My opinion is that if they had kept the current going on in the main drive it could have been stopped. 40. But instead of that they put a brattice up in the main tunnel and caused the ventilation to go over the fire ? — They put a stopping across the curve leading into the back heading of what is called the long jig. They forced a certain amount of air back to keep the smoke back. He thought that if there was not much he would put the fire out with water. 41. There was plenty of water, and the pumps were within 3 chains of the fire?— Yes; but I think it was more than 3 chains. 42. Had you a good power in the pumps ?—There were several pumps there. 43. Do you think they could have put on steam-power ? —Yes, on one of the pumps. 44. Do you think it was more appropriate to use the pumps and force the water in than to try and get up to the fire with buckets ?—Yes, if the hose had been there, certainly. You would not require to go a distance if you have the force. 45-. Did you see the fire before the draught was concentrated on to it ?—I did not. It was after the air had been communicated and we had taken a return up to it that I saw the fire. 46. What did it look like ? —lt was a sort of a dim light. You would have thought there was about a box and a half of red ashes there. There was no flame at all. Then the roof got hot, and the flame burst out. 47. Do you know whether Cunliffe was working that day ?—Yes. 48. Did you know that he did not come back the day following?— Yes. 49. Did you hear any reason why he did not ?•—I heard that Mr. Dixon accused him of erecting the fan to make a fire. 50. You were working in that mine up to the finish when the mine was closed down ?—I was. 51. Was there much good coal ? How much could you have got out of that section ?—There could have been a lot of pillars and tops taken out. I know that Mr. Broome intended to take out every pound that was available, any how. 52. You think the fan had the opposite effect to that intended? You think it was heat that caused the fire to burn up more quickly than if you had left the brattice in ?—No fire will blaze up unless a force of air is put upon it. 53. How long was it before the fire broke out that you had been there ?—I think, as nearly as I can say, about a week when I was up in that section. It might have been barely that. 54. What were you doing there ? —Cleaning out a gutter—the water-table from the long jig into the back heading. It was choked up. 55. Did you see any sign of fire that day ?—No; it was very cool, and there was a nice current of air going round. 56. Do you think the fire was caused by combustion or incendiarism ?—That is a thing I cannot say much about; and, more than that, there was very small coal or smudge there. 57. The Chairman.] What was the cause of the fire, in your opinion ? Was it spontaneous ? —I believe it was spontaneous in some way. 58. Mr. Corby.] After the fire blazed up fiercely, what did you do ?—We were directed to put stoppings in. 59. Do you know how much air was put on to the fire, or the velocity ?—I could not exactly say. 60. Do you know if any message was sent out to get the engine-driver to drive the fan quicker ? —Yes, a message was sent to get the engine-driver to get the fan go quicker—according to what they wanted. 61. Was not the main tunnel bratticed off, and all the air turned on to the fire?— Yes. 62. Did the fire blaze up and the roof fall down ?—That was after. We got up to the first stenton and past the shaft. We wanted them to make a return with brattice, proceeding up to the fire. That was into the main heading where the fire was. We proceeded from the main entrance. 63. How far would you be from the fire then ?—lt would be about a chain and a half from the brattice. It would be two stentons' length up. In that there was an overcast brattice put up. That was to cool the roof.