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drift. We saw the fire at or near about the foot of this heading at which it was first found on the main haulage-road. 73. The Chairman.] If you did not go so far as Mr. Dixon, and you saw the fire, it must have moved further ?—The fire had travelled down the heading on to the main road. 74. Mr. Harden.] What was it like then ?—lt was certainly much larger than when we first saw it with Mr. Dixon. It was in the main air-course or haulage-way then. 75. Did you hear an explosion in the mine ?—No, but I heard of it, I was not with Mr. Dixon when the fall took place, but I was satisfied that it had taken place. 76. Did you see the fire break into flame when the fall took place ?—No; but I am satisfied it took place. I was not there. When I was in with Mr. Tennent he said, "We cannot get up there ; we shall have to get outside." His words were given effect to, and we came outside. He decided then to erect clay stoppings at the entrances —that is, at this end entrance and the bridge outlet. This was pushed on as fast as possible. 77. You know the clay stopping at this side (Seddonville) mine-entrance?— Yes ; there was one put there and on the other side. 78. Taking the one this side, do you think it could have been put, with safety to the men, Bor 10 chains further in ? —I would not risk my safety, although I had no doubt of the Inspector's capability of putting it in safely as far as it was possible to get it. 79. Would you have put it in that distance ?—No. 80. The Chairman.] Would you have put other men on it ? —No. 81. Mr. Harden.] It has been suggested that by putting temporary bratticing in you could have got further in without danger to the men : is that your opinion ? —For a very short distance you might, but for any considerable distance I would not do it from the conditions about the main road being very significant. 82. Do you think there was anything to be gained by putting it 8 or 10 chains further in ? —I could see none, nor can I see any now. 83. Were these stoppings completed—the one at this end, and the one at the other?— Yes. 84. And the mine sealed down ?—Yes —that is, so far as the openings are concerned that were made by the management in working the coal. The mine was not sealed down, because there is a lot of pillared ground where the coal had been taken from and where the roof had fallen down. It would be impossible to seal the mine there. There were holes there then and now that you could drop a dog in for about 40 ft., and these crevices were made there before the tire broke out. 85. When you went in on the first occasion with Mr. Dixon it has been suggested that you ought to have stopped up the bords on each side: was there any advantage to be gained by doing that?— Under the circumstances, Ido not think there was any advantage to be gained. 86. Would they increase the air-current ?—I do not think so. 87. Were there any openings?—No, not leading to outcrops; they were all blind. The lefthand side places were filled with water, and on the right side there may have been openings for a chain and a half or two chains away from the road, but you could not get through them to the outcrops. There was no air-current through them to the outcrops, and they were not connected with the fire district; so, if clear when the fan was started, there was no danger of the smoke or current coming back to them again so long as the current of air was maintained right through to the bridge. 88. Did the current come through to the bridge ?—So long as the main road remained open. 89. Did it on the occasion when you went up with Mr. Dixon ?—Certainly, or we could not have got in. 90. After this permanent clay stopping had been erected what was done ?—We filled the shaft up with clay, and then nothing was done until Mr. Tennent arranged for building a dam. 91. The Chairman.] How long after was that? —We completed the work with Mr. Tennent about Friday after the sth, and from that date to the 24th February there was nothing done. 92. Mr. Harden.] Was any one left in charge? —Not to my knowledge—not by the Inspector. When the shaft was finished I had nothing more to do in connection with mine until I commenced the dam. 93. Mr. Lomas.] When was that ?—Some time after the 24th February —within a week, if my memory serves me. 94. Mr. Harden.] You were not in charge, and had nothing whatever to do with the mine until then ?—No. I was timbering for the company, but that was by contract away from the mine. 95. The Chairman.} You altogether repudiate the idea that you were the deputy in charge during the absence of Mr. Tennent and Mr. Dixon? —After the filling of the shaft, yes. 96. Mr. Harden.] Just tell us about this dam ? —Mr. Hayes, Mr. Tennent, and I spoke about the dam on the 24th February. Mr. Tennent and I discussed putting in a dam with logs—no clay ; but Mr. Hayes suggested that the clay would assist. It was ultimately decided that it should be a log dam backed up with clay, and this dam was to be put behind the stopping. There was to be about 6 ft. of clay as a packing between the airtight stopping and the logs to construct the dam. This clay was to be got at the mouth of the mine. Mr. Martin and I were working at putting up the timber in the tunnels, and I went up to look at the site of the dam to see if there was much coal or slack in the bottom, and to clear it out. Mr. Martin came down and saw Eoland Broome, whom I understood, by hearsay, was caretaker to the company, and Mr. Martin informed me that Mr. Broome had no authority to go on with the dam. 97. Where did this conversation occur with Mr. Tennent and Mr. Hayes ?—Coming from the Bridge section and going to it over the hill. We picked out the site coming back. They pointed out the site to me, and instructed me the sort of timber that was to go in it, and advised me how it should be done.