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Alexander Mclntosh, sworn, saith : lam a machine-man, employed in Kalph's Mine. I entered the mine at about three minutes past 7on the morning of the 12th September. When I reached the bottom I went along the main haulage-rope road as far as No. 6 cabin. I went from there to tha lavatory. It is about 50 yards on the cabin side of the last door. It would be about 7.23 a.m. when I left the lavatory. Just as I left the lavatory I felt a terrible gust of wind. I heard no explosion. It came in my face. I was facing Taupiri West. I was not in the main road at the time. I was knocked down and the light blown out. I went back about 20 yards towards No. 6 cabin, but the air was too bad. Others came along shortly after, and we all got out at Taupiri West. I did not notice anything unusual about the mine that morning, it seemed to be in its usual state. The first ones to go down the mine that morning were Onsetter O'Brien and Deputy Darby. When I got to the bottom Darby was at the telephone that connects with No. 6. It was his practice to ring No. 6up to see if all was right. I have worked in the mines about eight years—in Allendale, Green Island, and Huntly. I once noticed a little bleeding of gas from a hole we had bored in No. 8. It did not explode, but went off in a flame. This was about twelve months ago. I have never seen gas in the mine in any quantities. It is not a dry mine compared with Green Island. Only on the travelling-road have I noticed any dust, and this was four months ago. By Mr. Bennie : I have been in this mine nearly two years. During that time I have worked in No. 6 south and No. 8, nearly all the time in No. 6 south. I have been in nearly all the other places in the south part of the mine. I have been putting in roads there. I have noticed the main travelling-road dusty prior to about three months ago. Since then it has been slushy for 4 ft. or 5 ft. There was not a great quantity of dry coaldust lying along the sides. No. 6 jig travelling-road was also damp. It has been watered for the last three months. There was dust and rough stuff along the sides. By Mr. Tunks : I had not noticed that it was watered prior to the last three months. I had been over it. Bernard Healy, sworn, saith :I, am employed in Ralph's Mine as a machine-boy. I went down the mine on the morning of the 12th at 7 a.m. Allen and four others were in the cage with me. When we got to the bottom, Farrar, Allen, and I went along the main rope-road as far as No. 5. We left Allen at No. 5, and we went on to No. 6 machine bords, past No. 6 cabin. We went up to No. 6 rope-road. We nearly got to the end of the rope-road when we felt a gust of wind come from behind, which knocked us down and put out our lights. After the gust was over we noticed bad air and dust. We tried to return to No. 6, but had to return and got out at Taupiri West. My arm and back were injured with flying coal. I did not hear any sound prior to the gush of air. I thought the compressedair pipe had burst close to us. I have never noticed gas in the mine in any quantity. I have been working down below for over six months, and never noticed any gas. None of the men were going to mine that morning, only to clean up. John McGill, sworn, saith :lam a deputy in Ralph's Mine. I usually go on duty at 4 p.m. and come off at midnight. I remember some heating taking place in the little dip. I visited it on the 27th August. It was part of my work to go and examine it. I was instructed by the acting-manager, and went, accompanied by Mr. Jackson, now deceased. I was instructed to take the brattice from the brick stopping and let the full current of air play upon it until the following morning. I worked at that for about an hour —from 4.30 to 5.30 p.m. At that time we left everything safe. We had cooled the heating down. About 8.30 I returned, and there was nothing visible. We again opened it up and spread it, to see if there was any smouldering. I was relieved by Mr. Webb at midnight. I informed him about it. I cannot suggest any other cause than spontaneous combustion. I have been employed in mines for forty-five years. I have been in this mine for four years and a half. During that time I have visited every part of the mine. I would only go into the old workings when I was authorized, but not very often. I have known gas in the mine, but not often. I have never seen gas in the working-faces on any occasion. I have worked in eleven mines besides this one. This mine is much safer than some I have worked in. I have never had occasion to look upon it as a dangerous mine. I have never considered it should be worked with safety-lamps : they are not used in any of the Westport mines I have worked in, except for examining. A man has not the same freedom with a safety-lamp as with a naked light; a man does not get the same light. I have worked in the Brunner Mine with a safety-lamp. I could not say whether accidents were more frequent with, safetylamps than with ordinary lamps. I have been down the mine three times since the explosion. I cannot form any opinion as to where the explosion took place. I was there on rescue-work. I was all through No. 5 since the accident. I could not get to the door of No. 5 because of the presence of gas. The break-through had been blown out: I could not say which way it had been blown ; I put a brattice-cloth there. By Mr. Bennie : Of late there has not been much dust on the travelling-roads. The road has been watered since the manager received your letter drawing attention to the dust. The centre of the road was very sloppy. The right side going in would be wet as the water would fall that way. I could not speak as to the left-hand side. By Mr. Dixon : I was on shift the night previous to the explosion. Miners were on shift also. I was in charge of the miners. • I have no doubt shots were fired on that shift. The shots would be fired by the men themselves. Three shifts were working just previous to the accident. There were only four men on the night shift. By Mr. Tunks : I was instructed to go and see the gas reported by Mr. Wear in the old workings on the 23rd March, 1914. It was in No. 7 south. I had no difficulty in clearing the gas away. We cleared some of the stopping and let as much fresh air in as would go, and in two or three hours it was quite clear.