54

C—l 4.

[J. FLETCHER.

A. And cm the iiaulage-road I —No, in the travelling-road from No. 3 down. 5. Was No. 5 done with a pipe?—No, not No. 5. 6. Was the work done by that old gentleman ?—Yes, a portion of it: he was sixty years of age. 7. And what was the process—was a kerosene-tin put into a wheelbarrow and the contents allowed to flow on to the road ?—That was one of the processes : but I will explain to you how it was done. From the bottom of the shaft there is a falling grade to the far end of the mine. There are depressions. We run the water down from several points to collecting-holes, from which the roads are thoroughly watered. 8. Will you swear that it was watered on the morning of the explosion ?—No, I was not there. 9. Nobody can? —No, because none of the men who were lost had recorded it. 10. Were the roads watered on the morning of the explosion?—No, they could not have been. 11. Now, was John McGill on the night shift before that?— The afternoon shift, I think. 12. He used to use a bicycle-lamp for inspection purposes?— Yes, an acteylene bicycle-lamp. 13. Probably a good deal safer than a naked light?— Yes, although it was really a naked light. 14. It was a naked light, and it would not be burning like a safety-lamp? —Yes. 1 could not tell you for certain whether it was a bicycle-lamp or not. 15. Did you tell the jury at the Coroner's inquest of all the accidents from burners which had occurred in the mine? —Yes, as far as 1 know. 16. Are you sure?— Yes. 17. Was Massey not thirty-four days ofi about the same time as Carlyon? —1 could not tell you from memory. 18. Do you know anything of Massey? He received £16 compensation on one occasion for being thirty-four days ofi work: do you know anything about it? —I cannot remember it. I might be able to turn it up in my books. 19. You do not remember either case —Carlyon or Massey? —No, I cannot say. 20.. Did you ever know of a case when an explosion put out all the lights in a certain bord or place?— No. 21. It was never reported to you, if it occurred?— No. 22. It occurred amongst a number of men who were working in a certain part of the mine; do you know nothing of it ? —I knew there was an ignition of gas, but nobody was burnt. 23. I am referring to an ignition of gas which occurred two years ago : where was that?— It was right down Dooley's dip. 24. Is that the one which Molesworth had something to do with? —No. 25. This is a gaseous mine—you would admit that?—No, I would not admit it. 26. Then would you claim it is a mine free from gas?—l consider.it is a mine free from gas, and not a gaseous mine. 27. Now that you have said that I want to ask you this : Was Conn injured by gas-explosion? —Yes. 28. Was Willcox injured by gas-explosion?—lt was doubtful. 29. Was Ruston?—No. 30. By what, then?—He was never injured by an explosion. 31. What by, then? —He was never injured at all. 32. Is not that his name —Ruston? —He was working, but he never got any compensation for it. 33. Did you say he was injured?— No. I say Ruston was not injured. 34. You admit the case of Kelly on the 9th July, and that of Conn ?—Yes. 35. In your evidence you say he was singed?— Yes, that was what I called it. 36. Was not part of his ear burnt?—l could not tell you. 37. Did you hear of the case of a man who had put in a drill in the mine during the last twelve months, and then on going back to the hole that was drilled his light caused a flame explosion ? —No. 38. Are you aware that when William Casson was boring in Bond's dip the gas rushed out and flamed up, and that when they got the drill up they quickly plugged up the hole? —No. 39. Was that ever reported to you? —No. 40. If it occurred it was never reported to you ?—lf it occurred it was never reported to me. 41. Did you ever hear of Charles Allen boring a hole in the little dip section, and that when he returned after getting his powder to charge the hole the gas ignited and burnt him I —No, I have never heard of it. 42. Was Mr. Allen boring?— No. 43. You were here three years ago?— Yes, I have been here three years and nine months. 44. Do you remember three years ago when Skelton and Fulton were in the little dip, when the gas was lit with a lamp I —l do not remember it. 45. Do you know Frank Raynor, sen. ? —Yes. 46. Do you know that he and others were kept out of a certain part of the mine by Deputy Bill Smith ?—No. 47. Is there such a deputy?— There was. 48. Is Smith alive now? —No. 49. Is it a fact that on the 26th August, while you were going round the main haulage-road, an escape of gas was reported to you verbally by two men, one of whom was Dixon?—No. 50. You swear that?—l swear it. 51. Is it not a fact that on the 26th August it was reported to you that gas was escaping?— In one portion of the section the air was diverted through a breakdown of the brattice stopping, but not gas.