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|_J. YOUNG,

30. Whereabouts is that point on the plan ? —[Witness indicated point on plan.] 31. That is about the locality referred to in your report of the 29th April, 1914- ?—Yes, sir. 32. Is there a good deal of dust in that part ? —-No, there is dust there; but it is not the dustiest part of the mine. 33. Which do you consider the dustiest part of the mine ? —Close to the travelling-road where most of the men travel. [Plan, Exhibit AA, discussed by witness with Mr. Wilford], 34. Do you know bords Nos. 4, 5, and 6 ?—Yes, I know them. 35. Do you know where the big fall is ? —Yes, the first bord down on the left. 36. Do you know the new fall at No. 6 ?—No. 37. Do you know this door ? —Yes. 38. Was it ever locked ? —No. 39. Has it got a lock on it ? —Not that I know of. 40. At the other end is the bord fenced off ?—1 do not know that that particular one. is fenced off, but they are fenced off along the roadway. 41. You said in your evidence before the Coroner, " We would make a test at every face or where there had been a fall. We would average one fall a month." That, of course, you qualified by saying that it was only a rough estimate and might probably be excessive. You also said there were four fairly big falls there : where were you referring to ?- In this little winch level. That was one of them which we have been speaking about. 42. In this particular bord we are discussing, in No. 5, is one of the falls referred to by you. You say there are four fairly large falls: where were the other three ?—There are two on this side of it, nearer the winch. 43. Nearer No. 5 section ? -No, further away from No. 5 section. 44. Do you know of any man getting burnt while you were there ?—Everybody knows about Kelly getting burnt. 45. Do you know whether Kelly was burnt twice ?—I could not say. You do not want hearsay evidence —then I do not know. 46. Do you know the names of any men who were burnt except Kelly ?—No. 47. Is that the only man you know of being burnt ? Yes. I have never seen anybody else but Kelly. I knew that he was burnt because I saw him afterwards. 48. Did you know of Conn being burnt ?—Yes, but that was in the Extended Mme —I was speaking of Ralph's. 49. Do you know of any occasions when men have been drilling holes and got a flame —that was in Ralph's ?—You mean, have I seen it ? I say, No. 50. Mr. Napier.] I think you told us that you were suffering from carbonic-acid-gas poisoning ?— That is so, sir. 51. And that that was the reason why you left the mine ? —Yes. 52. I suppose you believed that there was a large quantity of carbonic-acid gas in the mine ? —1 did not say so. 53. But was there ? —No. 1 was in it so long that it was beginning to affect me. 54. Was there only a little of it there ?—I have no means of answering that question. 55. Then you cannot give us any idea of the quantity ? —I only know it was there. 56. And I suppose you breathed it ?—Yes. 57. When you went round on your inspection did you walk ?—Yes. 58. Upright?--Yes. 59. You did not crawl on your hands and knees ? —No. 60. Do you say you breathed the carbonic-acid gas as you walked ? —That is so, sir. 61. You did not find much inconvenience, 1 suppose, from breathing the carbonic-acid gas at the time, but it was only your being so continuously there which weakened your health ?—Yes, only at times you could tell it was there. You could not get the extreme limit. I have never lost my light. 62. I suppose you would lose your light in carbonic-acid gas ? —Yes, at the extreme limit. 63. The mixture of gas with carbonic-acid gas would tend to make an explosion more possible ?— I do not think so. 64. I mean to say, would firedamp and carbonic-acid gas be likely to explode ? — Yes, but I was not speaking of firedamp. 65. But I want your opinion ?—I have no opinion on that question. 66. You have said that there would probably be. an explosion in the mine ? I do not say I admit that. 67. Do you deny it ? —lt is probable, but 1 could not swear to it. 68. You said that probably there would be an explosion. Had you in mind the carbonic-acid gas and the injury it was doing you ? —Yes. 69. Then you believed, of course, that the presence of carbonic-acid gas might tend to make an explosion if ignited ? —No, Ido not know too much about it. This gas is a non-supporter of life and combustion :it will not explode. You are speaking about C0 2 . It has nothing to do with an explosion. 70. Then, when you spoke to those persons about an explosion you had not in mind the presence of carbonic-acid gas ? —Certainly not. 71. What is the position of carbonic-acid gas- -where is it found ? —lt has been found in the roof as a mixture. 72. Then, it is not found near the floor ?—lt is always found near the floor. 73. Did you continually breathe it at your own height when walking through the mine ? —That is so. You must also remember that a man has to stoop down and write his date on the floor very often. 74. Was that the case with you -that you only detected the carbonic-acid gas when you stooped down ] — That is not so.

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