C—l 4.

84

[W. WOOD.

30. Your suggestion is that he came through that door ?—Yes, and that that gas was exploded. Then more stuff fell and liberated a great accumulation of gas. 31. You have nothing to base that upon except your opinion ?—Yes, it is my opinion. 32. The fact that the coat is nearer the door than the body —does that lead you to believe that the explosion took place where Martin was ?—The explosion drove Martin's body north. 33. And it must also have gone over that fall ? —.No, that fall fell after the explosion. 34. And it must also have gone through the door and then round there and round to where Hopper and these men were ? —Yes. 35. Did you know that Martin was that morning going for rails ? —No, I didjnot know anything about Ralph's immediately prior to the explosion. 36. Mr. Alexander Penman has told us that there are two rails lying at the point marked AP, and protruding at least 10 ft. out of the spoil of the fall. Now, if Martin was sent to get rails there, do you think it would be more likely that he would have gone through this bord and then lit the gas and been driven away ; or do you think he had just come in when the gas met him ? Is the route by the door the shortest way ?—Yes. 37. The force of the explosion, think, came'down No. 0 into No. 5, and went up and down the haulage-road ?—Yes, part of the force of the explosion. 38. When these men came down the shaft at the end of the haulage-road, where would they go to get the word that all was right and that they were to go to work ? —They would be told to go down to No. 5, and be told there where they were to go. 39. Is it not likely they would be at No. 6 ? —Perhaps Darby, or Smith, or Growans would tell them to go to the cabin. 40. You do not know what was the usual thing ?—I do not know. 41. Where is the nearest intake airway coming down that haulage-road ? —You have an intake airway all the way down. 42. Then if they were at No. 5, this would be the quickest way in : down the travelling-road at No. 5 section, past the jig, and then up through this kind of labyrinth through the door into No. 6 ?— Yes. 43. Then the reason why you would expect them to go through that door is that it was the quickest way % —Yes. 44. Is it the shorter way if they start from the shaft-bottom ?—Yes, I should think so. 45. Is not that a very important question ? —lt can be easily answered upon reference to the plan [plan referred to]. 46. Do you suggest that if these men started from Ralph's shaft to go to No. 6 it would be shorter for them to go down No. 5 and thence into No. 6, or take the other road round ? Which is the shorter ? —[After taking measurements from the plan.] The way up the haulage-road is about 60 chains, and the other way about 70 chains. There is no doubt that the haulage-road is the quicker way. 47. The Chairman.] Which is the easier ? —The main haulage-road is both the easier and the quicker. 48. Mr. Wilford.] Of course you have no knowledge as to whether Martin was sent down the haulageroad or round the other way ?—No. 49. One witness this morning, a horse-driver, who was in the party at No. 6 on the morning of the explosion, told us that on the previous pay-Saturday morning he was sent to the same place practically for the purpose of lifting rails with other men. He said that on the previous occasion he went to that place by the deputy's instructions by way of the winch level ? —Yes. 50. He would have to take a horse ?—I do not see how he could take a horse there at all to No. 6, because that is up a jig. 51. Could he get to the end of No. 6 ? —Not with a horse. 52. There is no way that he could get close to No. 6 with a horse ?—Not that I am aware of. 53. Did you go with Mr. Bennie round portion of No. 5 district recently ? —Yes. 54. Did you find gas in several places ?—I did. 55. Did you find it in several places, from the floor as high as you could reach ? —Yes. 56. And if there is gas to as high as you can reach, is it fair to assume that it extends to the roof ? ■ —Quite fair. 57. Then, if you can find gas as high as your extended arm will reach above your head —or as high as you can distinguish it with a lamp —it is certain it extends to the roof ? —Practically certain. 58. The last place where it is is, of course, on the ground ? —Yes, generally. 59. Is not that on account of the lightness of gas as compared with air ?—Yes. That is the last place [on the floor] you would expect to get CH 4 . 60. And if you got it on the ground it must be also in the roof ? —Yes. 61. Did you take any samples of that gas ?—I did not take any myself, but I was sitting beside Mr. Reed when he took some. 62. What were they taken in ?—Small sampling-bottles. 63. And samples of coaldust ?—Mr. Reed took them, and Mr. Bennie gathered them up. 64. And samples of brattice ?—Yes. 65. Did you on that trip see any ladder by which a man who desired to inspect for gas could reach the roof of a bord which was above his reach ? —On that trip, no. 66. As a matter of fact, in the whole distance you travelled did you not see only one ladder, which was broken ? —That time, yes. 67. When was that ?—I believe that was the Friday after the explosion, but I would not be sure of the day. 68. Did you make any tests yourself that day ? —What do you mean by " tests " ? 69. Did you test any other bords for gas ?—When I was by myself or in company with Mr. Reed, it was I who generally did the testing for gas. 70. Can you make any calculation from the tests you made then as to the quantity that was present in a given area ? —No, because I did not have any measurements of the bords. You would require that.