Rhondda Leader Maesteg Garw and Ogmore Telegraph

What Caused the Accident Forty-five Acres of Water. Heavy Pressure upon Barrier. Estate Owners' Undertaking. The adjourned inquest into the causes of the Clydach Vale disaster was resumed at the Institute, Clydach Vole, on Tues- day last, before Coroner R. J. Rhys. Mr. D. Roberts was foreman of the jury. Mr. Rhys Williams (instructed by Messrs. Freeman and Freeman, London) appeared for the estate owners; Mr. Ivor Bowen (instructed by Mr. Williams, of Messrs. Jones Pughe and Davey, Ponty- pridd) appeared for Messrs. Pugh and Thomas1, jcoditraotors; and Mr. W. P. Nicholas appeared for the Rhondda Dis- trict Council and the families of the victims. The Coroner said they were sitting there as a criminal and not a civil court, and it was for them to decide whether there was criminal negligence on the part of someone leading to this outrush of water and resulting in the death of the persons who were the subject of this in- quest. Evidence would be given as to the history of the level, and also as to the steps taken to reduce any danger that might have been apprehended from the presence of the water. It was for the jury to consider whether the work done by the owners to clear- the level was reasonably 'Sufficient. There was sin. obli- gation upon, the owners to do the work well, and in such a manner as not to endanger the neighbours, and if there was criminal negligence, someone would be responsible for it.

The Evidence. Westgarth Brown, of Messrs. Foster, Brown and Rees, acting for the Blaen- clydach Colliery, said that the level was last worked in 1903 but was not formally abandoned until 1909. After the level was abandoned, water accumulated, to the extent he should say of 43 acres, which was drained out through the mouth of the level, and passed into the brook through a, culvert. The District Council communicated in October, 1909, with Messrs. Rickards and Blosse, agents for the owners, with regard to water coming out of the level, and they took certain steps to clear the workings. They em- ployed Messrs. Thomas and Pugh for this work. He (Mr. Brown) did not know- personally that the work was being car- ried out. Witness produced ohms showing the workings inside the level, and the direction taken by the water. In reply to Mr. Rhys Williams, wit- ness said there was no way of discovering the condition of things inside the level before the accident. There was a fall just inside the mouth of the level, and this rendered it impossible to say what was behind it. Since the accident they dis- covered that the level was blocked from the mouth up to a certain point. Inside this was a cavity full of water, and beyond that again was another fall.

"An Irish Shift." William Pugh, Maesgwyn, Clydach Vale, of Messrs. Thomas and Pugh, said he. was employed personally by Mr. Rickards to clear the fall at the mouth of the level, so that the water behind might have its course. He started the work in October last. A trench was cut for about five yards inside the archway, and timbered. A second trench had to be cut, and the work afterwards pro- ceeded in the ordinary way. The tunnel was about 8 feet wide at the bottom and G feet at the top. The tunnel was car- ried on for a distance of 15 yank;, when a heavy fall was encountered, which could not be cleared. The work was then diverted to the right, and proceeded in tills direction for 8 or 9 yards, making about 38 yards altogether from the mouth of the level, up to the beginning of February. They were draining the water as they went along. Two men were en- gaged in each shift, there being two shifts each day. The accident took place during the afternoon -shift. The Coroner Who were engaged in the morning shift on the day of the accident P -Peter Burns and Jerry Mahoney. The Coroner: An Irish shift (laughter). The Welsh shift—Messrs. Davies and Lloyd—worked in the afternoon?—Yes. Witness said he was present at the level on the morning of the accident. What boring steps did you take to deal with the water that was before you?—We ployed li-inch bars. 10ft. Gin. by 12ft. long. What height above the floor did you carry them?—About 18 inches. I Witness added there was hardly any water at all coming through the bore- holes on the morning of the accident. There was no indication of the presence of any great body of water before them. He knew the furnace was full of water, but he thought this water was drained through the gobs. In reply to Mr. Rhys Williams, witness said he had been engaged in colliery work for about sixteen, years. No one had sug- gested to Imn that the coui'se they were adopting was not the proper one. He knew that the water in the furnace shaft rose and fell according, to the state of the weather. I In reply to Mr. Ivor Bowen, witness said that the men engaged in the level were eXiperiencecl miners. When he left the level on the morning of the accident there was no sign of a body of water before them. By the Coroner He had experience in timbering, but not in watery places. By Mr. Roberts (foreman of the jury): He believed that a 12ft. bore was suffi- cient. Mr. Roberts: Twelve feet was a small barrier for all that quantity of water. The Coroner: You had no idea, that there was this reservoir of water in front of you ?-No.

Heard a Noise. John Davies, 55, Maddox Street, Cly- dach Vale, said he worked for Messrs. Thomas and Pugh. He commenced work at the level in the beginning of January. His partner was David Lloyd. He worked on the afternoon shift on the day of the accident. The first thing he did that day was to fill a tram of muck." He and his partner drove in the boreholes about nine or ten feet, and the water began to ooze each side of the bar. He then went to fetch Mr. Thomas, leaving Lloyd at the workings. When he returned with Thomas, the water had assumed the force of a moderate stream. He got the tram out of the way, and then went out to clear a culvert at the mouth of the level. While there he heard a noise in the I workings, and there was a rush of water. The Coroner: Luckily for you that you were at the mouth. It was a, narrow escape.

CADUM Curediac Eczema Mr. T, H. Walker, 107, Walker St., Hull, writes "For a whole day at a time I was in total darkness through eczema covering my face and closing •over my eyes. I could not move my lips without pain through the cracking of the sores. The trouble ociginated with a small Dimple on my right cheek. Fiosn that pimpia inflammation spread until my face was raw with a caking of red, smarting, wet eczema. I was attended by two doctors, and in nine weeks I tried sixteen different remedies, yet the eczema ever increased and the pain was terrific. Then Cadum was tried, and it took away the pain after the second application. Cadum made a wonderful cure in two weeks. The sores dried np and fell off ip dust, and I have since had a clearer skin thati ever before." Cadum is a new medical that, quickly cures all skin troaWtes,, including eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, scaly skin, rash, pimples, sores, emplionsg, chafitigs. acne, etc. It stops the itching at once, ami begins healing with the firi» application. Price 7|d„ fjfi, and 2/9 a box, of all Chemists, or from Omega, Ltd.. iostfan, N,

A Graphic Recital. David lhonias, partner of Win, Pugh, contractor, said he had had experience of mining at the Cambrian and other col- lieries. When he. was called in by Davies. the water was running out, but there was no pressure. He thought that the flow of water increased, and he advised the workmen to get out. Alter they got back to the mouth, an old corrugated iron sheet- came out with the water .He had this sheet in his hand, when he heard i, report, and the water came out with a rush. Up to this time the water had taken its proper course, but when the his rush, came, it broke over everything. In reply to a further question, witness said lie did not think they were tapping such a large body of water, or he would not have had a hand in it at all. In reply to Mr. Nicholas, witness said he had erected a row of houses at an angle with the. level. He would not haVe built them at this spot had he known there was such an accumulation of water in the level. Robert Hillier Rickards. partner in the firm of Messrs. Rickards and Blosse examined by Mr. Rhys Williams, said that on October 9th Mr. Leonard Llewelyn spoke to him about the water in the level. On the 13th of October, he received a letter from the Surveyor of the Rhondda District Council 011 the same matter, and on the 16th of the same month lie sent for Messrs. Pugh and Thomas, and gave them instrxfctions to clear the culvert, and also the falls in the level until they located the water. He gave them no instructions to deal with the water. The only indication of water in the level was the water oosing out through, the surface, and that in the an shaft. He visited the level several times subsequently, and Was! in constant communication with the contractors. In reply to Mr. Nicholas, witness said he was prepared to give an undertaking that any recommendations made by Mr Westgarth Brown and Mr. \Va.loo, so as to prevent a recurrence of the accident, would he acted upon. Mr. Nicholas said he I this under- taking in order to reassure the public mind. Examined by the Coroner, witness said that although, he know there was water in the level, he did not think it was all impounded in one localitv, hut distri- buted over the workinas.

Expert Evidence. ™MrinWeste^' Brown, examined by All lthys litiams, said that according to his calculations the maximum pressure of water on the barrier in th level was 1.7 tons per square foot. This was not sufficient to blow down a nine-feet barrier. Witness attributed the cause of the dis- aster to the fact that the water runnintr through the boreholes reduced the sup- port of the barrier, and caused the pres- sure to increase to 33 tons per sq. foot. He did not think that if the boreholes 15 feet in length, as required by the Coal Mines Regulation Act, instead" of 9 feet, it would make any difference Hugh Brain well, agent of the" Great Western Colliery, Pontvnridd, said lie made an examination of the level on 19th March, and since. He agreed with Mr. Westgarth Brown as to the cause of the accident. It was a reasonable and a pro- bable explanation of the occurrence. Had he to deal with this level, he would, in nine cases out of ten, have adopted the method which had been adopted by Messrs. Pugh and Thomas. Mr. H. T. Wales, mining engineer, agreed with the opinions expressed by Mr. Westgarth Brown and Mr. Rramweli.

The Verdict. The Coroner summed up at length, and the jury, after a private consultation, returned the following verdict: That we consider that reasonable precautions had been taken, and that .we ask the Authorities that the promises made f()r the future safety of the level be carried out to the best of their ability." The Coroner: The best way to prevent a recurrence is to keep a steady flow of water from the level. Mr. Rhys Williams said that Mr- Westgarth Brown and Mr. Wales would decide as to what should be done, and in the event of their failing to agree, the matter would be referred to Mr. ftan", whose decision would be final. t. f!' The Coroner: That ought to relieve public apprehension, I should think.

Witness, continuing, said he was stand- ing near the engine-house at the entrance' to the level when the water rushed out. By Mr. W. P. Nicholas: When lie went to fetch Mr. Thomas, the water was not shooting" out. David Lloyd, 32, Bush He-uses, said lie worked with last witness nn the day of the accident. He explained how. when lie and Davies were clearing the culvert, they heard a big report, arui wo cleared out," added witness, and had a Harrow escape. The Coroner: And agcod job, too. Peter Burns, 51, Marian i-scceet, repairer, said that lie had been working at the level since October. They used to drive the bars in at every shift- to test the water.