450 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. February 28, 1913. COLLIERY ACCIDENTS. Mansfield. The resumed inquest on the accident at the new pit sunk at Rufford, Notts, which occurred on the night of February 7, killing 14 men, was held at Mansfield on Wednesday. A special enquiry into the disaster is to be held by the Home Office later on. Charles William Swaby, a member of the Ambulance Brigade, stated that he assisted to recover the bodies of the 13 victims on the night of the Tuesday following the disaster. Contrary to previous statements, the bodies, he said, which were at the bottom of the shaft, had nearly all sustained injuries. Tom Tennant, a pit sinker, said he had been working in the Bufford shaft for some months, and was in the shaft when the accident happened. They were tubbing, there being 18 with Tomlinson in charge. Witness next described the descent of the water barrel and his rescue after an hour’s immersion. He said the water was about 4 ft. below the scaffold when the last barrel was taken out. They had electric lights suspended from the top, but when the barrel came down the lights were put out. Witness said he did not think ladders would have been of any use in this case. Mr. Walter J. Preston, of Bainworth, colliery manager, said he had been in charge of the pit sinking at Buff ord since it commenced in July 1911. They had now got to a. depth of 165 yards. The diameter of the shaft was 21 ft., bricked and tubbed. Three huudred men were employed on the work. They were sinking two shafts, and it was at No. 1 that the accident occurred. To raise the water, Mr. Preston explained, they used a suction barrel, which ran up and down the shaft on two guides. The scaffold down the shaft was hung on six chains, and could be raised or lowered by a capstan. It had an opening in the centre about 6 ft. square, through which the suction barrel passed. Three-quarters of an hour before the accident he went down the shaft to the lower platform, and found the work proceeding properly. He heard of the accident shortly after . seven o’clock, and at once ran to the pithead. He found that the suction barrel had been overwound into the head- gear. The Ormerod hook had acted, but the “ clivvy ” on to which it was suspended had given way, and the suction barrel had gone back into the pit, and smashed the scaffold on which the men were working. The “ clivvy,” the witness said, had been in use since December 5 last. They renewed them every three months to avoid any strain. All the - chains, too, were properly examined every three months. In reply to the Coroner, the witness said he had never heard of a “ clivvy ” giving way before. There was no defect in .the one before them, and he attributed the breakdown to the shock caused by the overwinding. Witness said he went into the engine-house and saw the man in charge there, who admitted that he had overwound. He said: “ I was winding, and a piece of timber fell from above my chair between the levers, and I could not operate either the throttle valve lever or my steam brake.” He had seen two laths and a piece of cloth nailed up above the engineman, and did not see any danger in it. The witness added that he found a piece of timber 4 ft. 4 in. by 6 ft. and 1 in. thick, which had fallen from the top of the chair into the levers. The structure had been up about a week. Brown, the engineman, had had six or seven years’ - experience, and was a steady, reliable man. The shelter was put up to prevent drops of water coming through the roof and dropping on the engineman. The colliery was on exposed moorland, and he had never known a wilder night. Last autumn, after a very rough night, the engineman complained, and the roof was repaired. They had done everything to make the engine-house as perfect as possible. Sydney Brown, the engineman, who was in charge of the winding at the time of the accident, said that on the night of the accident he was winding water, when the awning or cloth over his head suddenly fell upon him, and the timber fell between the handles, which prevented him from operating them. He then overwound about two-thirds of a revolution of the drum. About eight revolutions would take the barrel from the bottom to the top. The witness went on to explain that bricklayers were sent to repair the roof, but a storm the week before the accident caused the rain to come through again. A similar awning was up some months before. It was after Mr. Preston was in the engine-house that he .put up the heavy piece of timber. He added that he had had 12 years’ experience with winding engines, and had never had an accident before. William Cooke, the master sinker at the pit, declared that they could not have wished for better tackle or better winders. As soon as he could get the rope over the wheel again after the accident he and two others went down in the hopper. He found five men alive. He asked, “How many of you are there ? ” and someone said “ Five ; that is all there are alive.” He said, “ Let us have ycu in here quick.” He felt all round with a hook 11 ft. long, but he could not feel any more, so they came up. Witness added that they tried a diver as an experiment, but he was not much of a success. The depth of water in the shaft at the time was 17 or 18 yards. The barrel was found flattened when it was got out. The witness said that the water might be pumped •out instead of being drawn out by the barrel, but it would be a more expensive job, and the barrel system was more generally adopted. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased men were killed through being struck or knocked into the water at the bottom of the shaft by the water- barrel, which was accidentally overwound and fell from the top to the bottom of the shaft. They further intimated that they attached no criminal blame to anyone concerned. The coroner expressed his appreciation of the assistance which had been given to him by the colliery officials, after which the foreman of the jury said they wished to note the splendid work done by Mr. Cooke, the master sinker. THE LONDON COAL TRADE. Thursday, February 27. The London coal trade for the past week has shown a considerable amount of activity. The cold spell has increased the consumption to its full limit, and orders both in the wholesale and retail markets, have been very plentiful. The sudden return to milder conditions during the week has lessened the demand, but both colliery repre- sentatives and merchants report an unusual bookful of orders, so that the delivery trade is active on all sides. Some keen disappointment has been felt that the cold weather did not last longer, so as to appreciably influence the market prices, but if no other good result has been experienced, it has helped to clear off all stocks of loaded wagons and prepare the way for a better trade should the colder weather return. The general public have been somewhat slow in responding to the atmospheric conditions, but depots report a fairly good list of orders as the week advanced, notwithstanding the milder conditions. Factors were early on the scene, buying up freely before the reduced prices were withdrawn, and are now pressing for immediate delivery, fearing the wholesale orders given during the cold spurt may possibly be cancelled if not delivered at once. The steam coal market, and all qualities of manufacturing coal, has not been affected by the weather, but has remained firm and steady throughout. The iron market is reported to be weaker in many directions, but on all sides it is shown that the work in hand will take many weeks, if not months, to complete, so that the tendency of the manufacturing trade points to a steady demand for all classes of steam coal, and smalls. The seaborne market continues brisk, but as so little of this class of fuel is available for sale in the open market, the prices remain very stationary, and largely nominal. The market, however, is firm. Forty-nine vessels are reported as arriving in the Thames for Monday’s market, and 13 on Wednesday, all sold, no cargoes offering. The attendance on market has quickened con- siderably, and the volume of trade doing has largely increased. A good deal of buying and selling has been done between the factors and merchants. Stocks at the various wharves and depots have been depleted, and as the Easter stoppage falls much earlier this year, it is anticipated that March will prove a brisk, steady month. No change is recorded in the colliery list quotations, but in many cases the special “ spot lot ” prices have been withdrawn. Had the weather continued colder, there were indications that many of the merchants would press for an advance in public prices, but as it is now, the question is indefinitely post- poned. Collieries are much opposed to giving quotations for forward contracts, and shipping prices are reported to be Is. 6d. to 2s. more than the railborne prices for London will admit. Market quotations (pit mouth) : Note.—Although every care is exercised to secure accuracy, we cannot hold ourselves responsible for these prices, which are, further, subject to fluctuations. Current Last week’s Yorkshire. prices. prices. Wath Main best coal 13/ 13/ Do. nuts 12/ 32/ Birley cube Silkstone 11/6 11/6 Do. branch coal 15/ 15/ Do. seconds 11/ 11/ Barnsley Bed Silkstone 12/6 12/6 West Biding Silkstone 12/ 12/ Kiveton Park Hazel 13 13 Do. cobbles 13 .13 Do. nuts 12 12 Do. hard steam 11 11/ New Sharlston Wallsend 14/ 14/ Wharncliffe Silkstone coal 14/ 14/ Do. Flockton Main 13/6 13/6 Do. Athersley house coal 11/6 11/6 Newton Chambers best Silkstone 15/ 15/ Do. Grange best Silkstone 14/ 14/ Do. Hesley Silkstone 13/ 13/ Do. Bockingham selected 13/6 13/6 Do. Rockingham Silkstone 13/ 13/ Derbyshire. Wingfield Manor best 12/ 12/ Do. large nuts 11/9 11/9 Do. small nuts 9/6 9/6 Do. kitchen coal 1°/ 10/ West Hallam Kilburn brights 12/ 12/ Do. do. nuts 11/9 11/9 Do. London brights 11/ 11/ Do. bright nuts 10/9 10/9 Do. small nuts 9/6 9/6 Manners Kilburn brights 12/ 12/ Do. do. nuts 11/9 11/9 Shipley do. brights 12/ 12/ Do. do. nuts 11/9 11/9 Mapperley brights 12/ 12/ Do hard steam 11/9 11/9 Cossall Kilburn brights 12/ 12/ Do. do. nuts 11/9 11/9 Trowell Moor brights 11/6 11/6 Do. do. nuts 11/ 11/ Grassmoor Main coal 12/6 12/6 Do. Tupton 11/ 11/ Do. do. nuts 12/ 12/ Last week’s prices. 12/6 12/ 11/9 11/ 12/6 10/6 10/ 12/6 11/6 11/6 12/ n 12/ 12/ 11/3 12/ 11/3 12/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 12/ 11/3 12/3 11/3 11/ 14/9 12/3 12/3 11/3 12/ 10/6 11/3 11/3 11/9 10/9 11/ 11 13/6 11/6 12/6 10/9 11/ 11 10/9 11/ 11 10/9 11/ 11/ 12/6 10/9 10/6 10/3 10/6 10/ 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 17/ 12/6 10/6 10/ 10 9/6 10/ 9/6 11/6 10/6 13/6 14/6 14/ 15/ 14/ 13/6 13/ 13/6 13/ 13/ 12/ 11/6 11/ 13 12 12 12/ 17/ 12/ 14/ 13/6 13/ 13/6 12/6 10/3 11/ Derbyshire—(cont). Clay Cross Main coal Current prices. 12/6 12/ 11/9 11/ 12/6 10/6 10/ 12/6 11/6 11/6 12/ 11/ 12/ 12/ 11/3 12/ 11/3 12/ 12 13 14/ 12/ 11/3 12/3 11/3 11/ 14/9 12/3 12/3 11/3 12/ 10/6 11/3 11/3 11/9 10/9 11/ 11 13/6 11/6 12/6 10/9 11/ 11/ 10/9 11/ 11 10/9 11/ 11/ 12/6 10/9 10/6 10/3 10/6 10/ 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 17/ 12/6 10/6 10/ 10/ 9/6 10/ 9/6 11/6 10/6 13/6 14/6 14/ 15/ 14/ 13/6 13/ 13/6 13/ 13/ 12/ 11/6 11/ 13 12/ 12/ 12 17 12 14/ 13/6 13/ 13/6 12/6 10/3 11/ Do. do. cubes Do. special Derbys Do. house coal Pilsley best blackshale Do. deep house coal Do. hard screened cobbles Hardwick best Silkstone Do. Cavendish brights Do. cubes Nottinghamshire. Clifton picked hards Do. small hards Do. deep large steam Annesley best hards Do. bright cobbles Linby best hards Do. bright cobbles Digby London brights Do. cobbles Do. top hards Do. High Hazel coal Best wood hard steam coal Do. bright cobbles Hucknall Torkard main hards Do. do. cobbles Do. do. nuts Do. do. High Hazel H.P. ... Do. do. London brights Do. do. large nuts Do. do. bright nuts Sherwood H.P. hards Do. hard steam Do. brights ... Do. cobbles Do. large nuts Warwickshire. Griff large steam coal Do. screened cobbles Do. bakers’ nuts Do. loco Two Yard hards Do. Ryder nuts Do. do. cobbles Nuneaton steam coal Do. screened cobbles Do. nuts Haunchwood steam Do. screened cobbles Do. nuts Wyken steam coal Do. screened cobbles Do. nuts .. Exhall Ell coal spires Do. large steam coal Leicestershire. Snibston steam Do. cobbles Do. nuts South Leicester steam Do. cobbles or small hards Do. nuts Whitwick steam Do. roasters Do. cobbles Do. nuts Netherseal hards Do. Eureka Do. kitchen Ibstock kibbles Do. large nuts Do. bakers’ nuts Do. Main nuts Do. hards Granville New Pit cobbles Do. Old Pit cobbles North Staffordshire. Talk-o’-th’-Hill best Sneyd best, selected Do. deeps Silverdale best Do. cobbles Apedale best Do. seconds Podmore Hall best Do. seconds South Staffordshire {Cannock District). Walsall Wood steam coal, London brights Do. shallow one way Do. deep nuts Cannock steam Coppice deep coal Do. cobbles Do. one way Do. shallow coal Cannock Chase deep main Do. Deep kitchen cobbles ... Do. best shallow main Do. shallow kibbles Do. best brights Do. yard cobbles Do. yard nuts Do. bakers’nuts Do. screened hards from Messrs, Dlnh.m, Fa vens and Co.’s Report. Friday, February 21.—There was no alteration in the seaborne house coal market to-day, no cargoes offering. Monday, February 24.—There was no change in the sea. borne house coal market to-day, no Durham or Yorkshire cargo being on offer. Wednesday, February 26.—The seaborne house coal market was quiet to-day, with little or no enquiry, no Durham or Yorkshire cargoes being on offer. Prices:— Feb. 21. Feb. 24. Feb. 26. Best (Durham) .............. — ... __ ... _ Seconds do.................. — ... __ ________ Sharlston W.E. York ........ — ... __ ... ____i No. of cargoes............. 25 ... 49 13