(From the Durham County Advertiser)

(11th December 1903)

The adjourned enquiry into the deaths of John Whittaker and Thomas McCormick, the men who lost their lives by the flooding of Sacriston Pit on the 16th of last month, was held at the Church Institute, Sacriston, on Wednesday, by Coroner Graham. The jury had Mr. Greenwell as foreman. Those present included Mr. Cooper, of Cooper and Goodger's, Newcastle, for the owners ; Mr. Heath, for the miners ; Mr. W. C. Blackett, general manager of the Charlaw and Sacriston Coal Company; Mr. T. F. Brass, assistant general manager; Mr. T. G. Noble, manager, and Mr. Green, under manager, of Sacriston Colliery; Mr. Donald Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines; Mr. W. Walker, Assistant H.M. Inspector of Mines; Mr. John Wilson, M.P.; Mr. Simon Tate, Mr. T. Y. Greener, Mr. J. Johnson, Mr. S. Galbraith, Mr. T. H. Cann, and several members of the mining profession. Amongst the many miners present was Richardson, the survivor, who was rescued after being immured from the Monday until the following Friday morning. He looked extremely well, as the result of the rest he has taken ever since. The enquiry lasted just five hours.

Mr. Cooper produced a large tracing of the working plan of the Busty Seam of Sacriston Pit

Henry Blackburn, fore shift man, was the first witness called, and he stated that he was a deputy overman, living at 22, Elliott Street, Sacriston. He had been a deputy overman for over eight years, and had been all this time acting in the Third West District. On the 16th November he was the fore shift deputy, and went into the pit at half-past two in the morning. He met another deputy named John Forster, a special deputy set on because it happened to be the first day of the quarter, to assist with the new cavils, and who was coming out. Witness questioned him as to the condition the places were in, and he reported that they were all right. Witness then joined Robert Whittaker and Peter Flynn, two of the hewers, and went in-bye with them, and set them to their places. He was in the places before them, and found they were all right Robert Whittaker was the marrow of the Whittaker who was drowned, and was working in the same place. Witness did not see the place again, but he saw Whittaker about 7.15, who made no complaint to him about the place. His shift would end about 10 o'clock, and so far as he knew, up to the end of his leaving, Whittaker's place was all right.

Witness, in answer to Mr. Heath, said they had not access to the working plans. They never saw them. He had no instructions from anyone as to the making of any bore-holes in any of these places.

Examined by Mr. Bain, witness said that when he was in Whittaker's place last there was no sign of water. He had known water in the district before in driplets, but the places were more dry that day than they usually were. Sometimes water dropped from the top of the place, speaking of the district generally, but there was no sign of water in Whittaker's place.

Robert Whittaker, a hewer, living at 10, Elliott Street, Sacriston, said he was working in the foreshift on the day of the accident hewing in the West Board. Towards the end of the shift he came across the hitch leader in the bottom at the right side of his place. He filled it up with coal, and finished his shift. He saw no signs of water nor any signs of danger whatever before he left his place. He met the deputy as he came out-bye, and told him he had got the hitch at the bottom. Blackburn had been in his place, so that he was properly timbered up, and after making his report to Hall, the deputy, he came out about eleven, and went home. His brother, Thomas Whittaker, who lost his life, was his marrow, and was working at the face.

Asked by Mr. Heath if he could see the height of the hitch, witness estimated it at about 2 feet 6 inches.

By Mr. Bain: He had worked in the same place about 15 months ago, but the day of the accident was the first day he had been in that particular place since.

In answer to Mr. Cooper, witness said that when he estimated the height of the hitch he meant that that was as much of the hitch as he saw.

Thomas Cain, putter, Allen's Buildings, Findon Hill, was putting in the Third West on the day of the accident and took an empty tub into Whittaker's place about the end of the fore-shift to exchange for a full one. John Whittaker, the man who lost his life, was then working in the place. When he went past the full tub he saw that the water was trickling down the coal. Nothing passed between him and John Whittaker, and he took the full tub away. He was about to put the empty tub in when he heard a noise, and made for the flat.

Mr. Cooper: What was the noise like? — It was like a cannon going off; a loud report, and I ran back to the flat.

Mr. Cooper you got to the flat all right, did you not? — Yes.

Did any water overtake you? — The water followed me, and was at my heels.

Witness, continuing, said he saw the other lads go out-bye. John Whittaker had filled one tub.

Robert Whittaker, recalled, said he had not filled all his coals, and had left about a ton and a half of coal lying besides a full tub in.

The Coroner: When your brother filled the tub the probability would be he would fill from the loose coal that was lying. He would not be hewing fresh coal? — Yes; he had started to hew when I left him.

Cain, recalled, said there was a lot of coal lying after he had taken out one full tub from John Whittaker — more than would fill a couple of tubs.

The Coroner: Where was the water trickling from? — From the right.

About how high from the bottom of the place was it coming? — About the height of the table.

Whittaker, again recalled, said his brother was hewing on the right side, just above where witness had pricked the hitch.

John Hall, 8, Elliott Street, deputy overman in the back shift in the Third West District ever since it was started, about 11 years ago, said he went down the pit about half-past nine on the Monday morning. There were five places in the district in last quarter, and seven the previous Baff Saturday. He was in all the places the previous Baff Saturday, and saw no unusual signs of wet. When he went in-bye to begin his work he left the flat about five minutes past eleven, and had visited two places before the accident occurred. Before he left the flat Robert Whittaker reported to him that he had pricked a hitch in the bottom on the right side. Witness expected Whittaker's place was close up to the hitch, and they all knew that they had not to fill hitch coal. He knew the hitch had been found in other places, and he thought the hitch reported by Whittaker would be the same hitch as was reported in other places. He examined Stanlake's and Bell's places, and found all right, and while he was in Bell's place the latter said, "Listen, what's that." Witness listened, and thought he heard a noise, which was loud, and then seemed to stop. Then it became louder again, and witness thought there was something unusual, and told Bell to follow him. Stanlake was near, and he told him also to follow, and he made his way out; about ten or fifteen yards going out-bye he found water. He stopped at the flat. The water had already reached there, and all the way that he travelled he was in the water. Witness spoke of his attempts to find a way out, first trying the right hand back board, and failed there after getting up to their necks. When they got out the work began of trying to beat down the water, and get out the men who were left in. He took part in getting out the two men who were drowned, and was present with Mr. Simon Tate when Whittaker's body was found, about ten yards from the hitch, and a little way out from his place. The explorers worked continuously right on from Monday to Thursday.

The Coroner said he would like to get a list of all those who were working in the exploration, and it was understood one would be supplied.

Witness said he had worked in nearly all the districts of the Busty Seam, odd days. Before this accident he had not noticed anything exceptional in the Third West, and when last previously in Whittaker's place he had not seen any signs of water.

By Mr. Heath : Whittaker's place had been left standing during the previous quarter because it was not wanted. That was the only reason. Although two places less were being worked that quarter than before there was no special reason.

In answer to Mr. John Wilson, witness said it was not supposed that if a man found a hitch he was to leave his place right away at once.

In answer to Mr. Bain, witness said that on the Saturday the "bord" to the south of Whittaker was dropping water, and had been like that for two or three days.

Witness said he found there was water dropping down near the hitch, and, in answer to Mr. Cooper, said that on the same day he noticed that there were other places in the pit dropping water further away from the hitch in various places. There was nothing unusual in seeing these varying places with droppings of water.

Thomas Green, under manager at Sacriston Colliery, and living at Findon Hill, said he had had charge of this particular pit for about 14 years, and had been an official of the colliery for 35 years. This Third West District had been working for seven or eight years, and, as shown on the working plans, there was a hitch dividing it from the Fulforth District. Places near the hitch had been standing about seven or eight weeks. In Fulforth District was a bit of a hollow. When places there were allowed to stand water accumulated, and the water, when it rose, was served by a cross cut near to the Fulforth waggon way, by which means it was run off. He did not believe the water on the west side of the hitch ever touched the hitch. Witness stated that the Fulforth main cross cut was put through the hitch at the extreme north end, at. a thickness of 4 ft. 6 in. There was a throw or rise of the hitch. Witness said, as a practical pitman, he would expect the hitch to have been eight or nine feet high at the point where the accident occurred, and a solid barrier cutting off the district from the other, but he found after the accident it only seemed to be four feet. It seemed to him there was a sudden drop of the hitch about seven yards on the west side, whereas up to the point of this drop the levels were gradually rising in the Fulforth. He then saw that all his previous impressions with regard to that hitch had been wrong.

Asked by Mr. Cooper if he was surprised as a practical pitman to find the hitch, after it appeared to be gradually rising, drop away down to the coal seam at this point, witness said he was greatly surprised. He had never seen the like before. Instead of there being a good solid barrier of stone above the coal seam between two districts, there was only the hitch, which was apparently partly on the coal. The pressure of the water had simply broken it away, and it came through.

As a practical pitman, if the other end of the hitch had continued to increase in thickness as you expected, would there have been in your opinion any danger to the West District, from the water which was lying in the Fulforth? — Not any whatever.

Did you expect there was any water against the hitch in the Fulforth anywhere? — No, sir.

Asked the reason, he said it was on account of the rise of the seam. If that place had been like other places they could get to, there would be no water against it.

Mr. Heath: Don't you think it would have been very wise if you had had a bore-hole? — I don't know that the question of boring ever entered my mind.

I don't suppose it did, or you would have done it. Would that not have prevented the accident? — No.

It would not? — No.

Why not? — If I had bored, I would have bored into the stone.

Continuing, witness said he had as much thought of boring in any other part of the pit.

In answer to Mr. Heath, witness admitted this was entirely dependent on his own assumption that the hitch was sufficiently high.

Thomas George Noble, under manager, said he found the body of McCormick on Friday morning in his working place, where he had been drowned. Witness confirmed last witness's evidence as to the seam.

In examination by Mr. Heath, witness said he expected the hitch to rise on a steady average. He had never known a hitch vary between two given points as this one had done.

Mr. Heath : Do you mean it is an unprecedented thing in your experience? — Yes.

Simon Tate, mining engineer, of Trimdon Grange, said he was telegraphed for by Mr. Blackett to help him in his work of getting the water out. He arrived about seven o'clock on Monday evening, followed by Mr. Greener, and worked there until Friday, when the man Richardson was reached alive. Mr. Blackett led the way to Richardson, followed by witness, and Mr. Walker and others. They were chin deep in water to get to Richardson. He saw the place where the water had broken through the hitch. He saw the hitch where the Fulforth cross-cut was put through, and at the place where it was holed. He agreed with the assumption of Mr. Green and Mr. Noble that the hitch would continue and exist above the coal seam at the point where it broke away. It was a very proper assumption. If the hitch had been above the coal seam the head of water was so slight that there would have been no great danger. The greatest depth of water was not more than the height of the ceiling. The place was dipped towards the hitch. Approaching the hitch on the Fulforth side the bords varied. This particular bord dipped, whereas the others rose. The dip was most unusual. The water at the deepest part was ten feet deep, eight yards distant from the fault. Having regard to what he had seen he thought Mr. Green and Mr. Noble were reasonably justified in acting as they had done in carrying on these workings in the Third West District. The men were justified in supposing that the water did not rise to the level of the hitch on the Fulforth side.

Mr. Cooper: The solution of the whole question is the unexpected practical disappearance at this point of the hitch? — Yes, sir; that is the whole reason of the accident.

In answer to Mr. Heath, witness said this variation in the height of the hitch was so unusual that a bore-hole would have been an unnecessary precaution. The height had been proved on each side, and they were justified in thinking it quite safe.

Mr. T. Y. Greener, mining engineer, gave supporting testimony. This water, he said, was not dangerous, and therefore the management were not required by the Act of Parliament to ward against it.

The Coroner, in summing up, told the jury there were practically only two clear points before them. First, in their opinion from the evidence, was the accumulation of water likely to be dangerous? That word was the qualifying word of the Act. Secondly, did the management know that there was a dangerous accumulation, and, if so, should they have bored? Could anybody have reasonably supposed that in the short distance stated by the evidence there could be so great a difference as to cause this? It was left to the jury to form their opinion as to whether they were right or wrong at the time before they had an opportunity of knowing what they knew now. In concluding his remarks the Coroner expressed pleasure and gratification at finding so many good men going in at the peril of their lives to save others.

The jury retired, and were absent about a quarter of an hour. They returned a verdict of "Accidentally drowned by the inrush of water." Under the exceptional and peculiar circumstances they found there was no blame attached to the management at all.