(From The Times.)

Jarrow, Monday.

The adjourned inquest on the bodies of the unfortunate men killed by the recent explosion at Jarrow colliery was resumed this morning, before Mr. Favell, the coroner for this division of the county, at Mr. Hunter's, the Hylton Castle Inn. Three of the bodies remaining in the mine night had been recovered, and one only, that of Robert Baird, is left.

The Coroner having opened the proceedings,

Mr. Browne, the colliery surgeon, delivered in a list of the sufferers. He had examined most of the bodies as they were brought to the surface, but it was impossible, from the state in which many of them were, to state whether they had been burnt to death or killed by the after-damp.

Thomas William Jobling being sworn, said, — I am principal viewer of Jarrow colliery. On Thursday afternoon, about half-past 1 o'clock, I was walking towards the colliery with Mr. Brown, when my attention was directed to a strong cloud of smoke issuing from the pit. My first impression was that the brattice was on fire, but on arriving on the pit heap, I discovered that an explosion had taken place, and found that both cages were fast at the bottom of the shaft. We have two drawing engines. The shaft is 14 feet diameter, divided by a strong wood framework or brattice into three compartments — namely, the engine pit, in which the pumps are placed for drawing the water from the mine ; the east, or downcast shaft, from which the coals are drawn from the Low-main seam ; and the west, or up-cast shaft, the largest division of the three, up which the coals are drawn from the Bensham seam. The depth to the Low-main seam is 195 fathoms, and to the Bensham seam 175 fathoms. The engine shaft is a downcast, as well as the east pit. There is a very strong scaffold laid at the Bensham seam, at the bottom of the west pit. On finding the cages fast, I ordered the gin horses to be brought, which was done, and I descended the east pit by the gin rope. There is a gin always ready, and the rope may be put into any of the three shafts. Jacob Defty went with me. I went down to the Bensham seam, where I found several men near the shaft. I went into the seam, and three of the men got into the loop I had left, and came to the surface with Defty. The cage was put down as far into the shaft as we could, and then a rope was let down from the cage to the seam to get the men up. [This witness was much affected in giving his evidence as to the finding of the men, and several times shed tears.] In the Dunkirk district of the Bensham seam the men never felt the force of the explosion at all. After being informed that the men in that district had been got out, I went into the north New-grove district, and found the men in that district had got out before I got there. [Witness explained by reference to the plan the relative positions of the districts.] Returned to the Dunkirk district, having found the men had not come out, when I met them coming, and they asked what was the matter, they not having felt the slightest effect of the explosion, and wondered why the works had stopped. I then returned to the shaft, and near it found James Steward, who was quite dead. The after-damp was very strong, but I persevered and got further in. About a hundred yards from the shaft I found five or six men moaning and insensible, being quite unable to render themselves any assistance. I took hold of the first I came to, and dragged him to the shaft. I then returned for the others, and brought as many as I could find. I came to the shaft several times for air, but never returned to the surface. In about two hours and a half the men at the surface had got the engine to work, and were pouring water down the shaft. All this time I had no other assistance than the men themselves could render in the seam. The water is let down by tapping the tubbing. There were two waterfalls — one in the east, the other in the engine shaft. On the communication being made with the surface some fresh men came down, and assisted in getting the rest of the men out of the Bensham seam. Robertson and Fairgrieve were alive when brought to the bottom of the shaft, but they were in a very exhausted state. I sent away to the surface first those whom I thought were suffering most, and in that was greatly aided by those who were not so bad. Several attempts were made to get into the west-pit shaft. Isaac Weddle and John Simpson succeeded, and there found James Spence and John Adams, in a very exhausted state, the air being very bad. On Weddle and Simpson shouting they had found two men alive, I went round to the shaft and assisted in getting them out. All those found alive were eventually sent up. Before I went to the surface, Defty came to me, along with Robert Fairly and others. I was about two hours and a half in the mine before any men came down ; they were engaged in getting the ropes right. When Defty came down I told him we had got all the men out of the Bensham seam alive, except three, and cautioned him against going into the seam, on account of the after-damp, which was stronger than I ever felt it. There was a drift by which I thought the men might have come from the Low-main to the Bensham, and Defty went to examine it. There were two doors which he had to open, and he was told to put the furnace-fire out at the bottom of the oval pit. The oval pit is sunk from the High-main through the Bensham seam to the Low-main, about 150 yards south of the main shaft. The depth of the oval pit from the High-main to the Low-main is 65 fathoms. There are two furnaces in the Bensham seam, one of which is placed at the oval pit. Which forms the upcast from the Low-main workings; the other is placed at the west pit of the main shaft, and ventilates the workings in the Bensham seam. Defty put out the furnace at the oval pit, lest, from the current being deranged, any of the gas should come in contact with the flame and cause a second explosion. Near to the oval pit, in the Bensham seam, there is a sloping drift driven down till it cuts the Bensham seam in another place, where it is thrown down by a dyke. The drift is then continued for some distance in the coal (upwards of 500 yards), where a communication is formed from the coal by means of a staple to the stone drift in the Low-main. I have known the people come from the Low-main by this communication into the Bensham seam, but it is not generally used for that purpose. Defty, after putting the furnace out, proceeded farther, in the hope that some of the men might have come up that drift. I never saw him alive after he went to the furnace. Fairly came to me and said that Defty was overcome with the fire-damp, but I thought he would come round, as we had all been much affected, and I accordingly directed some of the men to go and assist him, as I was quite exhausted. I came back to bank and sent fresh men down. I did not think that Defty was so bad, as he had been but a short time in the mine. After all the men had been got out of the Bensham seam, we commenced immediately repairing the shaft, so as to enable us to descend to the Low-main. The brattice was very much damaged, and took considerable time to repair, so that we did not get down to the Low-main till between 12 and 1 o'clock on Saturday morning. On learning that the communication had been effected with the Low-main, I went to the pit, in order to descend, when I met Mr. Johnson and Jacob Tate, who had found one man alive, named William Cranston. Cranston was lifted from the corf on to the surface, when he spoke to me, but he did not appear to be sensible. He walked away with assistance and is recovering. I got into the corf with Johnson and Tate, and went down to the Low-main, when I found a severe explosion had taken place in that seam. Great quantities of stone had been thrown from the roof. The on-setter, Mark Willis, a boy a horse, and several tubs of coal had been blown a considerable distance, the man and the boy, particularly the latter, having been very much mutilated. About this time Mr. Anderson, of South Shields, and Mr. Thomas John Taylor, of Earsdon, viewers, came down, and we saw another body, that of John Burdis, which had been brought to the shaft. We proceeded to the West-way-ends, about eight yards north from the shaft, and at that point there were strong indications of fire, the coal being considerably charred or burnt. We went further north, about 60 yards, and saw that the force of the blast had been exerted in an easterly direction, the blast having come from the west. The after-damp was very strong, and we returned to the West-way-ends, which is a point where the rolly way branches towards the north and towards the west. We then put up fresh stoppings, and repaired the old ones, to enable us to proceed to the West-flat. On reaching the flat we found the body of a horse, and a number of tubs in disorder. Also the body of a rolly driver, much burnt. We proceeded about 25 yards further, and there found the body of another boy, lying in one of the headway courses to the north. We proceeded to the west, but got slowly forward, the after-damp was so very strong, and we had to carry the air along with us. About 160 yards from the West-way-ends we found a large body of gas. Mr. Clark and others then came to relieve us, and we left them endeavouring to remove the gas, and we returned to bank. I was about three hours at bank, and then went down again, and found that Mr. Clark had succeeded in getting two bodies from the west, but he had found the gas so strong that he did not consider it prudent to persevere in that direction. Consulted with Mr. Clark, and we determined to go north, and we changed the current of air accordingly. We did not think it prudent to explore in both directions at the same time in consequence of the strength of the after-damp. There were some men working on the south side of the West-flat; all the bodies were burnt, and, with the exception of two, covered with stones. The principal portion of the men were working in the North-flat Mothergate. There are the West-flat, and the West-flat Mothergate ; the North-flat, and the North-flat Mothergate, and these comprise the whole of the Low-main seam. After remaining a few hours I gave directions to the parties, and again returned to bank. This was on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning I went down again, and found the parties had got to the northern extremity of the workings, and had got several bodies. Those found in the flat were not much burnt ; but those found in the boards north of the flat were burnt severely. Mr. Johnson went down with me. We went to the west, and came back over the south, and found several bodies, the position of which showed that the parties had been coming in an easterly direction from the flat. We found the bodies of several hewers, and the place where we found them showed that they must have been leaving their work after the explosion, with the exception of one, who appeared to have been struck dead where he stood. We then went into the West-flat Mothergate. All the bodies had been then discovered except four, one of which we supposed to be under a fall of stone, and we knew where the three others were, but could not get at them. There was much less gas in this part than there was before, which I account for by supposing the "blower" had abated. The first time I was there I heard the gas or blower issuing from the West-flat Mothergate, either from the stone or the coal. I heard it more distinctly on the second day, as I got nearer to it than I was before. Mr. Anderson and I then returned to the North-flat, and went to the West-way-ends. All the bodies we had found had been then got out. We returned to the West-flat Mothergate by a shorter course, and there found Mr. Clark and Mr. Taylor removing the stone. We returned and came to bank about 5 o'clock last night. I have not been there since, but I understand they have found the three bodies, and that one only, that of a boy, now remains in the mine, under a fall of stone near the shaft. In the eastern district of the mine there are about 12 acres of solid coal, which are not worked ; in the west district about seven acres. The waste was gone through twice a week, and the returns were examined every day. From there being no pillar working there was no goaf in the Low main. In addition to the men working the Low-main seam, there were four men working on the stone drift, and one of these men was found alive. They were all found within a short distance of each other. The four men were not, in my opinion, burnt. The one found alive had been working in the Slow board. [This witness was very imperfectly understood, from his mode of referring to the plans, and pointing out places "here" and "there," without sufficiently describing them.] Two of the men were found with their mouths in a pool of water, and the one found alive, whose name is William Cranston, was sitting beside them. [The witness then proceeded to describe the mode of ventilating the mine, and the direction of the air courses, which could not be understood without reference to the plan.] Some time ago the quantity of air descending the main shaft was measured and found to be 40,000 cubic feet per minute; excluding a certain portion which was not measured. I have no hesitation in saying that up to the time of the accident the air entered the mine at the rate of 50,000 cubic feet per minute, about one half of which went to the Low-main. The oval pit has been used as an air course about two years. About six years ago the whole of the brattice in the main shaft was renewed, and a great increase in the quantity of air was the consequence. It was entirely owing to the existence of the oval pit that Cranston was got out alive. We should not have been able to have penetrated the mine yet had it not been for the oval pit. Defty, when in the Bensham seam, not more than half an hour before his death, said to me, that he could not account for the accident, as he had been through the whole of the workings with a candle the day before, and found all right, no gas, and the returns perfectly clear. He said he never would wish to see the pit in a better condition. I never heard any report of the pit being in an unfit state that morning, or at any other time ; on the contrary, the men complained of the strength of the current of air "swealing" (wasting) their candles. I cannot state positively the cause of the explosion, but in my opinion is there has been some sudden discharge of gas at or near the face of the western district. The direction of the blast can be traced along the headways courses north, thence to the east; then it has returned out towards the shaft. Another current may be traced to the south. It has evidently originated in the western district, as the clothes of the men are much burnt there, and some of them are wrapped round the posts, in the direction of the blast.

By a Juror. — There are two shifts, one called the fore shift, and the other the back shift. The men killed were working in the back shift. The men that were working in the fore shift are ready to describe the state of the mine when they left it.

By the Coroner. — My only reasons for thinking the explosion originated in the western district are that the direction of the blast is indicated by its effects, and hearing the gas issue from the face of the western district. Did not hear gas issuing from any other part.

The Coroner then read over the evidence of Mr. Jobling, and asked if any of the jury wished any further questions to be put to him. None having been put.

Mr. Martin Jude, of Newcastle, said he had received a note from some of the friends of the deceased, requesting him to attend and ask the coroner to adjourn the inquest, until Sir James Graham sent down a commissioner to assist in the investigation.

The Coroner said, it was clear the commission could not interfere with this proceeding. If a commissioner were appointed, he would have the power to summon witnesses and examine into the whole case, and if any neglect occurred in the present investigation, he would have an opportunity of discovering it. He was desirous to investigate the matter fully, and if at the close of the day's proceedings he saw it was desirable to adjourn for further evidence, he would do so, but otherwise he should close the proceedings. Any particular question that Mr. Jude, or any other gentleman, might wish to put to the witness, he (the coroner) would be ready to put it.

Mr. Horn, of Newcastle, wished to be allowed to cross-examine the witnesses on behalf of the relatives of the deceased, but the coroner would only permit him to put his questions through the court.

Mr. Brown, surgeon of the colliery, was recalled, and he related a conversation he had had with Defty, the overman, just before his death, as to the state of the ventilation. It was in substance the same as stated by Mr. Jobling in the course of his evidence.

John Bainbridge, a hewer, was next sworn and examined. I have been a workman at Jarrow colliery upwards of 19 years. Was at work in the pit on the morning before she fired. Was at work in the second wall from the north "hitch," which is in the western district. The pit was in a good state, and my brother, who was there, said to me the air was so strong that we could scarcely carry candles to serve us. There was nothing amiss in the ventilation when I left ; but when I heard of the explosion I thought it would have occurred in the Stone-drift, and not where the pit seems to have fired. I have lost a brother by the explosion. Have seen some of the men that were employed in the West Mothergate flat, but have not heard them complain of the state of that part of the mine. The brattices were well kept up to the face of the coal, and my brother has complained of it being carried too close. Have never complained of the brattice not being carried up to the coal since I went to work in the Low-main, which is about six weeks ago. If more brattice had been required, we could have got it for the asking.

Emmanuel Defty. — I am a deputy-overman at Jarrow colliery, and was employed in the fore-shift on Thursday morning up to half-past 8 o'clock, when I left. Am brother of Jacob Defty, who was killed. When I left the pit, from the south end of our workings to the north end, I think I never saw her cleaner. Considered her perfectly safe. The brattices were well up. The air good. Never heard complaints of the air being bad, but have heard the men grumble at the brattices being put so well up to the coal that it wasted their candles. Have not been in the Low-main since she fired.

By a Juror. — It is my duty to examine the workings to see if all is right before the men go to work. Have not been in the back pillars lately. Consider it the Wasteman's duty to examine the back pillars. But it is the overman's duty to see that the pillars are examined by some one. Never heard any complaints of the pit being in an unsafe state before she fired. [This witness appeared to be still labouring under the effect of the choke-damp ; he was very weak, and gave his evidence with difficulty.]

Robert Fairly, the wasteman, on being recalled, stated, that he had examined the back pillars on Thursday morning, in company with Emmanuel Defty, the son of Jacob Defty, who was killed, and a boy named Foster, who attended upon him. The back pillars were quite clean. Had a lamp with us. The return was capital. I examine it every day. Have been a pitman 53 years, and 42 at Jarrow colliery. Considered the Low-main perfectly safe that morning. Jacob Defty had his candle in the return that morning. I was with Jacob Defty on Thursday, in the Bensham seam, after the pit fired, near the oval pit. Defty observed to me that the pit had not fired in the Low-main; that was his opinion. We looked at the stoppings, and when we saw how they had been blown, he was convinced it had fired in the Low-main, Defty assigned no reason for thinking it had occurred in the Low-main.

Mr. William Anderson, viewer of St. Hilda colliery. — Had examined the mine, and concurred in opinion with Mr. Jobling that the explosion had originated near the westway, somewhere between where Bainbridge was working and the Mother-gate. It must have arisen from a sudden escape of gas, which probably came from a blower. Don't see how it could arise from any fault in the ventilation, the air has so little to do, the extent of the workings being so small. Live at South Shields, and have been a viewer 40 years.

John McLeod. — I am a deputy at Jarrow colliery, and was in the Bensham seam when it fired. My father was killed by the explosion. I was in what is called Liddle's way, and the first I observed was a draught as if from a fall. I came out and was examining my stoppings when a door flew open, and I lost my light. Went to my box and got my lamp, and lighted it; then I went to get out my men, and to tell them to put their lamps out, and afterwards proceeded to the shaft. Knew then that an explosion had taken place, and heard two men moaning, but did not see any killed. It was about three-quarters of an hour before any one came down from the surface, when Mr. Jobling came, and I assisted him in getting the men to the shaft. The after-damp was very strong. Never heard any report of the pit being unsafe before the explosion.

William Waddell. — I am a hewer at Jarrow colliery. Was at work in the fore shift, and left the pit on Thursday morning about 10 o'clock. Worked in the ninth board in the north flat. The pit was in a very good state when I left it. The air was so strong that I had to put a screen up to protect my candle. I myself complained that morning of the deputy putting the brattice up too far. The hewer that took my place when I left was killed.

By a Juror. — The air came to me from the West flat, and if there had been any foulness in that part, I should have felt it.

Robert Blackey, a hewer in Jarrow colliery. — I was at work in the Low main, and left the pit about half-past 8 o'clock on the morning she fired. Was walking at the south wall in the West-flat Mothergate. The air was uncommonly good.

The Coroner then put it to the jury whether they required any more evidence, and being answered in the negative, he proceeded to remark that the inquiry for the jury was, how these people came to their death. There was no doubt they came to their death by the firing of the pit. It was their duty, if possible, to find out where the pit fired. They had the evidence of Mr. Jobling, confirmed by Mr. Anderson, that the fire had originated in a particular district, as far as they were able to judge from the indications observable in the works ; but in all probability the exact spot would never be discovered. If they were satisfied on that point, and thought it was not necessary to hear any further evidence, then they would have to say whether the fire arose from accident, or from negligence on the part of those intrusted with the management of the works, or whether it was impossible to say how it had arisen.

The jury then retired, and, after a brief consultation, returned with a written verdict as follows :— "We have considered the evidence brought before us, touching the death of James Steward and others, and we find that they came to their death by after-damp, caused by a fire in Jarrow pit, on the 21st inst., but where or from what cause it originated we are not able to show, and our verdict is Accidental death."

The Coroner. — By which you mean you attach no blame to any one.

The Foreman. — Yes.

The inquisition was then made out and signed in the usual form, and thus the proceedings terminated. It is proper to state that the witnesses examined were brought up promiscuously from the crowd that had assembled in the vicinity of the inquest-room. There was no marshalling of the evidence, it being the wish of the owners of the colliery, and every one concerned in the melancholy affair, that the fullest investigation should be instituted.

The Coroner intimated in respect to Robert Baird, who had not been recovered when the proceedings terminated, that on receiving a certificate from the medical officer of the body having been found in the Low-main, and his opinion that his death had been caused by the same explosion, he would issue a warrant for his interment, and include him in the inquisition with the others who had lost their lives at the same time.

It is thought the body of Baird will be got at to-night or to-morrow morning. Cranston continues in an almost unconscious state. Adams is slowly recovering. The exact number killed is now ascertained to be 39.