In the following account of the Explosion at Burradon Colliery, at 2 o'clock p.m., on the 2nd of March last, by which seventy-six lives were lost, it is not intended either to adopt any of the various opinions which have been advanced as to the immediate cause of the explosion, or to bring forward new views upon the subject, the object being to place on the records of the Institute a statement of the facts and circumstances; and in doing so, it is thought best to quote the evidence of the several witnesses in nearly their own words. A plan is attached for the purpose of illustration.

The downcast and upcast shafts of this colliery are nearly close together, being only thirty feet apart. They are each ten feet diameter, with one twelve-inch set of pumps in the upcast shaft. The depth is 140 fathoms to the Low Main Seam, in which the explosion took place; and the workings have been extended partly in a level direction, but principally to the rise. The elevation of the workings at the extreme rise, where the explosion occurred, is about thirty fathoms above the shaft bottom, and the distance very nearly a mile from the pits.

The entire extent of rise workings is from eighty to ninety acres, including two goaves — one of which, the north goaf, is twenty-two acres; another, the middle east goaf, four and a half acres. There is a third goaf in the north-west district, about the same extent as the latter, which, being to the dip of the water level, is now filled with water.

The Low Main Seam, which is worked here, as well as very extensively in other parts of the same district, for the supply of the Hartley steam coals, has not been noted hitherto for very large issues of firedamp, though partial, and occasionally fatal, explosions have occurred in it.

Mr. Charles Carr, the viewer of the colliery, states that the total quantity of air going down the pit and into the workings, on the previous 21st February, was 40,000 cubic feet per minute; and that it travels in one current from the bottom of the downcast or A Pit along the main waggonway to the foot of the first east inclined plane, a distance of 572 yards, on a level horse road. Here the air is split, part of the current proceeding into the north way, and the other part going up the inclined plane into the workings where the accident occurred. This incline rises to the east three and a half inches to the yard, but with a less inclination towards the top; and at a distance of 528 yards the air is again split. The air before splitting here is 32,000 cubic feet per minute, of which 3000 cubic feet traverse direct east a distance of 616 yards, to the face of the east narrow boards, the remainder, 29,000 cubic feet per minute, passing along the south cross-cut for a distance of 233 yards, to the middle east rolleyway. A portion of air at that point, above 2000 cubic feet per minute, is allowed to scale along the rolleyway to the south, the larger portion proceeding up the middle-way, a distance of 350 yards; and a portion, 4000 cubic feet per minute, is then detached to ventilate the east middle broken; thus 23,000 cubic feet per minute passes 150 yards farther, to the face of the middle east rolleyway, where it is split. One portion, amounting to 10,000 cubic feet per minute, traverses the north whole workings a distance of 272 yards, and joining the air which comes direct from the top of the east incline (3000 cubic feet per minute), thus making a total of 13,000 cubic feet per minute in the district of the explosion, which returns to the furnace shaft by the north return, travelling alongside of the north pillar workings; thence to a crossing at the foot of the east incline plane; and thence to the furnace shaft. There remains a current of 13,000 cubic feet per minute traversing the workings in the whole coal, towards the face of the south cross-cut, a distance of 851 yards, and returning to the furnace shaft by the second south return — the portion of 4000 cubic feet per minute allowed to traverse the middle broken returning by a separate return.

The eastern extremity of the north goaf is within 160 yards of the face of Maddox's bord, where the explosion occurred. The area of the middle goaf is four and a half acres.

The whole bords are worked with candles, gunpowder being also used in them. Gunpowder is not allowed in the pillar workings, and in these workings safety-lamps are exclusively employed.

There were two distinct explosions, at computed intervals of at least twenty minutes. Believes the effect produced by the first explosion upon the stoppings on the south side of the east narrow bord disturbed the ventilation, and caused gas to come out of the middle broken, and there it came in contact with the lights of the men who were coming out of the south whole bords. The men in the south whole boards would feel the shock of the first explosion, and, becoming alarmed, were making out by the middle rolleyway towards the shaft, where they met the gas, which fired at their candles.

William Kirkley, overman in the district where the explosion took place, states that the doors and stoppings were all right when examined by him on the morning of the 2nd of March.

On the 23rd of January he found gas in the north goaf, in the corner of the goaf next to Maddox's bord, but not nearer than five pillars to Maddox's bord.

William Williams, pitman, states that the air was much slacker for the last fortnight, and that it would have been better if the brattice had been kept up. Witness had stopped at home a day or two after the 23rd of January, from having a "dread on him."

Walter Nicholson, deputy overman, was at Williams' bord on the 2nd of March, before Williams went down. Saw him also in his place at half-past four in the morning, after he started. The air was pretty good, in his opinion, and he heard no complaints about it. He was in the back return, and there was a strong current going.

William Dryden lives at West Moor. Had worked at Burradon Colliery four or five years, but left on the 20th of January, from an apprehension of danger.

William Johnson, under-viewer of the colliery, said the Government Inspector was down Burradon Pit in December, 1858. The pitmen had sent a note requesting him to attend. Mr. Dunn inspected part of the broken and the whole, and the district where the accident happened. He was three or four hours down the pit. He did not suggest any alterations.

Had about 40,800 cubic feet of air per minute previous to the accident, but had not that much when Mr. Dunn was there. Had that quantity on the 11th of February, and there was not less on the morning of the accident. Had frequently measured the air by powder smoke. A month or two previous to the accident had, on an average, 32,000 or 33,000 cubic feet of air per minute in the pit.

John Fryer, viewer at Seghill, went down the Burradon Pit on the night of the accident. In his opinion the explosion was caused by a fall in the north return, impeding the current of air.

James Maddox was working in the pit in the first bord from the far narrow bord, where the explosion took place. Had worked six weeks in that place. During that time thought there was not so much air as there was before. For the last fortnight the air did not seem very pure in the far narrow bard; the air got better after that. A week before the accident the air seemed to get worse: thought the accident was caused by the first east door being open. The air was worse before the accident, and he asked the deputy to get some brattice in.

John Maddox, worked in the fore shift, noticed the air on the morning of the accident, put his "low" on the plate, and the air scarcely turned it; went to his nephew, the last witness, and said, "Jemmie, there surely is very little air here this morning." There was a bit of paper hanging to a bit of thread, and it hung straight down.

John Thompson had been two years in the pit: worked in the first east bank. Went in at four o'clock of the morning of the accident; thought he had seen the air worse; noticed it got worse about an hour afterwards.

Ellis Jowett thinks that the explosion was caused by the first east door being open.

John Stobbs was one of the men deputed to go with Mr. Dunn when he inspected the colliery in 1858. Did not go with Mr. Dunn, but examined the colliery before he went down. By appearance Mr. Dunn was satisfied. The ventilation has been improved since then.

Thomas Weatherly, deputy-overman, was in Maddox's bord on the morning of explosion. Saw no gas there, nor any in the east workings.

Mr. Thos. E. Forster, viewer. The first time he examined the pit was on the 9th of March, a week after the explosion, and several times since. Came to the conclusion the last time he was down (21st March), how the explosion occurred. His view of the matter was, that the first explosion occurred in Maddox's bard, and was not a very serious one. It occurred from the gas that had accumulated from the middle east rolleyway, and from Maddox's bord. The cause of that accumulation was a fall immediately behind Maddox's bard, in the single part of the return. Up to a certain time there had been sufficient ventilation to keep all this side, from the middle of the east rolleyway to Maddox's bard, perfectly clear. At the time when there was the slight explosion at Williams' candle, the fall had then partially taken place. Between that time and shortly before the explosion occurred, the fall of stones had so greatly increased that it had almost or nearly stopped the air in the return. Hence the explosion; the accumulation of gas being from the middle east way and Maddox's bard. The reason he thought the first explosion was not a serious one was this, he found that at the top of the incline bank there were twenty-four people lying, who were killed there, and was of opinion these twenty-four people had arrived at that point, after the first, and before the second explosion took place.

These twenty-four men were killed by the second explosion drawing the timber, and the roof fell down upon them. With regard to the second explosion, was of opinion that the first explosion took a south-westerly course from Maddox's bord, blowing out the stoppings on both sides of the straight upcast rolleyway, and the bord and stoppings between the little goaf, separating the broken and whole workings. The first explosion disturbed the gas in the middle broken, which had been driven to the middle east rolleyway; then some of the men from the district south of the middle east rolleyway had come in contact with this gas with their candles, thence the second explosion. And the men in this far south had come out after this second explosion and had got within nine yards of the air crossing, between the top of the first incline and the middle east rolleyway; all were killed by the afterdamp. Had they got nine yards farther they would have been saved. This explosion, which occurred about ten pillars up the middle east rolleyway, there divided itself:, a portion coming down the middle east, and the other taking a northerly direction, coming in to the straight up east rolleyway, and going down there to the bank head, where the twenty-four men were found. Had arrived at this conclusion from the fact that the stoppings on the south and north side of the middle east rolleyway were driven, the north side ones into the north, and the south side ones into the south. The same thing occurred with reference to the stoppings in the first east rolleyway, except about six stoppings about half-way up the straight east fiat, those between not being disturbed at all. Had found a large quantity of stones, &c., behind Maddox's board — the remains of the fall — which had been partially removed on the 21st. Was certain that the fall had taken place previous to the explosion, because on the outbye side of it there was a great deal of black dust on the stones, which must have been thrown there by the explosion. Was very anxious to get into the face of Maddox's bord, but met the gas in approaching it. The ventilation was completely destroyed. There was no air passing.

On the 20th, Kirkley, the overman, crept through the wall at the back of Maddox's bard, where he found the fall. He pulled some of the stones down from the top of it, when a little air got through, and took the gas all away. Next day (the 21st) he examined Maddox's bord, and there was no gas whatever. Examined the return, and found there sufficient area in the middle east broken way. The area at the smallest part might be sixteen or eighteen feet. In the first south, thinks the smallest area would be thirty to thirty-five feet. Examined the current at the bottom of the slope drift: the area there was thirty-five feet. The current in the return at this point was, on the 21st, 42,000 cubic feet per minute. The area where he met the current was from twenty-seven to fifty feet. Considers 1000 cubic feet of good air at Maddox's bord would be safe for candles; but should think there were 5000 or 6000 cubic feet at Maddox's bard, and all the others were perfectly safe.

Mr. James Mather and Mr. H. Lee Pattinson also gave evidence.