At a special sitting of the Llandilo Petty Sessions on Saturday, the
adjourned charge against the collier, Thomas Michael, employed at the
Garnant Colliery, Cwmamman, who was charged with causing the death of
the ten men who were killed at Garnant by the breakage of the shaft
rope on the morning of the 16th of January last, was proceeded with.
Mr. J.G. Williams, solicitor, Llandilo, appeared to prosecute; Mr. W.
Howell, Llanelly, was for the prisoner, who was on bail. Mr. Simons,
of Merthyr, the solicitor to the proprietors of the pit; Mr. Hay, the
manager; and Mr. May, the representative of Sir George Elliot and Co.,
of Cardiff, the makers of the rope, were also present.
Mr. T. G. Williams opened, the case at some length, explaining the whole
circumstances of the fatal occurrence (which have been previously given
in this journal). He said he proposed to prove that the prisoner was
liable for manslaughter in this case, as he was at the time of the accident
a trespasser, and performed an unlawful act by tampering with the "keeps"
supporting the cage.
George Bartlett, one of the men employed at the works, was first called,
and deposed that on the morning in question he was at the colliery and
saw the men who were killed enter the cage. The prisoner, Thomas Michael,
was there, and witness saw him give the signal to the engineman to raise
the cage with the men in it. This was done, and the prisoner pushed
back the lever to hold back the keeps. The cage was then lowered, but
when nearly out of sight it stopped as if caught by something in its
descent. Witness did not think it was stopped by the engine ceasing
to work, because the rope was going out, and he heard the cage grating
against something. The cage afterwards re-started, and he soon heard
the fall at the bottom of the shaft.
Thomas Bartlett and Thomas Thomas, colliers, gave corroborative evidence
that the prisoner gave the signal to the engineman and worked the lever.
The banksman, who ought to have done this, came across from the other
cage whilst prisoner was lowering the one in which the men were killed.
Thomas Morgans deposed that at the tiime of the accident he could see
the cage shaking and struggling in the mouth of the pit, and when the
cage was set free he heard the men scream. The rope broke with a loud
noise, and the cage rushed down. Nearly every man in the pit had worked
the lever for moving the keeps at various times. When the banksman was
not there whoever was nearest the lever signalled the engineman, and
let the men down without thinking there was any harm being done. Even
when the banksman worked the cage it sometimes caught in the keeps.
It was more likely to catch when the horse door was on, as on this morning.
If, however, the lever was worked properly it was impossible for the
cage to catch at all, and if the keeps were driven back to the furthest
extent it was not more dangerous to work with a horse box on than without
one.
Mr. T. G. Williams said, on behalf of the colliery company he must challenge
the statement that all these people had worked the lever.
Witness had never seen other persons than the banksman work the levers
in the presence of superior officials or overmen at the colliery, but
persons had worked them when the banksman was present.
Mr. George James May, the representative of Sir George Elliot and Co.,
wire rope manufacturers, Cardiff, was next called, and gave the results
of the test which the rope was put to. A piece taken off the end which
went down the shaft showed a breakage strain of 22½ tons, and
a piece form the other end was tested at the Government testing machine
with a result of 24½ tons. He thought the rope, which was of
the very best quality made, was in very fair condition and ought to
have lasted at the Garnant Colliery about two years and a half, where
it had only been supplied sixteen months. He believed that the fracture
was caused by a jerk, or some other sudden strain. The cage with the
men in it falling a foot would cause a strain of 10 tons, and so on
increasing three tons for each foot of fall. The rope was equal to a
far greater load, under ordinary circumstances, than was on it at the
time of the accident, and if it was spliced together again he would
be prepared to go down the deepest colliery in England with ten tons
on it.
Cross-examined by Mr. Howell: Heard Mr. Wales, the Government inspector,
say at the inquest that, in his opinion the breakage was due to its
being too weak at the point of fracture to carry the weight it had to
carry, and not to any jerk or fall; and that he believed that the weakness
at that particular part was caused by its being exposed to the steam
issuiing from the upcast shaft during the whole of the sixteen months
the rope had been at work.
Mr. May: I do not agree with that opinion.
Mr. May said that he had some conversation on the day after the accident
with Jenkins, the banksman, who said there was no jerk, and that he
let the men down himself, keeping both hands on the lever. He (Mr. May)
thought Jenkins hardly knew what he was talking about then. He was very
nervous.
Mr. T. H. Hosgood, colliery and mechanical engineer of Swansea, said
he had had thirty years experience in his profession. He examined the
rope, and found in a piece which was left above ground one broken wire
apart from the fracture. In his opinion, the cause of the fracture was
excessive strain caused by a jerk -a sharp pull of the engine or a fall.
He found the wires near the fracture very much worn, with some corrosion
on them, and attenuated, so that the area was lessened. The rope, he
thought, was a good, serviceable one, and ought to have done the work
of the colliery well. He thought at the fractured part the rope was
capable of standing a strain of 12 tons at least.
Cross-examined by Mr. Howell: He did not agree with Mr. Wales's opinion
as to the fracture. Had seen the keeps pulled back, and they were quite
clear of the cage whilst being lowered, although there was only a very
little space to spare with one of them.
Further hearing of the case was adjourned till Saturday next.