On Thursday afternoon, Mr James Rowlands, surgeon, Carmarthen opened the inquest touching the death of six of the ten men who were killed by the fall of the cage in the shaft at the Garnant Colliery, Cwmamman, on Wednesday morning, as already reported. As we have previously stated, the men lived in the districts over which three coroners have jurisdiction, and after the corpses had been viewed by the police and the officials of the colliery they were taken to their respective homes, which are situate-six within the district of Mr James Rowlands, two in Mr Strick's district and two in that of Mr Protheroe Lewis. Each of these gentlemen was communicated with immediately after the accident, and arrangements made for holding inquests. Mr Rowlands replied that he would open his inquiry on Thursday, and the other two gentlemen arranged to open each of theirs on the following day, Friday. The first was accordingly opened at the Raven Hotel, Cwmamman, on Thursday, when a jury was composed of the following gentlemen :-The Rev. David Griffiths (vicar), Messrs Joseph Rees, Rees Davies, Thomas Price, John Hicks, Rees Phillips, Lewis Jenkins, David Aubrey Lewis, Joseph Griffiths, William Jones, Griffith Elias, Joseph Thomas, and David Davies. The six persons whose deaths they were called to inquire into were- John Evan Jones, William Lake, Daniel Rees, Thomas Michael, Thomas Bevan, and John David James. Mr T. Wales, the Government Inspector, and Mr John Hay, the manager of the colliery, were present. When the jury were called over the Coroner informed them that it was a most important inquiry, and it was necessary that they should adjourn that day, so that there should be every facility for getting the whole of the evidence, and that they might come to a satisfactory conclusion as to the cause of this frightful catastrophe. They would first of all go to the colliery, and see the broken rope with Mr Wales, the Government Inspector, and then view the bodies.
The coroner, jury, and official then proceeded to the colliery, about half a mile off, and were shown the ends of the wire rope, where the fracture took place. The end taken off the cage was seen first, and it was ascertained that the rope consisted of six strands of steel wire wound round a hemp cord, and each strand was made up the seven steel wires, which appeared to have a diameter measurement of about an eighth of an inch. There were therefore, 12 wires and a hempen cord making up the rope. The fracture showed that it had been torn in shreds, very unevenly, and did not in the slightest leave room for suggestion that there could have been a straight line flaw, so to speak, through the strands. It was explained that the rope was manufactured by Sir George Elliot and Co., of Cardiff, whose manager arrived on Thursday morning and made an inspection. In conservation with the manager of a colliery, he said he could not find any appearance of flaw, and inclined to the belief that the accident was caused by the cage becoming hitched by some means in the shaft, thereby allowing a little slack to run out from the winding drum, and then when it went on again, there was a terrific jerk,which snapped the stout steel rope asunder, and plunged the ten poor fellows in the cage with headlong impetuosity into the black abyss 23ft. below. The engineman, however says he did not recognise any such jerk in the action of the machinery. When the rope was ordered by the company the makers were directed to send the best quality, and so far as the company believed, Messrs. Elliot supplied them with it. A rope of that sort, 140 yards long, would cost about £25. All the ropes had been obtained from the same firm. The one which broke was comparatively a new one, having only been in use since November, 1882. Its predecessor on that side of the shaft wore for six years, after which some broken wires were found, and it was taken out. Some other ropes in the use of the colliery have also lasted for years, and from the quality of the one which snapped on Wednesday and the previous total absence of any flaw in it the officials had every reason to suppose this one would be equally as durable. Having seen the rope thus described, the the coroner and Mr Wales went to look at the winding engine, and expressed themselves thoroughly well satisfied with everything they saw. The whole apparatus worked with great ease, and the man in charge had perfect command of it. Some of the bodies were then viewed, and the party returned back to the room where the inquest was to be held. The overman, John Davies, of the Red Lion, situate near the Garnant Colliery, was first called, and being sworn, said he had been overman at the colliery since 1875, Knew John Evan Jones, one of the men killed on Wednesday. He lived at Pleasant-row, in the parish of Bettws, and was about 30 years of age. He was a collier, working at Garnant Pit. He had worked there about five years. Saw his body soon after the accident. Also knew William Lake, and another man who was killed. He was 29 years old, and lived at Cross Inn. Daniel Rees, another of the deceased, was a boy working with a collier, and was fourteen years of age, living at Prospect-place. Thomas Michael was 24, and lived at Bettws parish. Thomas Bevan, 33 years of age lived at Prince Albert-row, Cwmamman. John David James lived at Cwm Garnant Farm and was 21 years of age. They were each killed in descending the pit. The cage was hoisted up and down the shaft by a steam engine, and hitherto there had been no accident. All the men witness had named were steady, and well acquainted with their work : most of them having been in the employ of the company for a considerable time.
The Coroner intimated to the jury that this was all the evidence he required to take from them overman on this occasion. His testimony at the adjourned hearing would, probably, be long ; but he (the coroner) only needed evidence of identification at present.
The inquest was then adjourned until Tuesday, the 29th inst., at noon, when, the Coroner stated, Mr Wales, the Government Inspector, would be present, and there would also be presented scientific evidence as to the make and strength of the rope which parted.
It is a great pity that the men were not in the Permanent Fund, or that the local fund which is connected with the colliery only operates to benefit the members in sickness leaving nothing to be drawn at death. These are oversights which will doubtless be attended to with alacrity by the other employes after such a grim warning. Whilst the lesson may, and probably will, be a salutary one for those still left to profit by it, there are others-we mean the dependent relatives of the deceased men- who will in all likelihood feel the pinch of hard circumstances, and this behalf we have been requested to state that any generous friends who feel disposed to help the bereaved ones will be thanked for sending remittances either to the vicar, the Rev. David Griffiths, Cwmamman, R.S.O., Carmarthenshire, or Dr. Rees, of the same place.

ALLEGED FOUL PLAY AT THE TOP OF THE PIT.

At an occasional court of summary jurisdiction held at the office of Mr Lewis Bishop, the magistrates' clerk Llandilo, on Monday, a charge of the gravest nature was preferred against a collier, one Thomas Michael of Cwmamman. The prisoner was apprehended at his residence on Sunday morning by Police-Constable Henry Evans, and was charged (before Major Thursby-Pelham) on Monday with killing and slaying one John Evans Jones and others on Wednesday, January, 16. The theory advanced as to the cause of the sad calamity was that an unauthorised collier had for the moment taken charge of the "keeps," and had turned the points by means of the switch before the whole of the cage containing the ten men had passed below, thus giving it a violent jerk. The prisoner was undefended. - The Police-Constable deposed that he apprehended prisoner on Sunday, and charged him with taking part in lowering the cage belonging to the colliery and causing the death of ten persons. The constable believed that he would be able to bring substantial evidence against the prisoner if the case was remanded until the 2nd of February. The case was, therefore, adjourned, and prisoner admitted to bail himself in £50, and E. Lewis, Cwmamman, and Thomas Michael, Llandilo, in sums of £25 each.