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This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film* au taux de r- ,\ v! The .1 FIRES IN PICTOU MINES REPORT OF COMMISSION TO ENQUIRE INTO THE CAUSE, HISTORY, AND EFFECTS OF FIRES IN PICTOU COAL MINES. I?t Halifax, Dec. 31, 1895. The Honorable W. S. Fielding, Provincial Secretanj: Sir: I l)c<>: leave in acoordance with the instructions received from HiH Honor the LieutcMia t-Governor, dated June 4th, 1X05, appoint- ing nic a Commissioner to encpiire into tlie cause, histo y and effects of tlie fires in tiie coal seams in Piclou County, and authorizing me to employ sucli mining experts or other persons as, in my Judgment, might i)e necessary or useful in the [)ro8ecution of the empiiry, to submit the following report and evidence ; An.! to remain Your oI)edient servant, Kmvix (tilvin, Jr., laspecior of Minca. FIRES IN PICTOU MINES REPORT. HalJ^, N. S., Doccmbor 30th, 1895. To THK Hon. W. S. Fielding, Provincial Secretari/: J^specttully to submit the following report : TTvovv nossible eftbrt was made to secure all available mforma- Evevy possible en t residuvm of coal, quality, tion about the ol.l ^^m un£' th« ^ ^^ . ^^^.^^.^^^ prominent men connections etc ml h. p.nu ^^^.^^^^ ^^ ^,.^1^^ ^^^^ Tur^r Two of Ihe Commission had the advantage of some personal knowledge of the district. Fvidence was also secured in England from the Engineer eng^^^ed fm- pavt of the time the Foord Pit woikmgs were open. The evidence taken before the Commission, and the necessary plans, are herewith respectfully submitted. ^ -.f^ri in thp ennuirv by William Madden, Jr., -bsq., go„ is due what merit the report may have. ™ 1 B 1,1 ;>f Viclou County has been fully described by SB- w,?' Tawtn .?ncUhe Camvdian Geological Survey, and in this ^illSon^XX^f Vdl be directed only to those portions most directly of importance to this enquiry. a„..tmn< of the coal field which -received the There J^'^.^^^^^Sn the Albion and the Vale. Both of J^^'^'^'^rthe pro^oeZ of the Acadia Coal Company, and are the these are the P/^P^^Ystr ct which have suffered from fires, causing only sections ot the d.tuct^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ an abandonment of p^iman^n^^^^^^^^^ are Submitted showing these f;rrd"L\luus f-ci in them so far as related to the enquiry. Work was interrrpted for some time in the Ij't'^rcolmml Coal n ^ nlmJv Westville, owing to a severe explosion caused by the Go's. Colhe y, Westvil e , ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ extinguished S I" -k ;«a.ft was not considered necessary to make any formal enquiry into that explosion. , Au- r. nUfv'wt the fires hnve been confined to the area , '" t^oS^l^-^^^o^--^ and the scene of the known as the Lrentiai i.« e n^^^^ty on a systematic scale, earliest n.ning operations in ;l;o^^;^-^J> .^^ ^^J^^^,„ ,.,j,, ,,th S;:toCr;:;r^wSch';;ould;ifnot interrupted, cause the whole i! FIRES IN PICTOII MINES. ,! of it to be underlaid hy coal. The following condensed section will servo to show the relative position of the seams, etc. : ft. in. ft. in. Strata 1126 Main Seam 34 7 Strata 143 Deep or Cage Pits Scams 22 11 Strata 10(> Third Seam 5 7 Strata 113 Purvis Seam 2 6 Strata 130 Fleming Scam 3 3 Strata 4 McGregor Seam 11 7 Strata 211 Stellar Coal 5 (Section from Geo. Survey Report.) Other sections show the main seam 40 feet thick ; the deep seam 24 feet 11 inches; the third seam 11 feet 9 inches; the McGregor 14 feet 10 inches thick. The variations in the seams as followed, are still more marked. Thus, the main seam, as bored through near the eastern line of the area, yielded only 6 feet 9 inches of coal ; and the next, or deep seam, was there represented by black shale. Similarly in their most westerly extension the main and deep seams diminish in value. These seams, broadly speaking, are presented as a trough having its axis parallel to the longer side of the area. The officers of the Geological Survey compaied the outcrops of some coal seams on the north line of the area with the seams referred to in the section. Evidence was given that this reappearance of the ^Albion seams on the north side of the area was not the case. There would, however, appear to be no doubt that the seams do extend over the greater part of the area. Numerous faults have been met in the workings, but the seams have been followed to the bottom of the basin ; and the beginning of their upward rise on the reverse dip proved. In the Vale area, of three square miles, two seams have been worked presenting the same general features, and the following section : feet feet Strata, Six feet seam, 3 to 6 Strata, 700 McBean senm, 6 to 7. These seams dip to the north-west, and their reappearance between the Vale Colliery and New Glasgow^ if it exists, is FIHKS IN PKTOU MINES. unknown. Tho hatUnn ot t\w biiHin whh vrnvhad in tho nhy- "t tho six fo.^t scan, iit a distance of al.out 2500 foot. Tho woi i^ m the un•« '>y McKay, Carr and othcr.s. Tliey connisted ot levels and shallow pit^ in tho outcrops of the coal. Tho amount of coal extracted was unimportant, some returns showinj.' that trom 1818 to 1827, about 27,170 tona were extracted. Durini; the summer ot 1827, Mr. Smith connnonced systomatio operations on liohalf of the General Mining Association, and the " Store" or " Burnt Mines" were sunk, tho deepest being about 200 feet. Tho workings extended from tho pit level to the crop, about 250 yards to the south-east, and about JIOO yards northerly. There was a serious tire in these mines in 1832, uod one in 183i), which led to their abando'unont. The workings wore in the top coal only, and although pre- sumably tlie workings are much crushed, it is stated that many pillars could be utilized. Tho bottom coal is believed to be intact, and u barrier of thirty yards was left, and a fresh series ot pits sunk to the dip, known as tho Bye pitS the deepest being 4)1 teet. The levels from the lowest (deepest) pit extended about 1000 yards southeasterly, and about 1200 yards westerly. Dip slants were driven northwesterly and northeasterly from these levels. Ihese pits suffered from several explosions and tires. A heavy fire in IHtil, was followed by an attempt to reopen thorn in 1802, an*' another tiro took place in 18t)3, and Feb.^ 14th, 18()7, the workings were finally dosed on account of tire. Tho top coal only was Avorked in these mines, and there is a large amount of untouched bottom coal. In the year 1850 the Dalhousie and Cage pits were sunk, a short distance beyond tho western ftices ot the Store and Bye pit Avorkings, the former to tho main and the latter to the deep seam. The levels wore driven only a short distance in the main seam, east of the Dalhousie pits, and extended about 1000 yards westward. A slant was driven northwesterly to the dip from the pit bottom about 1200 yards. In the eastern workings the top 14 feet of coal was worked, tho bottom coal being considered coarse. In the remainder ot the workings however, excei)t in the lower part of the slants, tho scam was worked to its full height, yielding^ about ;28 feet of coal. Tho parting of ironstone which was about six inches thick at the pit increased at the expense ot the fall coal going west, tind was as far as possible left in taking out the bottom coal. These pits were worked until the year 1872, when they were abandoned on account of a heavy crush. The Cage pit levels extend(!d only a few yards east of the pit, the coal being coarse and broken. This chari'-.-ter is maintained us tho scum is followed to i FIUKS IN IMCTDir MINKS. 9 ■ llu- oast,. 11 Hlopo known uh 1\m " Knu:lisli" liiivin<< hiwu rccontly Himk a ftnv hundifd yimld cast of the Cay moans ot two slopes entirely independent. However. after a while these were connected, and the explosion in 1887 wrecked both slopes. One was fortunately preserved by a heavy fall, l)ut tho other was abandoned. Afterwards the seam waa worked by the single slope. In tho ca.so of the McGregor mine, operated by a shatt, two dips were driven angling from the pit bottom separated by a b- -rier, and the nuniber ot openings at the top of each dip minimii.^v'. so that in case of an exi»losion there would be a fair chance of saving one part of tho mine. Now, howover, the i)arrier has l)een pierced and the work is practically one mine. It is presumed that a necessity for reduction of cost has led to this reversal of the original plan. During tho year 1887 some pillars were drawn in the Third seam under the portion of the Cage pit seam, already referred to as being bu'lt off' on account of fire, the one next overlying it, and the roof falling up into it an explosion followed. The workings in the McGreg(>. seam underneath tho Third seam are not connected in any way w.Ji those overhead. It may be mentioned here that the thickness between the Third and the Cago pit seams supposed to l)e over 1.50 feat was really forty feet. From the plans and evidence it appears th;it all the workings of the different pits in the Main seam are 'lonneeted. It would appear that tho original design was to keep then^ isolated by ))arriers, but they were connected at various ^imes for reasons which now appear, so far as information is available, to have beeo most improvident. In the case of the connections between the various workings in the main seam, these have in some case? been accidentally due to inaccuracies in mine plans, while in other cases thej seem to have been deliberate, although they do not now seem to have been necessary at any time. In the ()[)inion of tho Commission these connections have not only proved one of the causes of the abandonment of the main seam workings, but have mat<'rially contributed to the pn'^ial destruction aii<^ increased insecurity ot the workings in other seams, and the Commis- ion wish to put on record their regret that such a course of connections should have been so persistently followed. FIRES IN PICTOU MTNRS. The ciirlici- woikinj^n, tln« Stofo or liunU iiiiiiON «oction, wuh iBoIcttfd from thoso iininodifitoly Hiiccopdinjr them to tho dip by « barrier of nbotit 100 foot iti thiekneN.-t. However, soriio ycnrs nftor thoy wcro connocted by ii \wm{ citst of tho rivor, mid h conuoctioti possibly jtartly it hoiid a. id p'utly a borehole was ?nade botvvooii tho two \vorkiii;^.H to tho riso of th'> Byv pits, Whoii the Dalhoiisio pits wore sunk to tho west .)f i.io liuint lUiiios and Uyo pit facoH, connoctionH wero made from the ri>» ; an«i another connect'on was made between the Burnt minos and th(' B_^(! pit, a short distance oast of the facen of tho working? of tho formor pit. When tlie Foster pit was sunk to the west of the Dalhousie workingH, several connections were made. Finally in the Foord i)it it was acfinitoly .sotthd in 1H72 that a very largo and j.inplo barrier should bo left around the faces of all the older workn.gH to tho rise in the. same seuni. However, in dpfianco of all lae Ui,Hsoiis of the past, workings were pushed ir- tho barrier and two connections inadvertently made with the > o pit and with the Dalhousie workings. These connectir-ns Lt in lui-ge bodies of water and caused loss of lilo. it is believed by many that these connections ultimately hd to tho loss of tho Foord pit, that an explosion in the old w;n-kings in tho Byo pit conunu- nicated through them into the Foord pit. This, however, is a matter of opinion ov conjecture, as no positive evidence was available. It may be mentioned hove that the management, not contented with incurring the risk of ponetvaiing the l)arrier. surroundin*'- old workings hurriedly abandoned and admittedly not surveyed up to "date, connected the Deep and Main seams by a stone tunnel which ti'ansmitted tho Foord pit explosion to the ('a<^o pit seam. Years before this the same seams had been connected by a tunnel at the Dalhousie pit.-. We thus have presented all the workings in tho Main seam since 1827, connected, one would say designedly, with oacb other and with the Deep seam, forming an inmiense burrow connected fiom end to end, and covering a district 1G8 chains long and 48 chains wide. In the present system of working at the Albion Mines, t.iore are now tour seams oonnected, \iz : the Third, Cage pit, Four feet and Main seams. It may be stated with reason tiiat the fact of the inaccessibility of the untouched portions of tho Main and Cage pii soams through the broken and fire infested ' outcrops, coupled with the limited extent of good coal in tho Third seam, rendered it necessarv to utilize the Third seam workings as a means of access to the other .«».i titllil^^l It iiovfevor, oe remembered that an accident FIREf4 IN riOTOT^ MINES. to the works in one soiiin may mcun tho closing of lliosc in all throe. COAL EXTRACTED. In this connection tiie following Hgures are presented as an approximate : Up to 1827— sold 35,000 tons 182«-18r)7 — sold l,7!»l,St87 " The figures for lS28-18r)7 are arrived at by taking tho Capo B.-eton sales li'om ihe total Nova 8('(/tia sales for tliiit i)eri" 1, and then allowing H00,00() tons (probable over-estimate) tor Jog;5 tons. From lS(i;5 to 1880 thqre were jiroduccd a,218,aor) tons. This date marks the closing of all operations in the Main and Cage pit scams, making a total of !d)()ut ().000,000 tons extracted" from these seams. It has not l)cen considered necessary in this con- nection to calculate the respective amounts, as the seams are connected. From 1881 to 18!)4 the lower seams— the Third and McGregor— ■ have yielded about l,,'»81l,l>24 tons. The ^'aIe colliery yielded Irom the McRean scam from 1872- 188!) about IJ.") 1,280 tons. The system of working adopted when the Main seam was first opened was that of the bord and pillar. Horse I'oads were driven, owing to the comparatively high angi'- of tho coal, to the rise half across tho i)itch and liords turne(i away. About tho year 18»)(! self-acting inclines were introdtux'd and larger brei'Jlhs of coal worked at a time. The pruiciple, however, remained tho same, that of completing the coal wiiming at one opeiation, leavinandon«'(l. At the time the Foord Pit was sunk it was intended to connect it with the Bye | *w«iwin-"j.'leted in 1.S81), and the ])ottom was partly repaired In January, 1891, Mr. Wills took charoe of the work of the ve-oponing_of the pit. Finally, after a good'deal of v ..rk had been done, the fires :>i the coid became so active that the pit had to be abandoned on Dec. 7th, ]SJ)2. It appears that after the pumping out of the wovl.s had been carried on until the iK.flom of the Fan Shaft had been rcaclind, som- nil- found its way into the old workings, that when the water was, k)wered enough to ])erinif of work being carried on at the bottom of Foord Pit additional (luaiitilies of air i)assed into the old workinas the behind the shaft timber and by various openings, some of which were found open and some were made in the course of the re-opening. From a consideration of tiie evidence submitted it appears that from the start all access of air to the old workin^^s should have been carefully pi'cvented. Especi^dly should this have been done after the fire was discovered at the bottom of the Fan Shaft. It does not appear necessary to enter into a detailed history of the attempt at rc-opening the Foord Pit. The evidonce sho'wcd that there was i. lack of co-operation between Mr. vVIIls, the manager, and Mi. Poole, the agent of the company. The state- ments submitted by these two gentlemen are of an cxtrcmolv contradictory nature. From their evidence and the evidence of others it appe.-rs that the proposal of Mr. Wills to line the shaft with brick was not carried out, nor was any alternative scheme adopted for cxciluding the air that was passin^'into the old workino's through the t!ml)er lining of the shaft. " ° It further appears that not only was it necessary to lino the shaft in some manner so to prevent the air entering the old workings through the timber lining of the shaft, but that"all other openings alrcarkings of the seam. If this were done of course both the old workings and the bottom coal would be available. Upon consideration it would not at present appear feasible to attempt the re-opening of these old workings, bv any independent working in the bottom coal. The reasons' fbr ^this ^view niTy bo given briefly as follows : It may be admitteuint, liy and Loord pit workings, and in the pillars in the upper pait o the same seam (all in the Main seam) over 10,000,000 tons Referring to the old workings in the Cage pit, a good deal of evidence was produced that in the part of the workings lyin.>- between the big break and the shaft there were many pillars worth removing. At present these old workings cannot be entered, as tho big brake stoppings already referred to were broken by the explosion c-oimectmg the Cage Pit and Third Seams, and the opinion has been oxpiessed that there is fire in them. A large amount of this .>round lies beyond the cropof the Main seam, and tiic pillars could be (Irawn Avitliout consideration of the overlving Main seam. The pillars however, in the dip slant of the Cage pit would lie under the :\[ain seam' workings. Ihcse workings a few years ago were on fire and the removal of pillars in the scam below would be attended with risk. Ihe commission believe that, in view of the evidence offered, tins section only of the old workings would warrant au attempt at re-open ing at present. As lo the solid eoal lying to the dip of the Foord pit, the weiglit of evidence appears <.'!oar that it is possible to re-open the i'oord pit, provided that no sc^rious injury was done to the bottom oi liiu sliiiti by lh(! explosion oeomring at the time of the last abandonment, and to york tlji^ coal, and that there is a lar• -'-»'-•. -^'t si,fn££ r ,r^f -T^'- -^^^^^^^^ inten-uptod l"v m nc, , o„t to ,.^r"'' ^'P, "'"' '^'''"■''' """" »'"•» v'itil (i,'os in ti 1 0. , -^ """ "' ""","• ''"" •" ™""«'tbu the An,i„„ .,i.„.ic,'w;.^,^;:ru;",s;2;,^ ^s:::. ;;!!.:—'• VUIKH IN PICTOIT MINES. 1.1 .net 1 rcvcnt recurrence of spontanco^^ f^'e^ in tTio .Icopcr scclion. I y admi.s.,on of a,r, or reliohH,,... of any firos that may 1 avo l.nrnocl down ro.a the crop. If „o attcM)tion'l.e paid to the woVk u.4 ,^ present earned on i.i the Albion area, or if they were n "a, v ivason abandoned, th. inunediate Hllin. ;.f the working^ vi.lvS Mil^ ;;^;;-^^"S'mcd a. the only uK-thod of pre.ervinl the coal for till, st.im and of larger amounts than at present in the lower soains wouM ultimately be secured by the courje suggested. The evidence taken with respect to the Vale Colliery, McHean t was hlled with water, and that the tiro is now extinguished. Tin' cast .UK wc>,t. Ihe workings are hmitcd to the east bv faults • to ?! o irf.T ^^'-^ J^'' ^v»i-ki"gs of the Six feet soam, ov^rlyin.r the McBean, proved the centre of the basin at a point about 1000 feet in advance of the bottom of the MoBeun slope It Avould'appcar^hat there should be a very'"consideral)le extent of good coal yet availal)le in this seam. From the ^Vklc^i^r t was good. Prom all avadable evidence it would aDDcar th'it the ;nam slope is doubtfully available for re-opening, but' he so .1 ed Zh^T' ;""p' r r".l^-'-''^'5^y >"> -ailaillc for .illoe" ^ he Z^m.ld I ^t">''f^«n^«« to the amount of workable coal Oct ■ .' ^1^^"^;^"P '7 tl^i'^ «'opo are to a certain extent con- jectuiai, but may fairly be anticipated as at least equal to tlr t a midy worked. ^This:point:could be settled, howe^^- ly'lC holes on the reverse dip of the soam beyond tho centre of the basin. ... '^^^ "'''.P^''''^ '^"'" ^"" l''"*'''^^^ '' ^^i'^'ippointment ever since it wis opened. The seam has thinned serioudy, and has vie K n ^t Acad a Coal Company arc in doubt as to its further extended working. As this mine is not directly connected wi Ih "^u fct o the enquiry, ,,t may only be ^remarked that any boreho lesto • determine the value of the remainder of the McBean eim would also prove the extent and value of the six feet seam All of which is respectfully sul)mitfed. EDWIN GILPIN, Jk. AVILLIAMiMADDLN, Jn. HEXRY mItcIIELL A. DICK. 14 FIRMS FN r[('T()(T .Mfxi,; I !!' E\rxr)E3Sr03i] T^jCEi3sr In an enquiry into the History, Oftuaes T,nfl Pff«of p .> r.- in the Coal Mine; in Sou 00^^;'.'^ °* ''" "^""^ 1856 or thorenhout ' '' ^^''^' ^ '^'''^''^ '" '""^l ^''^'i"- 'i'>out Q. Whon was V\.1I on lor Q. Did you work on the east side of it '■' A T i i -;. -n . „ „„,,„ .i.,„ of i, I ,,„,,t;;',|^:,,„ ,j,i J;;;',":-!]-''/ Q- -No. 2 Onto raid? About tho lii.,t tun, o„t un/Jh J>:::,;r'-i:™^j^£;- -^hoJHu^ttho -Jiu.,^ l,o,.>, Q. Wh,,t.i.o.H,„,,l,? A, 18 too, l,y 12 fc„t |,i„,, y. lu tiic top oo.il ? A. II left wco working i„ „a„. „„ ,,:,';i;: "-„ '>''^, .t,'^;;;"':,:;,',;"*'" .185(i, that wiLs lin tiiuo ] w ■ i , , , ,', •, „ '"■ "'"' ""' ™^>' m Jicl iH.t „ay 'lougor iu tile Ji; ^it!""""'' """ ' '""'' *''<-' 1«''^- I A/i,."'T".5i;jXunjt^::sl;l,it,t.* '»- I eouM They Q. When did the lirdt crush take phi ii-^hed. ^^'i' A. I ,.oidd not FIRES rx PJCTOr MINES. ]r) fr \i i t ■ ■ ■ I ■ ■ iw n^n as I Q. What (oniiPctiDns woif Ihorc liotwopii tile liv nil .,n,l il,„ I • nf n ' Ti i<' • •. "" "]"" S"^^^^-'''y would n,n fn,,,, one to No. 2 and Ihon No. ]. ' ' ^^"- '^' toll ym,.^^'"' "'"'' ""•'' ^""■•■'''" "''"^'^ ^'^^•'^^ '^'^'^-^ A- I <-ould not not^^'. ^^'''' '^''^""' ^'"•' ''"'■■' *''^' '•^'^^""' ^"'^' *hero? A. I cokM thed;iI^o';;ip'"i''"y;.";r '" ^''^l^"/l>"^ >-» -.-o l, it in rnc o i ny p.t . a. 1 cs there was a tiro in it, hut I was not in It at 11,0 t.n.o. I was at tho back n)inos about that timo! Q. r>o you know what tho tiro oiio-inated fronr- A Kn Q. Was thcro a Hi'o in it boforo the vonr l>ifii h-i,,.., d i l Ro...i,o .,,,1 JrcKonzk. ,vo,... lost? A Tlil'^l^ ; T , ^ '" 7."; explosion in it. I was in it at the time. m,/ri ^?V'''' *''/ r'""' '''"^'"''^^^ "^t^'^' tli^- explosion? A Vo^ ^hc did not do much harm, ^'^^ Q. What were those men doino? A. Nioht watchmen Thi« oxp osion I inoan was a body of ^.s cati^ht otl"^ nian^f h Z" '" Q. Ihen there was nnotiior explosion there Iron, a su'.t after tliat.'' A. 1 do nof remember. ""i. .moi Q- What lime was it you went to the Ca<^c Dit? V r, 4 there shortly after she was sunk. ° ^ ' ^ ''""''^ Q. Then I suppose you worked a oood deal in tho Caoo nit v A. I worked m it pretty much from the time she was sunk? Q. I remember you workino- i„ the Ca.ire pit in 1871 ? A. Y(.s, Q. What ptirt of the Cage pit did vou wovk in |.,.t "^ \ Tn,l,^n 1 I oouM not readily tell you which part of it I ,1,1 'if t'. ■ u second bord next to thc^railway. \ worked on'lhe'n-hv^Toidt;!;^ drive, a head and lake a piece out, then drH^e llthe^^lu.^^"::!;! tliS Q. Do you remember buildino- a piece of the Cao-c nit oH'? A Yes. I worked in the whole of it, all through it. ' ^• plan) ? I remiiKl lliem building i( niY for (ire or somelhiuo- " Q. Vcm never did Miiy shin work in tho Cao-,. ,, it V a x: Very little. A few shifts. Occasional simt wok.' 1 ..orkdJu in FIIMCS IN PICTOIT MIMCS. Ill {III the Ctiire l)it wlu'i o it is hiiilt olF. 1 do not know ilio ciuiso of tlio Kro. 1 do not know whether it Wii.s caused by an ex[)lo.sion. I do not know the. time when it was built ofl' now ; it U a good spell. Q. You worked in the old By pit on the Hlant.s on the south side? A. No I worked on the north s-idc. Wm. ITall worked next to niP. I do not think the lire in the ca to ^et tL tools/ I .b\ J ilk T/ " ^'Oyavd. in tho or 170 yards. "'' '^ ''''^ " ^^'<^>'^ distance— IfiO 10-9'. '''''^" t'j^.y continued workino slants Q- I^id those slants crush 9 A TSTn ti,^ i . ,. frush. She WIS lost in ]8fi „„,r* ^''"^"^ ""'""t^ '^"^ "ot She uas on tire fron tl e I tsJ o ^.^1 '7'' ^- V^"!^^^' ••^^■'^''' t^'^'^- 1801. Then they let the Kivei In ^ "^' ""'''^'^ "*' J''""''^-, Th^haJ:;^j;:L^;:^t^z;r ^^^s t""^ ^'^^ '^'^^ ^^ i>^^- Sid/?- /'i.n;^,r;'S^^%^^ ^'^^ t'^^^ t-- ^"« "-•"> was on tire the summci-^oV S a1 '^ ''t'V" ^'''>'' ^^''l' ••'"''' out about four feet of hottoni c^.l ti'\" ^"^«^?'^^"'l t'^cj took vospect to thcthiclcLssSre if u°.s ;^^^ *'"'?"S'^- ^^''^'» Avaa 42=V feet. Tliev t on 1 9 f \ «• ., "^'^ '" *''^ «'<' % I"'t it 27 feet in the Dalhousie pit. '' "^ ''^' *"^' ' '''^'^^^^ ^h^ coal '» the Ca,e pit. I .orke!l ^^tlyt the old B^o X ' '""' '"' tHeieSLS"."^^t.;?t'::^f;^^ ^- -- «fto?;h<^;;dcS'1wJ:l"^f*'^^^^^^^^^ ^- ^-orkedinher a.>outthen..,xi .^;rt;:::isL't.;:ii:^^ -^^^ ^^^^^^ - Q. Dnl that crush spoil much of the nit 9 A Tf -n ,. the , ,,, ,v™i-i„g.. And 'next tUII .gah. I X'kcUhcrc ' '""'" "" connoctoj It. ' " "^''- *■ '""''"'8' '"»' i' "'here tl.cy '^' i,!^/™lJ'''?;,.;;!y!':"^«..':'''''''» ,;•'»' y"''«i(y a. no; I know where it is hnidino- above it 1 Avorkcd down on tho same landing and the 1ft FIRKS IN PICTOU MINES. Q. In tho Dalhoiisio pit, wlioro did tlioy worii llio tliit k coal to its full hoi<;ht? A. Tlit-y workod 12 foot otf tho top, then 1ft foot of bottom nftcrvvard.'^. Q. Accoi-dinj>: to thtit tho Dulhouiiio pit i.s doanod out? A. Yes ; it \h pretty well. There is a lot of coal helow No. ft landiiijr yet. Q. Did they lake all tho coal out in the dip workinjjs? A. No, sir, only between !> and 10 feci from stone to stone. AUor she crushed we worked some oi)on cast places to the rise. Q. What p t of the Ca^rc pit did you work in? A. The last place was away in by the buck. It was i;i taking diit them pillnrs. Q. Vou were the first man I saw in the Cage pit (Mr. (filpin) ? A. Yes. n. Do jou know anything about that part of tho (ago pit whi 1 was buii* oil" on account of the tire? Yes, sir, I worked th' i'3 at one of thoar pillars. Q. How many balances was it in from tho brake? A. It was n long ways In. It was just about where the balance was started. The tirst balance was driven up through the ribs. There were Hve bords on the tirst balance. Q. Did you take the i)illars out clean there in that section of tho Cago pit? A. Yes. Thoio wore four or Hve of us workin<>- abreast. "^ Q. Do you know anything about that tiro in tho Cage pit? A. I do not know unless it came by the roof falling up to the Foster pit. Q. Do you think it was spontaneous combustion? A. Cannot say. Q. Do you ever remember the slack heating in the Ca^e pit? A. I do not know ; I cannot say that I did. ° Q. Did you ever see any tire in tho mine— did you see the face of the coal burning? A. I saw many tires in the pit I have seen the face of tho oal burning. I have soon it at one place about tho size of a lai ^j blaze when wo went to breakfast and when we came ))ack again alter breakfast it was about half the size ot this i)uil '':.'^. Q. What nnkes you think that the tiro in the Caoo pit wis caused by tho roof falling to th seam above? A. That ia the only way I can think of. Q. Where di'^ i ire in the seam above come from? A I cannot toll v--. ^hc i'Vt.r pit tire was in 1870. Q. ^"\en you would suppose that that fire in tho Foster nit had ,, .nt up to tho crop enough to come over to where those 1)1 liars were drawn in the Cage pit? A, Yes : it wojit \m l\m»M\ the old Dalhousio workings bocliuse it was connected. • '^ Fiitics Fx purroii minks. 10 Q. You worked ill the Foonl pit too? A wovk(.,l ,n l.,.i- fVoni tho timo «ho opctuul ui) first was M. mWK I u(„Uo(l there until Jhe was ost. ' Yes, .sir. I Tho lirst tiro Q. What wa. tha height of the e,m! in tho Foord pit? A rUf^y wmke, U atall heights there. I have heen in phices w ero i tiie wml- ;!!;"* '"" *•!'' ''*''"'" ^"' ^''^ •lifl'orenco in the thickness of • al I f ;;:r'i' '";,"7^^""^ "^" ^.'''""'"^"^ a. n was an good ^wn in thi; Flli'l -r"" ' ''''' '" '''^''"" ''■^''"^^"' Q. Where did yon • ork tho coal thinner? A. Wo inst took ;K.igi;;s;;'S;^vi.^ir^^^--^'"'^'''''^-^^^-"^ to the of th, Foster pit. I was not in the Foster 1 Men ,t was stopped. The c.,ai was drawn through the main slant, ()y a gin. Jrom the cross-cut it would ))e 78 or 80 yards down i.p to the slant. ^ Q. Those workings in the tusVuv pit cominir to the e.'ist worn ip the toi, coal? A. Yes. m* yld li ft. coal. ' It was called" tlio •' rt. .J in. by ii woman. 80 FIHKS [N I'KTOir .>»IM.:,S. |<'l)alunj«.o,„ i' A. lHau'U«.,.!pn.,so.lih It was i„ tl... 14 hk'm :. P 7"'*'.^" " r^'^y ^»"y- ' ^an .-n tho Cago pit at tlio innc tho I'o.stci pit wiis lont. thn^*^' ^\''"^ '!""' "^ «t"PI>'»ff« wore they jimt wlioio tliov ii ulo tl o„noct..>n he w.-en (ho Foster pit a.ul llle Duih.u.sic pk? A. Icanuo say anythinj; about that. They had a roa.t they used to .vol through there 1 think the hoh/.-.n, throu,H. sumk, ot the • , J.,! "7" '"'•^' '^ '"" '" ^''^' "•"'» '*'^'^"' <>*' tl'O Foste ,.it. It was M, 18.1!) the Store pits were lost. Tho reason the lirst t o wa nu.so'?'• '' "'"." "^'"" »•"■"'-• OV-- tl.0 ri;cr. A UJa(. vnood, Marshall and i.yneh went down to ch'an the roads It lio knd a 1 Iv n^^i • r^ \'"''' "'."? ''"»"t-I5«''li'^n,in Miths Dani.l Ncio Htaited in 18.37. No. 2 was down in ].s;}« to the eoal and tho and Jini Ke(,wn ancl a man hy tlu. name of McK,>n/ie were killed McKenz.o was blown 100 yards from the pit mouth. Q- How much did thoy pay you a cuhic yard? A I re iiaiiowwoik. I have seen 98 cents paid for level. Q. After this explosion you were just tellin.^ us that thov used to draw coal from, hut the three bottom pit. did not work <1 More „ts f A. It was only one pit the old Store „it Vcrosa the river there ,.s a dam to keep the water back. ^ Q. After they worked tho store pit they left a Inrrior ih..r tl.o httle nvor. I h„v„ hoc, up t„ (ho p|„eo. I think tl„'t ,l' ',„ it FIKK.s IN PICTOll MINKH. 21 nxfr^:V"8iH n^ -- If " the, St.... pitM then. The tmti. uhr (,,.oi-oKHl|)uth,n,it tluiZout °" '^'""■" "■'" " i'''"^" "'■o™ """■--■ 1 ' '^ to the loet of lvo.^ih;^sJer^t? T"X!".!" ^'^ ^""'^"^"« i^'^ ""^^' ^^ -»•- Alexandkii McDoN/Li>-Callod ami testified as follow.^ : you^^.;s Sh/ct'witt-r^ ""'''"* '^'^^ '^? «'"^^ ' '^-v does it strike f^^'"\ ''?,.'''"«. y.'thin your own recollections? A. Yes sir T think It falls w.thin my own recollections. l^es, sn. I Q. You do not go as far back as Mr. Lcnnon? A. No sir DalLsi^X' ''" "^^ '"'''"' ""■'"^" '^"'^^ ^' I"' the Q. What part of the pit? A. I began as a trapper hoy. Q. You do not know anything about the Dalhousio ? A. 22 FrKKS IN PICTOIT MINES. Northing. I was only a boy there. I was taken in the summer of Q. When you got to the Cage pit you started cutting coal? A, I was too good a boy to cut coal. Q. You cut some coal in the Cage pit? A. No, sir, I did not cut any coal m the Cage pit, but I cut coal in the Foord pit. Q. I suppose you were more ; jquai.itcd with the Cage pit, Q. We have been trying to find som'ething about that fire in the Cage pit built off in the west along the railway level ? I do not know about that-I was not here at the time it happened. war£ iiai7;s?'°A: T^:' "" '"'' ^'"-""'^ ^"" '''''-' '^^"t-- Q. What did they have at the head of the break? A. I did afterwards"* '*^l'P^"g« '^ys^'^- I ^'we traversed those stoppings Q. You went down the dip slant and up through ? A. I went down the travelling road at that time. Q. In going down this slant of the Cage pit, you say you saw no signs of fire ? A We saw where the ivo had been. ^Tupposc there would be ten feet of coke there. ' ^ Q. You did not get down to the iron doors? A. No. The tire was all out, but just the burnt coke was there. Tuesday Evening, May 14th, 1895. John Douglas— was duly called and testified as follows : Q. Can you tell us about any of the workings here besides the Cage pit; did you work in any ot the older pitsV AT worked down in the By pit. i ^v. i T> 9''- fJl<^"*^^^'^t time did you commence working there 9 A Back in 1858. *= You have heard what the other witnesses have told us Q. add to that. A. I might just say in connection here that it was r •;\'^/''?^ there were two places when it was drove froniTite ay pit to the Dalhousie, that connection was in the big coal there. Q. Did they make that connection on purpose > take the horses from the Dalhousie to the By pit. A. Yes, to tho nInn-?^'T '"7' t"" '"'''" ^ '" 'T'"'^ connections according to the plan.^ A. I only remember them— two bein- drawe-l Tn .NO. 1 level oi Daliiousie they came through. At the time the dunu) came through it was walled off. There was a drift from tl.e c'K'c FIRES IN PICTOU MINES. 2H ^rhen they knockc» "--^ ^^'-oe? '^ A. To the face of the Q. You worked on until you got to ''' railroad bord. nor3' , "''v«y"^^ '^ny itlea what year that was? A 1S79 «,. 1873 when we stoi;ped there-speaking from memory ^ ""' Q. When did you commence to draw the nillnro „„+ c .. balances? A. There were some pi Ss akenou^t flf tf^^ (About two squares of work back from the iace of the fevel.; "'* Q. This plan has the pillars marked on here in fhnf i i ba ance They do not seenJ to have been a drtW D "^ th,nk that, ^correct? A. I do not think the iln -"f ^ wr^^^^T hink ,t IS for this reason, she fell through to the sean" above^^n] kind of stopped the progress of taking out the pillars Q. Owing to the coal tailing and filling, your idci is thnf t^ . IS the reason you did not clean^ut all these^'"illi sV f '' Wo should have succeeded ,1, taking up the pillars had not the damn =c{ ir^l;;ai=!,:'^ '^ '''^'- ^'^ ^^^-P oomini'^^..tg£ Q. and that it fell through to tile uppe^si^n^lu ^^f^tm": have you any idea what balance you first noticed that in ^ A ^f/ was the outer balance on the main level of the Cage pit. Q. What step did they take when they iuuiul thorn w« - i coming in ? A. The next step taken was ti il, i Ln n / '^**""P come back ami build olf alongside the big break '"^ ^"'''' ""'^ 24 FIRES IN PICTOIT MTNES. Q. You ,s!.y thitt your recolloction is thaf you stopped thero ecau^o then, wa.s dan.p whi<-Ii ],ad co.no throt.i^h fro.n' S^ Joo? 11 ng to the seam above ; are you sure of thatf A. I have a pretty good idea that it was so. ^- x iia.\e a Q. Coidd it have been the heating of any of the pillars thnt ZZ "t'"^' r "' "" ^'"'^ "*"' '''' ^^-'^ ? A. If tl eel ad be, more evidence to .support it you would have thought that to e tl'o case. I notice*. ^'•'^ve been some water from the upper level o the Cage pit seam? A. No, sir. The redness of '^^ho wa er and Its foxy appearance led me to believe it was standing water. « ^^ .T''^ l"-T V'"^ '^ ^''"^ **"'" fi»"«t balance? A. I think it was in this first balance. "^ Q. Wfiat was the nature of the fiilling? A. Caved. Q. What wiLs the material? A. Shale. There is "only I-)? than no'T"/'^' *^^;? ^^'""«, of material. I doubt that was mo^e than 130 feet-pretty much all shale. As it fell undoubted lit slid down an ang e of 18 dcorees Tho fim wn." li -^ seam. The fire was not in the sSe! ''"' '" '^'' ''^^''' Q. Was the water in the upper seam slant? A. The water was there I think there Avas about 130 feet between them T ^pings. In fuct I thought we w^IS^oi^^^f ,1^;!;;^^;;: rnc.oniff^^''\T'''^''""^" ^f ^"^'thing heating the coal in the Cage pit ? A. No I cannot say. I do not thfnk the coal would by spontaneous coml)ustion. would Q. Well, how did you build that fire off-you sav the mino bord was there opposite the bi.r break? A M.»» , . first; putting the itWping in there fitt:' thly le'^r'^V to'S he water as it came out to see the temperature of i". ^ ^^^le niTne bord was a ong there, that is the first stoppinr., the we follnul^ up alongside of the big break. The stopr^ii^gs^ ve e I It o sZu and^lime; the one on the road was bJi/t of brick and the ^J^?;;: \ % V'^u-ri'^''^ "}' "^''*^ '^''^ y^'' «"nti"»c up to the cron? Q. What was the object of turning the air flu« .v.v' 4 Less stoppings woie needed. Wo had one' on the nirm.„V ^ Tl was a stopping a<-ross the back balance too. '^' ^ '"'"" FIRES IN PICTOIT MINES. 2.') Q. •Aftorj'.^uhuiltitoJraulyou sco imy dami) in tliu return tUi.'ro.'' A. No. It was six months boforo wc finished the stopping. Q. Those ,st()i)pings wore examined and found in good order m.ti the toord pit trouble? Yes. Tliey appeared tf^ me to I.e good until tliiit accident at tiie Foord pit. At least wv found them so— Mr. Poole and sevc«-al of his subordinates. Wo went down that way and found them all right. One was leaking but the rest were all good before the explosion (The stoppings.) Q. What explosion do you refer to? A. The last explosion. Iho explosion in the slopes. Q. AVhich one of the stoppings was it that was leakinf^^ A ihe second one down from the head of the 1)reak. I was into th-it stopping. It was l)uilt of black stone. What caused it to leak was a little break in it. That was shortly before the explosion in the third seam, Q. Taking your opinion that that fire in the Cage pit was due to the ta ling ot the upper seam, have you any reason to think that that hre has extended in the Cage pit to the crop— had it worked un through the level to the top of the big break, up to the top of these crop workings? A. During the explosion of the third seam she came out along the crop ; therefore I have reason to believe it came up there. There was a hole three or four hundred yards from the present working:? and she blew there strong. Q. Did you notice anything before the explosion in the third seam? I did. That is the Meyaugliton hole. 1 observed several days before that the dust was coming up strong in this hole from the blast in the thud neam. There was a great velocitv in the currenl and I roiiorted it, and the tire came up theie in the explosion- therefore it must have extended in the Cage pit crop? Q. Was it dust or heat came through the hole? A. It ai)i)earo(l to be little fine particles of coal thrown up 8 or lo" feet high. It continued for a few days. Q. And shortly after that there was a explosion in the third Hcam — was that felt along the crop of the Cage pit seam? A. Yes. Because McNaughton's hole was in the Cage pit seam. (I. Then what do you sup|)ose are the present conditions of the w(nkings u[) there at the croj) now— have you any reason to think tliere is any fire ill it? A. Possiljly. Q. At the time this dust was blown up, was it before you fouml that stopping leaking? A. The stopping was leakino- first. The damp was coming out, not drawing in. ' '^ Q. You were in the third seam at the time of the explosion ? A. Yes. I was the manaijcr. Q. How long after was it you got the fiill in the 8rd seiim before you got that panel built olf? A. It might be two weeks. 2() FIRES IN PICTOU MINES. Ti* T?' ^"»/ f'"^^'^ ^'^'•' t'^"^"^ -'^''"o off <»f tUi^L from thin holo of MclSaughtoiLs duiino the time that this fall was open In tho Srd soain? A. Ics. Wc fouud it that way at iMcNaughton hole, feometinies it would be drawing hi and sometimes it would be givin^r ? VVo intended to go back to that break in the wall, but it was too late. The explosion took place soon after that— the explosion in the drd pit seam. I never got a chance of seeing those stonpin^ra after that explosion. ii o ^ Q. What caused that explosion in the third seam? A There IS reason to believe that she fell through to the Cage pit scam. There were 100 feet between the third seam and tho Cage pit soam- turther out it measures thinner 50 or (50 feet. Q. What caused the tiro to fall through from the 3rd to the 2nd seam. ^ A. Taking the pillars out from the 3rd. Q. You were there when they made the connection to tho l^oord pit r A. Yes. Q. Am r right in saying that you started near the bottom of Uie Engine plane and drove back the slant to the south and then went straight down the hill? A. Yes, on the south side of the iSeifmet uT '^'"'' '^^''" ^^ '*^'^''"^' *'^^° ^'^^ *^"°^'^1 .u3\' ^^'^^^^^'^ ;^«i-« the iron doors? A. At the bottom of the Foo d ni^ti '-V"^' ^'''\ "^y^' that accident occurred in he Foord pit the idea was that the explosion came up, all up hero (indicating on the plan ) . Have you any reason to bdieve Xt the It came that way (connection between Foord pit and Cage i,it ) Fov two weeks after the explosion in the Foord pit we ti-iecf to c^et down tins way to the iron doors and we could It get more ^fan a f way down the engine plane, and next day we found that to iet down .sT^' ""''';f "^^ """^ S^"^"^ «*^'^"g«^' «"^l ^ve co^d n^ w^Vlownih! ^ T'T'^ i"""^ ''"" ">^"""g Mr. Stuart and I bouomrsla^e. ^'"'^ '"' ''' '''' '''^ ^^ ^ --^"""^^ ^^ ^lio .?' ., IL^ n.!?!^".!■ '\^"»d>"tio" p to moisture were the workin S^ A. We had a . - ' " -.^..wiwuii ui, lu 'noisiure between the Cage i)it slant and the Foord pit' moderate quantity of >vater. " theS'.l-^'Z^I^'^"' f '^wr"'! 'f "^' ^^'"''^ l^'t ^'^P'^'^i^"' ^vere uiese Slants wet .-' A. T think it was about 150 ■ ■■" ">■= lo'vov (Up FIKKS IN PlCTOtr MINES. 27 the pit bottom . [od. CThc We wont out of the pit five minutes before it A. Steps were taken Yes. The ortU'i- was explodod. (The Cage pit.; Q. After you got out whiit did you do? then to put down gas — carbonic acid -ot in it agam? A. Shortly before the explosion in 1887. *' Q. When you got down to see it how did it look? A. looked favorable. That was some years after the explosion, Q. Do you think there is any fire in the Cao-o pit? A present it would be in the extreme crop workings" to the west. IS possible there might bo. Q. You told us that you were in the By pit for a while? It At It Ye A. Q- I notice on the plan that there is a head marked !is bein« Uriven up into that ban ierbetwoen the Stair pit to the Stone pit° but not put all the way through— do you know anything about that? A. Ihereisonly one on the south side from the Dalhousie pit bottom (Roys.) I know nothing al)out th.it head beincy driven mto that barrier at the Staii pit. ° Q. Do you remembei anything about these workings driven under the river? A. They were driven before I came. 1 was never in them. 12 chains east of the Dalhousie pit i)ottom iMr. Scott put the head through to the Burnt mines. They had been on hre previous. They were standing when I was 'in them— not crushed. I am inclined to think that they were driven bv Scott to take the water down there— to take away the surface water ; they were driven before I came hero. Q. Were you in the Foster pit at all ? A. Very little. I was never in it during the time they >vere drawing coal. I was in a little spell when they were drawing water. Keeping the water down. Q. Did you see any fire coming doAvn there — coming down the Cage pit engine plane? A. Wo saw the mateiial coming down which indicated that the fire wtis not far off. It had been Imilt ofi in the third seam after the explosion, where we had been robbiu'^ the pillars. . ° Q. What was the reason you thought that the explosion came from the Foord pit? A. It was Sunday when she exploded. We tried on Monday or Tuesday to got down ; we met fumes of damp coming ui). After the explosion in J;he Foord pit the fumes were like a shower. We went down tho G ige pit slant 3 or 4 days after, it was kind of drip))ing Uko, showerv. Tlie explosion was cositiiu'd chielly to tho south sid© of the Foord pit. These iron doors wore l)ut there to discoiinciit the two pits. Finally it was determined by 2H FlUKH IN PJ( TOU MIXKS. tho iiiaiiiijj^eiiuMit to take u si)lit of aii- d own and supply tlu>so l)ord,s. The ( IS we wt'iit alonj;. Sonic of tho men in' tho \voikin feet thick. We worked about 12"feet. Wo generally worked aI)out 12 feet of ^rood coal. The lop and hottom was a little coarse. About two feet on tlie toi) was a little coarse. Q. Did you do tmy work in the four feet seam? A. Wo drove down abort 15 chains in the four feet seam. There was some opening at the pit bottom, but they found the to^) was bad. Q. Was there any other opening in the four Ibet ^eam ? A. It was pierced outside of the brake to see if it was any good there, but they decided not to work it. ^ o > Q. yViXs there any coal worked out of the Cage pit bottom in ' he tour tect seam? A. Yes; about a chain in 'length, the roof being bad they closed it and went below. Q. Are you pretty familiar with these old pillars in the Ca<'c pit; IS there any coal to be got oul of it? A. It would be mo7-e like picking the Hesh otf of a skeleton. There were no pillars drawn out down tho slant. They stand lirm. Q. The pillars to the rise o^ «he railway level in the Ca"e i)it and between the Cage pit and t... : %>• brake", are there any pilhirs in there worth working, above the i. -m level ? A. There is consid- eiablc coal there, but the idea comes in here men cannot work without Iresh a,r, ami to bring air in to supply those uien what oflect would It have on the upper seam. Q. I am asking you, from a statistical point of view, are thev lai|e enough and numerous enouo-h, provided they could i>t out, to pay .-' A. It could not be done m a remunerative way. Q. What sized pillars did you leave iu there? A. Verv little more was left in than what was taken oul. ^ Q. Was more left than taken out? A. A little. The bords were from !.:> to U ioet, crosscut sometimes 2 and i] chains. Q. What was the condition of the pillars in the western section before robbing them? A. Tliey were standing about two ve ' Ilie percentage of slack was large. Worked only 7 or 8 feet I i h' .}Jh 'V;^^^"» ^O!'"*! thi« fire at the bottom of the Caoe ,,11 you closed up the Cage pit and commence,] putting gas in? "a * r^. Q. How Urn. did you keep (hat up? A, Al.uul a month' r!!u>)s. or mnro ' "louiii, pe or more. Ill' FIKE8 IN IMCTOU MIXES. on ajrmn, Q. After yon stoi)i)cHl No. I)utting it in did you try to oi)ea it Q. How long did you lot it .stand? A. Aftci a while tho tiro was t uoiitenmo; to come uj). It was not ellectual. Then wo lilled the sluUt with ashes and let it stand. A7e filled it u,, above tho door heads. Ih.ui wo did not get in until prior to the explosion in Q. Can you toll mo why you did not attempt to get into tho soam heloro that? A. We started to explore after that for coal ; previous to that the third seam was not known, and we looked around lor coal and we dropped on the third seam, and l,v Mr o^ on' Iho' h'-'T ''' ^'^* '''^'*^ '"" ""' '"^ '"■«^^' ""til wo got opened w: f . r r^ '"''"V "?. ""' *'^^" '^^■«'^- T^'^'^ third seam varies. VVo got It hrst near tho Cage pit 7 feet 9 inches; now it is 12 feet I was aetmg under Mr. Euthcrford ; ho told me to explore for eoal and I went to work. I did not know that tho third seam was in nateiud alongside there, and wo considered that there must I,o eoal not tar oti ; before noon I saw six feet of coal. Next mornin.^ Mr. loolo came to mo and he said he thou-ht it was U feet seain and . turned out 7 feet inches. Wiion it was found tJiat t w of value the plan was shifted west. Wo could not get a slope there without getting on to the Acadia Coal Co.'s property, anocause your etlbrts wore concentrated on the third nh A ^h" ' "" >n^- jnat.on to devote any effort to the Cage . A. Ihero was an ellort made at the fan shaft of the Foord mo'tim? tvVr" ''' '''-■' T"' i« ''^" '^''^ ""t yonder, at tho simo time thatl was opening tho slopes. Wkdnesday, May 15th, I8i»5. Iresent-Mr. Gilpin, Mr. Mitchell, and Mr. Madden Isaac CoNWAY-Called and testitied as follows :_I be-v^n fo work a he Albion Mines about 1854 or 1855. I began as a oy! Ml. Cl.sh employed me hrst In the top pit. Tho ton pit out b-u^c ho mines The top pit of the iaihou.ie. Nol S/l ngl' lut pit. I did not know anything about the main levels of that pit I was a boy at that ago and did not take very much intere 1 thmk the coal was worked in the Dalhousie down as far a No 9 landing, winch is pretty well gutted out. .Some of the coal w.s d ove under wha wo call an umbrella roof; there were two eet f bad coal left and wo worked about 18 or 1!) feet underneath h and ho ten. seam was worked 9 feet ^ inches to 10 feeT. Wo h not drive the work mgs underneath the same, as in the bords above Ihe men at that nne trie.I to deceive tho bosses ; the men would ;;'l> on the high ..do instead of the lower side, in . nier 1,^" 'e Ihcm in order to have a good soft snap. 30 FIK1<:S IN PICTor MINICS. Q. Were those workings out of the bottom coal, was it general over all this distiict, al)ovo the level of the Dulhousie clown to No. 9? A. Yes, down to No. 9 it was; the imttom coal was pretty nearly all worked out. John Patrick said that some of the miners told him that the mine was going to crusii. Ho let it crush. It was not long after that nntil she did crush. I do not know very much of the workings hclow No. 9 landing. I have been down as far as No. 5. I know the slants connected with the Foord pit. There was one pit sunk from the surface right through the Dal- housio to the Cage pit, and I have been at the side of it. They did not drive it underneath the I)()ttom of tlie main sli ift of the Dal- liousie, as far as I know. I only went there and just looked down. 1^ was trapping, and looked over. It was sunk into the Cage pit. There is a tunnel which goes into the Cage pit. Q. The tunnel from the Cage pit, does that go out to the Dal- housic winding shaft? A. It is cither the winding shaft of the Dalhousie or the other one, whore the water came through from the Dalhousio into the Cage pit, and used to hoist the water from the Cage pit. I have cleaned the drift out myself. Q. Do you know anything yourself personally about any con- nections between the Dalhousie and the old By pit to the oast? A. If you show me the plan I think I can. I used to drive down there at the landing No. 9. The back slope of the plan is not correct. Q. What was their idea in having that back slope ? A. To have air for here. Q. Was there any connection between the Dalhousie workino-s and the By pit workings, at the Dalhousie pit bottom? A. Yes; there used to be a road where they used to take in the horsesi This back slope is not indicated on the plan. (Mr. Conway submits that there was a connection between the top railroad board of the By pit w^orkings and the board on the east side of the Dal- housie slant, although it is not so marked on the plan.) Q. Was there any connection further down to the dip. A. Yes ; one below No. 8, on the right hand. I drove there right into the old By pit workings. I was a boy, and there was a gatS thoie. ihis"^place_here we supposed to bo drove through. I have been there and saw where the gate was up, but tiid not go throuf^h. These i)laccs were driven through into the top coal. I do not know who drove them. I was there driving for the men. Q. Do you know of any connection with the old Store pit from the Dalhousie pit? A. Yes. The south side of the Dalhousio pit is wholly clean through. Wo used to run through there for a mile or a mile and a halt— it used to run clean through. I used to see a couple of dead horses lying here. The old dead horses wore in the Store pit workings. Q. Was t!nMv :wy i;mi)i-.['um lower dowii witii the Dalhousio? (I. I see apparently a connection marked there — do you know FIRES IN rrCTOIT MINKS kn'ow when I Toftlho I)',il,™,'Ji'„ , ';,"'"" t- ""' 1'!" '.''"'"^ ' ''■"• "o not where they ,„.. If I wa» ..own i„ the nTf ioll ,'otTl,em "'™ Q. That is in the workings outside 9 Ypm >.;,. n^i b,g l„eak. The top b.^euk &M be „ two eh i,', l7hir,- ":" too elose there (as indieatod on plan). McN™| t™'/ i i ' '" hole to the surface 10 or I > ft „, I f^nth,^ ,''?'" '™' " a short way out. The top w L Z ..utt d , p t'fo V""f '^'"\ i""''" be mneh good nntil yon eame to th? oad Ke t™ T''" ?"' out. All those top workings were °u ted out P ' 1'""^ ^T>^ the inside of the 'big break they a° dV °ood pm ." "'^,"""' ,?' seeond balanee iu the Ing break tLy <«.i.:STjn^-Ko:Zm o„ts'i5ioonl;2\wrru-eaks?''"I!«Veir;'l;lrewt ^°^' T. !™''-" some 15 ft., 12 ft., 10 ft., and so o,"!'' 'S ^nrhelfh'tr'''''^""'- Q. What was the bottom coal like^^ A TK , ^-i anyth ng below the free coal. The bottoar;;oJ ul ^''^ T^ ^^ very best. They could not -o anvthinl Li Z' ^"od-tho Anything that was^nfevior^v?.s^;uroif7the top! '''' '''' '""'- Q. There was sonic coal left on tho hr,vas U, It. In the Foord pit there were some places 21 ?t. "" Q. What sort of roof was 1 here there? A. Fine roof i 32 FIRES FN PKrrOTT MINF^S. f ; When yon >roi ovcrythin«r Q. How I. Anotthmk (here is uny lire in the crop alon-.side of (he l,i.r Q, Do you think tliere is sufKcient coal in those pillars t(. Avarrant an expenditure in tryin- to get them out? A. Ves If I had *ino,()0() I uould put it down that I wouhl get these pillars clu^noo." "''^■'' ^''''^ ^"" "^''''■' ''" ''^''' ''' '^'''-'' ""*1 ^ ''»vca Q. But this is friendly Imsiness? A. It is all friendly, hut it is not friendly when it comes to the pocket. J' ^ 'i- Q. What is the distance hetween here and thoro? A One mile and a quarter. Q. Wcmid the pillars be good tow-ards the dip? A. All -ood from hehondot theinsHle l.ig hreak out to thi pit l.o(loi,rand ' rom the crop to he di,,. There were no pilla-s taken out in Xhrwl^ '"'"' ''"^' *'' '^''' "'"^ *'"'" ^''" '"- ''''^'''^ <" ^!'° «. After you got through at the Foord i)it did you cro hack to he Cage pit? A. I worked at the Fofore the explosion. The Cage pit has not been worke.l for 4 T 'l/?''\ , , T ^" '}'"''' *'' "'"I"' '" *'^« ^^'^fjc pit- The furnace Shalt should he on (he right hand side going down (at Roy's S lo e ) We started to drive that slope from 2 to 3 months before^ the explosion ,n lie third seam to make a connection with the travellii c' s ope-S to !» lee high ; we got three bonis of old Kerr's Morl , "^ there when we started then,. These workings were in the c ial above the (urnace sl-.a t m the free coal ; the scam was there ; theio wore workings Iverr drove there in olden times. il Where did you stop driving that slope? A. Wo worn only (iny.ng to the lurnme pit from the surface pit to the furnace on a contract. Muiiinc luit it One i'nn^rino that tl *c nt^liros . t Z 7 /' r""'^^'\"^''»- »"t I whilo to kindle up. '' "'*^ woik.n^r.. I( (.-Uvos a Ion- I wiul.l I?ai;ouuin./vr;;r ;!'"^^'"^ '- ^^Imm. yon loft hy Yc«. The an. on^ne ^i! !o's to ih!fi"T;;; ^H'l;'^^ "i;,,:'- !^ •"-.:: tii(M)thcr way seemed to .'<» ,!,>», :. ♦ . Vr ' l«« fur eomin«> ".-lo .t conn^Uion !n o U.^ ,if ';; '" ^I- ^'T "'^- ^^'''"" ^^ out like cloud.s. I"i 'l< ii.n." <|u -k. r iw steam rollimr Q- Was there imv troiddo in lim .ir 4\ i ' ' ""■ "• "">■•' »'".'<■ "o™ .:iu,„,!,t;;!i';m:thrc.,;;:; ,',!r '°" ..^L.'!:;::o:;:;:!i^;;;;.ril.s^,;;:'''«'''"^ ^^^ "-«- «;....■..,.. . ,., ,0 root, ,v„ w«.e t,,u„:;":,;, ti,^,;.;."'t:ri,,'"„;;; ;;;' ""K .roim Di:n„ar w.„ cl,al,„„ttl,ookll!vi,it " """ '■<''"™"'"' ."..vMnnK ..it ii i^'o^li s;;:,.!:'; ■r.^'x:'T,:;';,;:r;,:;»i;T;„:-«- '"» "^ ^^ Where did you Avork alter you left Mitit were you doina? A. I worke.l ..<=.. i->. i , coal cutter, ^^^>|^0(l as a loader and as a M FIHFS IN PrCTOr MINES. 41 (i. Coiiwiiy spoken of wfmt tlicy rjillcd n l»iu'k sliiiil in flic Dal- hoiiHic, do you voiuciulMjr fhat ? A. Tlicro wcio two Hlimts. il. What WHS tho nnino of tho one tlie engine wnn on? A. The Engine Pliino. il. Where wu,«i the other? A. Tiic Hr«t part of tho shmt wan to tjjo east of the Kn;j:iuo Plane; afterwards it wna to the went. 1 cannot say the distance (h)wn. Q. Do you know wlicther that dip shmt or plane thai wont lo tho east ran from the pit liottoni, or did it join the Kngine Plane? A. It ran to tho shaft level. Q. Are you familiar with the plan ol th<' Dalhousie pit? A. No. Horses took the coal from these Ijonis on the levels tuid thev Know nothing about that level. were brought to the engine plane (The one to the oast.) Q. Do you know of any connection hetwce.i that barrier in tho Dalhousie and the % pit workings? A. There were some con- nections made. A. Never. I was never in Q. Wore you ever in them? whore the connection was made. Q. To the rise of the Daliiousie pit about tho top pit was thoro any connection with tho old Store pit mines? A. It is said there was. Q. How much of the Dalhousio pit was worked out to f'o full coal ♦ he height of the coal? A. I caiinot say as to the (luunt Yos. 1 have been taken out. There were a numbei of coal bords worked Dalhousie pit, but to what extent I do not recolloft. Q. Were you ever in tho Foster pit? A. in the Foster pit. Q. Were you in tho Foster pit when tho hole was made through to the Dalhousie pit? A. Yes. I have been to the nlnce several times. ' ., ^ n^^''"-^ ''"^'"'^ ''^y''' ^'"'*"" l'^*- ^^'^^^ 't ^h'lt ^''"""c through into ho Dalhousie pit :- A. The liord below the shaft level was tho nrst that holed it. ., ^k n^''^-^^P' ^""^^ ^T'"''- ^- '^''^»'<' ^^•^''•« t^vo holes in it, in the Dalhousie from the Foster that I know of. Q. Do you know anything of the stoppings where the hc.'o was made through into the Foster pit from the Dalhousie? A There was a brick slopping in it. There were brick stoppings in the two holes that went throuirh. wo Kl Was it only a brick stopping? A. That is all I have seen. Q. Was there any large stone and slack stoppings put in in any one ot those connections? A. They went from the Foster pit bottom easterly in the '.? ft. 3 in. seam, bui (hat irateway passed FIKKS IN |»;cT()n MINKS. 3/i under tho.■ l'>'tl...lc.Htl.n.u,h'tovcntilat: hZS % ^'" "::" ''"'* '"^^-fv-'ivl ,.n tho Foster nido (,f the Htopp.np. llu. •(. was (no on lli,. inner .i "- G,,o pity A. i.,„jt^ «.ci/i„.„po". ";^z "t -• r";;,!,"!^';;,';; ■r" """ *ip- »™ '" more or less there. '''''' ^" ••'^^ 5 they Avere Q. ^" y• of (he oH L . ^ '"",''*'.>: ''"f' ^v<>rth pit-the workings beh.w 1 u> no r 7"'^" -r '''^'^'i''' tl>o level of (he M. It would >H.t ; J!^, ^;l ^* ""' '""^' ""!"''"^ =•'-"< - I y races. The -cner rcon.li on " '!"f ^' ""^^ '''''^'^ "^'^ keep regularly with safety to ille ri;";." ^'""'^^ ""' ''"^^^ *" -^^'^ out?^- A''Xft;;'S:^S:^^ «^ -^ taldng tho.e pillars (vJe'^ time, Q. Was there a pit at one time near the Ciwsvn.uJ.v a t do not remember. I have hoard if ^..i -.1 .? ^'^ ' ^- ^ I do not ren,eml,er. '""^ ''^**^" ^''^^'^^ ^^'"« ""«, but year. ^ ''^*' ""''^- ^ ^^o not remember year. Q. What made Mr. Scott drive those diyi sknt.^^ was nothing else to go at only them. ^ you tho A. There and „„o to the norti, ; what i, tin- m«„'ho 1m '^^t ,d ,1 'l.Xm coal :■. A. I suppose the (op was tl.o host. Tlie hottemU It f Q. And when you got into the western part of tho nl.1 lUr . ^^- ;it rt i^"i:;^ S;;;^ • f - s.-?r -"' v^^' ^ "' Uinrn T /. "^'n"^' ^*-- J- ctj , It was Worked verv hurl. Ibere. I suppose there are places IN feet or ^o feet hi d, ;„ 1? open cast in the Dalhousie pit. '-'' '" *''^ vou^s.'.id^,!;? ^ '''Y'^ ^'"," Y'^^ ^^^'■- ^^^" ^^">''^^^^ the dip slants you said the top coal was the best ; you went on afterwards L]T^U me hat your Icnowledge was that the bottom eoa was not as oon u. he top coal and then you said that the bottom coa got b'ettSr a you went to the west. I thought T heard somewhere thanfho vostern part of the old By j.it workinas, out, say mIIiv ttf hcmse was that was burnt, wlJre the fire afterwards'^u ^ S theie was some high coal worked out in the old By pif^ A Yof Here IS pretty h gh coal worked there; open cast^ work. The cdci Store workings rired first. J Jic old A ^\'JP-T T' ""*/'"''' "'"''^'^<^ '" *^^^ ^'^t^i-c pits in that direction v A. tcrtainly, from the shaft back. ""«-cuon. MifoLii'^^"'-L'''r''''''\ '^ '"'*''' '^'■^^■^•' '""^^'.y '<' H»' ''look where ' ^' 'S: inh "% '' "'^'^ •';•!,"" r*'^ *'r''^ ^■^'" - ^^^^^^ I'".) • i-titainl\. I hey were M\U working when it fell in. 40 FIRES IN PICTOU MIXIvS. i Q. Did you over work any coal in tlic Dalliousie pit whore thoy worked it to the full lieight ? A. I have oi)en ousted where it was worked to the the to[) before. Q. What part of the Dalhousic pit? A. I worked to the mine l)ord, open casted. Q. That is the mine bord from the Dalhoiisic pit to tiie main pit, going" west? A. Yes, and I worked it in tlic south side of the river — the other side. Q. Wliat part of the south side? A. This is the ohl Store workings, where I open casted. Q. That wouhl be to the rise? A. To the rise. Q. In front ot Tom Stewart's phice ? A. Yes. Q. Just before you come to the bridges? A. Yes. Q. Wliere you did that was in the old Store workings. Yes. Q. Did you ever work in the slants in the Dalhousie pit? A. No. Q. Did you ever work in the west end of the old By pit up toward the Dalhousie. Did you ever got any coal in there ? A. No. Q. You commenced working here in 1841?. A, 1841. What time were the old Store pits abandoned ? A. I believe it was in 1830 that they took tiro. It was the year we came to the country. I was only a bit of a boy then. I think it Avas that time. Q. Do you know enough about the Albion jNIines to tell us in what pits and what part ot the difierent pits they ^Norked the full thickness of the coal? A. The Dalhousie is the main one, as far as I know, that workid the full thickness. Q. Did they work any in the old By pit, coming this way? A. The old By pit south is all pretty much o[)en casted. I do not know whether they wont deep down in it, but 1 do not know that they went terrible deep, but there is a groat deal of ground run over. They open casted there for a Ion""- time. I do not know how deep they wont. I know they went over a good l)it ot ground, but 1 do not know how much they took out. {}, Could you ever at any time when you were workinu' hero get through from the old Store pit to the l")alhousio? A. 1 have been in tlio old Store pit. As far as I wa:j back in the Store pit was as far as John Douglass'. I u,-ed to go every second or third Saturday with my iather for company witli him. Q. Do you recollect how many connections there were between the Store pit nnd the Dalhousie \)\t, up toward the Top pit of the Dalhousie? A. I would hardly tell you; it is such a Ion!' tinic I foi'iret. Q, '\'ou know there were? A. 1h ore wore connections. FIRKS IN PICTOTT MINES. 41 n. V(Mi ( uuld n:„ in ihal old mine moull, mid oill r^..ii' ., : •- ,, ■"■ , , ", ■'■"' "■"" iinumi ;in(i ciiiicr o,) into tiic Diilliou.siu pit oi- tho o( Store i)il''' A ^^. ■ v ,. i w "'^"/'" 11.0 .,1,1 ,St„,c ,,i„ l,or.„o ,v„„ gU into ,1,0 );„li,„„'i:' '""' '" >"" """ Q- Wliiit did you do in tlie (l!i«v Mitv A r «.,...i.,. i • ^i the top level. I novev vvorkcd niueh in it. A ^^v ^YVT"'' "?^ '" ^'" ^''-^' 1''^ •'•t «''« time they hnilt it offv A. i\o, hut I used to go to the stoppings th;it were hnill olf sonietuno. Q. To SCO if they were all right V A. Sometimes. Q. Then you were ii shittniiui in the Ciio-e ])itv A No To see It the water level was clear. I would take a shovel, and if I saw anything cover it up. Q. Do you rememhcr anythiuir ahouf those .stonpino-^ did von .<'s \V(M-e put up all inside of the l)rak(! whiMi I saw th(Mn. '"" Q. After you got to the top of the brake there was a road to the lise? A. Yes. (^ Where were the stoppings along that travelling road? A. If was all stoi)])ed. "^ Q. Was that travelling road stopped? A. Xo ; you could o-et out and in the last time I was there. The sioppings' were on the right hand side. The furnac(> was biuiiing when we used to "-o Ihere. The air went uj) that (ravcdling way. *" Q. In that travelling way were any pillars taken out on the h-.fl, hand side? A. No pillars that ' I saw. They were lap>c pillars. ' '"^ (2« Did you ever fra\cl any othei- pail of the C'agt^ pit? A. 1 was up and down (he slant. Wc were sent to di) an odd job. 42 FIRES IN PICTOIT MINES. 1 i m \\ V IIS('( (1 i() ji<) somolimos Thiit Wiis the 1)1111)11 in llic Criii sliiiil ImcU nx\(\ toi-wuvd ; one horso luiiup- () Yon wero nf Iho sinkino; ot the Fooid pitV A. Not oxiictly the Foonl pit. I was in the pninpino' pit all tho time 1 WHS IVnni tho first to tho last till I loft. q. You had not nnu-h to do 'vith tho woikin.ii" of tho Foord pit? A. Nothinjr. Q. You wovo only in tho p»nip shaft? A. That was all. Still aftor the Foord pit was closed whore wore you? A. . ts i)ack and forward l)otwoon there and the McGregor slopes. (.) Did you go hack to tho Foord pit when they fitted her up agtiiu? A. "Yes." I was there until they wore ^^ feet heh.w the sheets. O Wore vou in the Foord pit, in tho workings, at the time Ihev were reopening it, this last time? A. No ; we wore m as far as wo could get.' We built a ratt and got away in as tar as wo couid get. Mr.' Rutherford and I wore in. Q What year would it ho that ynu wore engaged in the pump ^hnft when thoy ve-opened the Foord"pit ? A. 1 cannot rcmonihor. I was around there all tho time back and forward. I suppose it would 1)0 1884 or 188,'). Q. How long did it take to got tho water out? A. I did not keep tho date {'•) years.) Q How long was she dr\' l)cfore that time, before they lot the water in? A. f could not toll you. There was a good deal of work to do aftor 1 left. Q. What did you do to the Foord pit shaft, was there any criblii'ng broken ? A. A good deal broken. Lots down. It was like a big wilderness. Q. Did you see any tire or heat when you put in tho cribbing? A. No ; quite cool. Wo wont in on a raft. Q. Ilow hiiih up? A. A hole in tho roof that was in tho seam. The cri!»bing, I guess, was blowcd out. Q. Was it solid behind where it blow out or was it loose? A. No : it was open. Q. How far up did it run from tho shaft (tho cribbing) ? A. 200 foot from tho bottom. Tho cribbing was not all out. Rails wore put in to form a root. Before wo got tho next boom the whole thing wont down ; too much weight. Q. You say there was a connection between tho Dalhousio and tho old By pit to tho dip? Yes. () How many placed are through? A. Two. There is a v" . , 1 . 1 ji .1 ii 1 fni Pl ace away >■ is one w loun the slaui wlicrc the water ucnt through. There here the horses wont through, between No. '2 ami tho old FIHKS IN PlCTOir minks. 13 rove u level ftoui IJy pit, 1111(1 Ilu^'h Maxwell aiul An-us Maxwell d tl.o liy pit nght in the l)ottom,'then sunk the pit down' This .nme,^ijn.jelUng you can.e in between, that is whiro Z^\o!^a Yen. The last tunc 1 was ,n the Foster pit was the time of he tire I was never ,n until alter that, .o I know nothing about it houi nir'^Tbo^''^ ^'"^ "'" '?"' ^■'■"'" • ^^- l^'O'"- the Dal- un;i:;d,r:oof'a:th:r;-ai?ir^"" '^ "^ ' '--' ' ••-^'-' -^'^ "- tiavel to those stcppings .^ A. I never saw any Hro in the Cage (^ Anout the pillars. There are good pillars in the -boord pit and that don't hold it. I saw them L'oin feet wide and he got' closed in. In my young days they used to leave 2 feet in the roof in the old By pit. Q. IIoAV much did they leave on the roof in the Foord pit? A. They used to leave a Jiltle. I could not tell vou. I did not work much in the Foord pit cutting eoal. They left plenty in the bottom. They would take 12 feet and leave the rest. H. What width (lid they drive the iyalaiures in the Foord pit? A. From !) feel to l.'i feet : the lari>(« Mnhuiccs 1;"- Q. What was the th ickne.s^ o f th [)illais .' jVu.i to I-S fci.j. Good thick pillars there. The pillaiy are all i>re((y well robiied on tho south 44 FTKES TN PKTOTT MINKS. ■f!' I II siiU\ I Uiink it is piolty wril closed u}) on the south • tie, on tlm sicl«5 next lo tlu' vivei'. I do not tliinU tlicic t\\\' iiiiiiiy pillais left ill it. il. Did'nt llicy \v«)rU the soaiii on tlio iiorlli >uU- f A. ^'e.s. C^. Do yon thiidi it is .^lauiling on llic noitli sidf? A. It is pretty liiird to .siiy. Q. Do yo" know if tlu; iutoividi.! fell tlnoniili? A. I do not know. I know tlicy iuid to in.'ike ;i '.'.niin to t;ike llif walci' from tlie big i)()nd. (J. Whiit thit'knc'ss do you think tlie piljarss tiro ii» the Foord pit? A. From -id foot to iiO feet thick. Q. How lonu' Itetween tlie cros-sciitH? A. 1 couhl not tell yon. 1 conid not tell you how fur they worked the l)al!inces apart. They worked l:i feet and i;5 feet of the coal in the Foord pit. Q. You are not sure of the intervale (ailing in? A. No. They always allowed it went down. They allowed that the government road went do'vn ; I heard it talked ahont. The section man said Ik- had to niak(! it up. I coidd nut say. I could not say if it would come that far up. il. What would 1(0 the depth there l»y the [aihlic road (the amount ol cover) ? A. tlOO feet. il. Where the bridge crosses ? A. Yes. John Fkwjussox — Called and testified as follows; I worked in the Cage pit. ^Vhen I started in the Cage pit it Avas after the explosion, the time that George Kedpath was lost, in ll^AS or sometinu; thereabouts. That is not the time I started, that i-' the lime she starte 1. I worked in the old J>y pit before she blasted; then thoy staiied the Dalhonsie with a double shift, and and when they stojtped the double shift I worked in the Cage ))it. I Avas a trai)per b(»y. 1 cut coal in the large pit. I cut coal in dillerent })ar{s of the Cage pit. 1 cut coal in that balance border- ing on to the bad coal. Q. The faces in the west end of tlic Cage pit were stop|)etl on account (»f poor coal? A. I guessed it was on account of poor ooal or bad coal. Q. After they stopped driving those balances did you take out any of thos(^ pillars there (Cage [)it.) .V. Yes: I worked iit the pillars away to the rise in the Cage pit. Q. IIow many balances did they work to the rise ther(>, do you remombei? A. ^^'llere I drove the j)illars last was outside the long balance. It was on the side of the l>ig brak(>, inside of the t op i>ra!-:( !.-,> T'..-^ -< t n!!;u-. the big brake level, wheie ihey had the big htep. I dvvw in tlie Cage j)il came out of It Q. Wits tl 111 !l pic,(, h-Oni the |)i.r IiVjiI, FIRRS TN I'ltTOd Mim.S. lore a taulo ji,,t out.sido tluH.i.. I,,,,!,, 45 . V llic t l\l) r (h It was i'c lop inako. It was1,,ill"r« drew Hi, (hcv atin^I Icu! '"'* ^'""^''' '^'•^^•*' ^^^'-^ P-^.eaMo..ati;J^:^--:^^i:"'|;— ^^ pillars down. ^^- ^"<''^' "'^'i"« "o Q- Duljou over rol) liny otl]o.-i)ill,irs? A. No level. ' "- ^' •*''■' "'•" "■■•= ''"JW" 0.1 Ihu sliHlt Q. You did not lake out Iho lull thickncs.s in tlu> nill.,,.? a No. not u, ,1,0 pilhus, ,ho,o woiv « ,„ 8 i„o|,r Ide 'n ,|:''„i|^:,..;'• tntmoiit.' A. riicy worked quite a while iiltoi-. ^ ""V othot Uril';Ti||.',f,'';','-'f ^"■^■' /^- ,«<"»" •■ l'"''^ '««or tl„,n uuii,.. inei.u-t pillar I thnik was .started was 34 foot wido T think n.ast ot the coal was taken out where Ihov kov h MI-us I worked in the hords in the Ca<.v i>it Afo f ,.Vfi 1 l""'"'^- the tree coal in the .nine, tha t^ iho^ t- ' T eou^^nrt ?7? you luvw h.ng the pillars had hoc n stan.C .br " t ftl^ m. . We wore .(rawing the pillars in 1«72 up the.^.-^^^^^^^^^^^ Was not en-,ged at any other workings in the Cage pit ' the Hi... ln.*V'"" 1"''^^' ;"'^^'''"- "'^'^"t <'i^' <^tiier workings outsid,. of tlie Jiig brake, ahove the ma u ovel? A Who., r '»^r., . i t went aroun.l with the sulphur n,an in the Cal it . ^ t, 'T, j By p. blasted. That is^ what they call the niul n^f too W ont through tw.oo a week through the old uorks. AVe did lot hnd many tailings ,n lho ol.l works. ()„,o ... .•..,!- -.1 ,venf 5 - south side otthe ("age pil in the shaft level: wJ'U It through the mam works, through the n.uiu air ooursol '^ vcatV A. 'n>»\v we'll' r^'tty course. . . ■ 1 . „»• tivit clrcloV A. old works. llK' ^"k<' 1"^ , . ., ^„i,,|,„v innii , (J. When you w,.v,. '™- .,..«. mu.a 1; ' - J,', j, ,,„„ w„.MiH,v .«ia„s pill"- '":,';'":;; I 1, L^Su. wo.uin«- ..„ n-o Q. Did you work in ^:^:^':\±^^^,^^,,^^,,^ ,1 work ill i'»' '^"r- ' I , , . ,•,,,. The pillars were not rouiovea at that Unu,. „„iu.c.l In 11,. Ojgo i-lt. I ;;"™ '"V I Imy >vith hi.... TUo (he ni»l.t sl.ift »ill. .1".. .1>"«^11- ,^ * „„,, „?,„„ to ouv «-o.l< wo ;;'Srro!:tT''S'«^;oJi;ert,.o...,,,ol,.U. 0.atUe «?^^o.seJ>/Wa^,sw^r^7./..Z./^7^^cy^;^^^^^^^^ ^.^ ,,,„Ud eat the il TnuusuAV EVKN.N.:, May l.Uh, lSi)5. Pre«ont-Mes.v.. (lilpin, Mitchell, Madden and Dick. Pr. ... McNAUonTON-Callod an.l duly tc^titicd as h.llow. : C,:'whendidyou.art.orl.in,intlu;2^l>^^^^^^^^^ 5;;r^.;:;;:s:ri;.tsineeitooktiujpiiinvs ,„t of that hrakc. I stopped ^^^^^^^ ^^^^JX U>e only tu<,U three cut. out ot ^ ;f:;^' ^^^ »;'';; ,^ the top hrake.) top side of the level pm.ir we^t , ! ^"^ \^^^^^^^^^^ .^t, feet 9 inches The last cut 4*) feet u niches. ih. pi Ku nc ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^. ^^ A. 21 years ago out of that hraia .hick. wo ae lU.oe ""., JV" -'■ •;.,"^,!: jf ^ ■":!,|f ,;t the top brake. FIRES IN ITCTOIT MINES. 47 Q. Ilmv loMjr ,|i,| v.M, sunk in )h,. (•„«,. ,,i( ,(<...• 1«7;P A I never (lul nu.rh syuvk .tter ih,„. I wc,,' to tho States after thai ^f -u'^V!" ''?'"'' "ny^l"""!.' "l>oiU tliat part of the Catfe pit that was built oil shortly alter the .la..,,. .Irov.- v„„ n„tv A Tl o ro was only on. .mall hoi. th.r,., hul J ,1<, „ot 'kn.nv this of"n.v own knowKHloo. V hen I was a hoy 1 ranihled through th. ohl works Ihe stone ..ihln,o.s ,v,mv hurnt sim-o the Foonl ,„t explos on They were there when 1 was n hoy. ' ^■^l*"''*»on. Q. Did you notice if those pillars were hurnt where those walshadheeny A. The pillars seeme.l to Ik eoked in 5 ofd inches. I was only a tew minutes there. I was in with an cvdIo- ration party with Mr. I)(.uf,'lass. ' ^ . . ^^" ..H" V''^ '^V"" iinythiir^' about this barrier? A. No When LitTt-u'ted '"'"'"''' *'"' ^''"■'^'"-■^ "" the (,ther side were TrroitnruKK, May 17lh, 180r). McHain' Seam. The plan of the AIcHain seam is sul„„itle, and on the west this level was stopped at the time the pit closed Those pillars colored blue on the nii,;^ have been all taken out and all the pillars have been practically removed in that wav down to the 1900 feet level. '^ Eighty-two acres of the McRain scam \\wfo. I vvoikoU inllu- Dmminona for two or thvoo yours. (i Vou ciuuolH'ic ami cut coal, (Vul you V A. Vc^. '%'"rr:i:tri .a.--- Q. w,„„wm.k.Vul sou ao on IM level V A. I ,lrov» No. 1 '""n Aflov.lmtwhnt.ua yon do? A. I wo.Win Iho lift (J. Di.l you ..ko any ,.ill."sV A. N..t nl .Im, tun,.. I .Inl soinotinio attov that. ,liaw(«d on them levels. .. , v \ Tl.ov Q Did thcv srot the pillar, out lUTtty cloau.^ A. ll'o> ,h,uved th(> pillars pretty well out. Q. Did they taU< V pillars on the nhutes? A. They .lid not tvv many of them. ' {) Did vou work further down? A. \es. O Did y loot level V a N. Q. They .split tJu,pilI«,,y A. Xo. rol.l,..l them. wasVpl'uy'o;;:^''''"''""''"''"^''''"''^^^^ a. sue fon/^^n""''-n"" '''''^■'''' ''■■''" ^''''■'*« ''«'''^^? A. 12 feet ami K, A.^ N„; tl,oy woe „„t .„„cl,e,l, .xc.,,,t tho hoa.U ll-o il,.!:", 40 (i. \Vliiit was tlic idea of loiivilis; tlio»o pilhu-a» A Tli,-v the dip'/'A.'"Yer' '''' ^'"'^ ''''' ^^''' '"""'^ ""^^ ^"^»* *" ^^'''^'^ ^^ foot'iuhlXt"''^ ''^ ^"" '' =^ A. At the Q. How far did you go? A. Between 500 and HOO feet. Q. How was the coal there? A. (}ood. Q. Wa.s the dip and rise the same? A. Ye.<, quite i„^ lar. Q. How thick was the eoal there? A. Seven feet. (l Stoney? No. Q. Did the gangways and levels start there again? A. Yes. Q. Did you work there? A. Yes. Q. Which one? A. Going to the east. Q. How far did you go? A. A long distance. Q. You have no idea of (he distance? A. I cannot recolloet. Q. Wore you working in Iho fault? A. Ves ; tlio sanio fault we mot above. 50 FTUES TN PTCTOU MINES. ,;* Q. Thostei.y A. Yos. There was 21 feet of stono ; l)ctwscn 21 and 22. q. Did you meet any other fault after you passccl tlmt "tep? A After we drove in there was a good piece ot coal. -1'»ck s 3(i0 fret between the steps. After the 800 feet step was passed we struck another step. Q. Did it resemble the first one? A. No, not much differ- ence ; the other one wc struck 40 feet. Q. After you struck the second step you went through it? A. Yes. Q. Did you continue it? Yes. (J. Did you find good coal? Yes, Q. How far did you continue ? I do not recollect the distance. 1 did not go through the third step. q. Did you ever go further down? Yes. Q. Was there another lift started? Yes. Q. Do you know the length of that lift? Yes. Q. How far did you go? 700 feet. Q. How did you find the coal there? Still better. Was the level started off from that? Yes, east and west. How was the coal? Good. How far did vou go to strike the step ? We struck no step thcie. The levels were drove 400 feet on each side— between 401) and nOO foot east and west. Q Did you ever do any work on the west side on the 2400 feet level on the face? No, sir. I .vas shot tirer in there; but I travelled it every day two or three times. Q, How was the coal at the west face of the 2400 feet level? A. Good coal. q. Did it thin there? A. It was 6 feet .3 inches— good coal. Q. AYere tliey working it at the time they abandoned the pit? A. Yes, sir ; they were pushing the level. Q. WhMt was the cause of the abandoning of the pit? A. It took fire. Q Do you know anything about that lire? A. No. I do not know anything more than that she took Hre. I do not know how she took lire ; could not tell you anything about that. q. Where iiid the pit take fire? Up at the pump level. q, q. q. How far was that from the surface? Uetwecn 800 and 000 feet. FIRKS FN PlCTOir Mim<:H. tons or iicrcs.) She Our cliildrou will not Q. What was the roof like ? Faj,.. Q. lietter than iu the lifts above? Pretty fair thaftioi^th;u;xi:^;;^l;:;r'r^"v'^r^ ^^^"^•^^^" '^^ ^-^ <^<>-n rock i/nuich s Ze , lo m);in 'f "^ "", '^''"'^ • •'^- ^he «Iopo and the propo.^c ne v Ip' "^ it 'eo I '"'' ^ '^'l^'^""' ''•^" ti.west;itwa.L.ore..n^t.c^^/-l^nr^^^ Q. Is there much coal in that piti^ \ sec It worked out, it it is started. ' ' ^ ' uic west ot the old slope, preparations had been coiunionced for it te^t Icv^l!) ''"' ='"'^ •^"''' "^^ f'^^ ^^^'-^t side of Ihc 1800 W. Keid. ^' ^^'"'^'' '"''' ''" "^^'""'^ '"'^'^ ^''^* ''^""'" '« "^' Alexander PICTOU MINKS. M« MrNFiL states the i.eople of Thorbuvn clcsirc that the Sydney, Cape liveton, May 24lh, 1-^1)5. Present— E. rrilpin. John Mkk^iks was duly called and tostiticd a. follows : () When did you l)eoin wovUino- at the Ali)ion Mines? 1857. I think I left the Ali)ion Mines in \S(A. A. On the banks. Then I Wm. Hay men was in Q. Where did you tivst work ? A. went into the Cage pit, iNo. 12 l)ord No. 11. . „ . , Q. Whereabouts would No. 12 bord be in the pit? A. 1 think they numbered from the main railvoad. O. When you were there was there a brake right down at the bottom of the 'pit? Yes, sir. 1 think ^^^^ ^^^'^^^^^ there if not three. There were two brakes ofl the i ail way icve One ;as ellled the big brake and the top brake. This one we eall the main brake. Q. This bord was outside of the low coal you were working at? A. Yes, sir. Q. Then you would nc be very far from old Mouse's Ho le ? A. I think it was near the Mouse's Hole. I worked m it I think, three times. I think I worked in No. 8 bord once and I tlnnk 1 worked in the main level right from the l.otton ; and the la.l time I was taking out pillars ; I think that was m 18().5. Q. Did you draw tbc first pillar? .\ . I think I was the tii^t I heard of that drew the pillars in that mine. I thmk it was right in the level from the top brake to the south, eommg back tow^ivds the outside brake. It was ;l.e point oi a jib we started on. I think we brought it probably 16 or IS feet back. 1 thmk we had 4 oi 5 feet ot solid pillar when we lost her. The roof was too sott. We went right across past the brake to the north si.le and we dr()ve u pillar 23 feet. We left, I think, about a feet and we Immght it back in the tace. It was the largest coal I ever saw in the Cage nit. We sjot orders to square up twice. When Scott came in to measure we had a siilendid lot of coal. Hall told Scott that he- had better stop, and Scott .said "No,"' not to, that there was hnc coal there. A. The them. There Q. What was the thickness of the pillars there? lore ?n flip r-ioo i>it. thcv were not so exact about the pillars in was no ( places aiu 12 feet. ■rush. Tile CO d stood will. I think IS f<-el working 1 IS feel pilhrs: gate road '.• It'ct an( I tl i(> m iiiu levels wcu'e FIKKS IN VWTOll MINES The pretty rcnilarlv woi-k-fwl ti. «^"f' pit- A. les. bhe was so. If the grciit heat has not endan-rei-iHl iho mnffK • • " ^^^^ c''«'it heat has not fbct ^ '• ^''""^ '''^ ^^ ^'^^'^ l'"'=»' they could take 14 Q. Knowing, a,s you do now fVoni what I have told vou that tho ni n..r^ ;T'',''''^'' •>'"" *'« ""^ ^^""^^ ^^hcthei- many ot tnobu piliart) wore robbed or not? A. No. Q. You Avcro little at it yourself ? A. There was nobodv Mt then, but n,yself and John Can.pbell, and we lost I he first. ^ .nnM'„?"^'?/''i"'' i'''' "'^"'^^ ^^^ ^" '^t the pillars acjain wo could get coal? A Ics; there should be a ^Lt deafof cod s.am H) the Dalhousie wont nito stone out westward. There wis none of that in the Cage pit. Q. What is the bottom coal like in the By ijit? A. Good There are a good few of these sulphur balls, but it is good coal, f t"hrbnr\ ,'ll'"■•^''''"'^^?^ '^^'^^'^''^^ ^^y t^'t ''•'' '^""^v-ed to be '^ood coal ''"■'"" ' *''"^ '^"' '''''''^■' ''"°''''^ '"^ ''"^ '^ Q-. i^y»'»^\y overgo into the Ix.tfom roal in tho By pif^ \ ros, Hir. • h(M-(> was a .slair pii in thr- Viy |,i(. Q. Was any reason givon why you ldl all (his boKon. coal? A. I (huik only 12 feet was taken up. The top vein in the FIRES I\ PICTOU MINKS. Dalhoiit^ic ; I think the liiirh side ran 13 or 14 feet high; then we alwiiy.s left a liUh> at the "bottom, '''hon there was a bottom stone ; then we went under the umbrelhi roof; and at other times we took it open east : a little picec was h>t't at the l)ottoni to level the road. We always had 12 feet at the lower side, 14 feet at the high side ; then Avhen we worked the bottom eoal we did it in either of two ways, we cither left the stone as a root above us, or we took that down and stowed it and worked it o^jen cast. Q. It never struck you in the By pit that there was 18 loot below.-' A. I never thought of it. Q. You know it noAv ? Yes, sir. Q. Have you any idea that there is a big barrier about the Siore pit? No, sir. I never i.eard of any I)arrier except towards the <]uarry. There is a great deal of coalin that big vein. There was no barrier there. The old By pit is very littleVorked to the south through the intervale down below the pit. It is not much worked to the south. They started it alter they lost the north side but they never went far. Q. Could you get to the deep irom the Store pit? A. There was a deej) in the south in the old By pit, and a deep in the north ; then she blasted and they lost the noith side : then they lost the south. Tiiere must be a good deal of coal there. There" cannot be very nnich tire except it is leaking from the Foord pit. Q. Do you know where the Muir slants were? A. On the south side. Yes. Q. ^ycre you ever in the old Stair workings? through them. I only went Q. You could go out of the bottom of the Stair pit out towards the river; you could go past the river, then you went uphill through a head ; then you got into the lower part of the Store pit ; then vou could go westward ? Yes. Q. It appeai-s that somewhere in that part of the old Store workings under the river there was a dam put in ; wheroai)outs was that dam? A. You would have a good deal of round about work to go to it. It was in a dangerous place. Q. I believe on the river bank back of Dr. Donnelly's house where there are marks of some very old workings in the crop of the seam? A. I have seen the marks of it there. The dam was in 40 yards in a stiatght course from the Sttiir pit or Furnace pit. I do not know what it was there lor. They opened a road from the old By pit right up to (he Furnace pit here. I have heard them talking bout it. I think Brewer was working at it, making a way through from that Stair pit to save walking around the intervale, lie may have been driving it up tor the purpose of a blow hole. The lower part of (he Dalhousio dip, I think No. 12, was open cast ; they took it oi)en cast at the rise off the top Iniuling. I d o not FIRES IN PICTOIT MINES. .'),') loot think tho next land thci ni"- e wiis no oi)en cast wm touched. On the «oulh side ot that dec V ,^:.nlr 'I;^^;^-!!'^ P'l'^^f ^^'y-^ through in you, the Dalhousio and the By ,^7 A R wS^ d^r':/""' r*"'^*^" mytituc I never tmvellLl that wa,'' tIc^H^s''"^ '^'"^ they used to take the horses through ),of<,re the explosion "'"'' Q. Was the roof shalev in tho Fooi'd nif v at any trouble with it. There\vou i,e 480 tl t of t>ver """"''l^^^}^ By pit cxph)ded they shut it un Sl.n Mm f! i / . ^^^*^'" *hc tci ;,-clocL at night.' ^e ^^^ta^Jt::^^,^ , .nhuUes past air, hut not much. Then they pu a sc'Sb ^ W^. «"« • ''"'" covered it up with horse nr.Je. ' "1 4:^'^' , . .tli; C A"' Then next spring they opened up. This is the tiino I referred o Wrigh gon.g on. I think it was in the month of x\f'nl tV^ A right .vent down. She hh.sted a year before on "LI "thVR^^^ She was out then, and yet Wright said ' The heavy hre must have caused the heat. She conh nnf . %• Then they started after that on the south siS; to r v' the " "^• slant. I never heard tell of a crush in the By pit On' Dalhousie, and I was in there wlien she crushed. ' Q. ^^upposing there was no coal in Stelhirton, do you think you could got the coal ,n the By pit ? A. The trouble i/in 4 ^ mto that imne where the «re ,s. I know of no reason why f "o ? could not be driven from the outcrop at the river in the bnL „ '^ underneath the Store pit, working ll the top va.^.^l^'i:^''''^ never heard of that phice that fell in on the river. '^0^1^(1 plenty ot gas m the old By p,t. There was one place, two or three rooms below me, they had to give up. At the time she blasted B^' pit he nu.n air course was 9 feet square. We were ove ^ months with snilphur lamps there. We used to have wet or the gas I have hoard that the old Store pit took lire fr hung shot shot after the cutters went to their dinner After Ho was hred, the men, in,,"„,,• ,, „,„„tli.. I cannot vccollcct just exactly ; timt « as I '" '"" - O What pavt of the pit wove you woiking m A. "own in the » ant aCoul No. 7 landing; but I . s back an.l lonvafd Q Dul you cut any coal in the Dalhou.ic V A. l;^^'^ coal in it befove she crushed. .tlnr.!:ntt::;\»^^sJ-^;t,L;-^^^^^^ n Whovo it crushed in the Dalhousic, was it all high coa ? Q. ^\ hcie It ciusncu ui u worked down to A. Pretty much, I think. P^^/ ;f7^f\'K\,^ the hi- coal was the dip, but where the crush startsd, i tliink, worked a good deal. Q. ,Wovc you at the face of J^e »laut. ; aid yon _.,.k t.™ fhCt^arSr 'at to tiZ lanam. at the face „f the "t can ^„ t^ .uo of the -™o.U.-.^c.v^> ^^. D.hon^ 'i^J'i^l.tolJZ^^V tbc^lants at the to,, landing, but I never saw it. . ■, o a () Where did you go after you left the Dalhousie pitj* A. Tliei-st ^ mo I cut coal was iu th^ Cage i^t; then was back and forward from one pit to the other. I can hardly tell. O Where did you work in the Cage pit? A. I/vm-ked pvet?; mXll through in the dillerent sections. I worked m tlie !^he -^iThe big brake level ; in the shaft level and m tlie dr. Q. Did you ever take any pillars out in the Cage pit ^ A. Yes, sir. ^ . , /. .1 1 • , O Whereabouts ,lid you take tlicni? A. I>;s">c "f /'i" '"S^ hvakt; no ith <,v west side of the big brake, to the r,se of the shaft level like. .. 1 1 O Were you working there the time they built oil the work- Ki- '»^i*^J'"" " ., . J li'ird V say; I cannot incrs beyond tlie big brake.-' A. 1 can naiuiy ... y , • remember whether I was in the pit that tune or not. Q. Did you draw any piMars at any time outside of the big brake? A. No, sir ; never did. O I sun,H,se they could have been drawn without you knowing .ny hinAa it, in tiit part ot the pit? A I do not think there were any, to my knowledge, taken outside ot the big brake-any nilliirs taken out. Q Were there any pillars taken out out.idc of the b.g brake, towards the upper level ? A. I cannot say. bi'iiko, FfRKS m prcTOIT MINES. n«.?;vH^1/z.'rs^,^,;i--:rii.!;:- A. I worked a ao>^-,„o^t'!:';o;;^,':we".'""^ "■' *■"■'"- »-•< ™? A. Away ^^Q.. I. there anything special you can tell us about that? A. Bid you work in the Foord pit at all ? A Yes, sir. dJigtRLrhluan^^L^'lI^'S^ I was on the south si' '''""'^^ the were drivin. the l^S halanc f t;^r if sbnl"^ 1 ^ ''"'"f^ ^ *'-^ certain whether I M^as in the Caoe t hp! , "^ , I.,^«""«t say iov I remember the time they wer 7 „ i:JT « ort' "t " 'f!. '■'''' I was in the Cage pit wl^n the,- sai xn'^ »> i ;i{;n';;;;i^ -';"';Lt;^,:'^,>!'u waf ^i fee. ..umu. ot the know wnai n. in "»-• . ,. . 7 ^-r "Tit tluMv ()nthesouthside.twas31 tect. they tniHl it tntit . >va^. , ,, A p,etty much full of stono. O Was it Jiood coal .^ A. » » J Yes, sir. : Di. you .o,.U ., the "■"""'■;;^|;'; ; J,;, J; ao.n .o the C . BO you lo,ow »■ U->,---r t 'h- r it was not cu. ..owu |,„ltmnofthcDa\Uou5,osUut,. to the Ijottora. ,i.,„ts aw ...^y work the big coal? A- t) Ho«faaounlho*e»laut».lul.. y ?t^":uot;vo...eouthe»^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^,^^^ ^.„.. O. Did you work ni tlic v,a^ i ^^^_^^ ^ Did you have anything to^>-thU.r^ot^^^ ^1^ , Imilt otV in past the ))ig hvake !^ A; working there ]:Sd:;'uLtl^al.oU>veitwashud^^ ^ ,,,, ,,, , "hen they had to bu.W ^ ol • It .^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^.„^, , . lU-cv" A. No ; 1 have not ^^^^.^ ^^^^^^.^^^^ ^ ^, ,,,. O. Did you ever do any ^^^^^^" " ,f t^c hig 1>rakc ; there , 'tv A. Well, I ^vovked a the to 1^^^^^ ;.t"oate road went u,. «"tsuU ot Ue top ^^^.^^ ,^.^ ,,f ,,,,,, ^^'"'^. bord in a piUuv ^^^^:i:^^^l^^. That was all that was druvi above us s putting the p iiiar, lit wor U,d there that_l Unow o (Ul 1 iheni day: If it was a king onc- ,1'; thai wa thick pillar they s the stylo they took thoui inii hi take move than m. Liostion in the By pit? om psu't Top pit. tliinlv it ., sir. V. wn to the cut down coftl? A. ood us the ho pit thnt [ I worked iking there shtiVt level it was built 'here wiis a vc. Pit got on lo ot the hii: )rakc ; there »rakc and we o set of men s all that was cy took them ke more than FIRES IN PICTOIT MINKS. r)!» liaM. If it was Htteon feet thoy would take ten feet; that is the way wo done thoni. Q. Then your recollection is that all the pillars outside of the hi-j; luake would he stiindiny, except a lidlc piece at the head? A. Uwy are all standing at the outside of the I)ig hiake— lull size. I hey were never touched or molested oul there. Q. Were thoy as thick as the pillars inside of the l)iir l)ralve? A. There would l>e some middling, thick and thin. Some six inches thick. (Two pillars six inches thick.) Q. What would ho the thickest pillar? A. From fitteon to twenty feet and thirty feet; they were not all the same tliickness. *rom the Big brake at the Cage pit bottom to the Big brake inside the pillars arc all fairly good. Between the brake at "the pit bottom and the Big brake inside there are two lliin pillars; all the rests lu-egood.^ From the Big brake at the pit bottom to llie northeast side the pillars are ail good. I have seen tiro damp or gas in the _Cag(> pit on the south side going east ; it was alwavs there. I saw it on the safety lamp. Q. Do you know that the south side was not driven very far? A. Yes, sir. I was there when Kedpath was killed. I conimonly went around that district. I went when I was told. I would not go with a naked lamp. I had a Glennie lamp. I would hold my lamp until it showed and then took my light away. Stiollauton, N. S., July 17lh, 1.SD5. Alkxandku Fkaskk— Called, sworn, and examined bv Air. Gilpin. ^ Q. Do you know anything about that tire in the McBain seam? A. I do not know anything al)out it. I was workinu- at the timo in the lower lift. Q. Arc you well ac(|uainted with the main slope "r A. Pretty well acquainted ; I travelled it for 23 years u[) and down twice "a day pretty much. Q. There wore the ()()(», 1200, 1800 and tlic 2400 feet lifts? A. . Wo counted them tirst and second. The fast two that Lawson sunk, and then what wo call the Kocoivor that was llio 1200, the 1800, 2400 and the 3000. il. What was the roof like in the slope of the two tirst lifts? A. Soft; .shaly— very light. The tirst lift at any rate Lawson counted to run cages in and he drove it eight feet high. He took eighteen inches of the roof down and lindierod across tlic height (,t the scam and put blocks on top of the coal: tiien I th.ink they i^hanged their mind and xm the rakes and left U lu (be height (if the seam. 60 FIRES IN PKTOIT MINKS. Q. What \vnH it like tVorn (Iki U I'rotty lm•< hi n. It was very wet, and tl.; vv iter IroKO aZ"V "''^'^ ■'^■r'^'"^'- ""^'^ ^^"^ ••^'^'t ^" t"^^^ «'^< lilt; very vet! After she was drove down she was dry. ^ I .lyJ^s ;:! tilt:' '''-' ^'^^ "^ '''"' ^^'"^ ' ^- ^«' -• A %iJoZ '"t/'T '""'.'."'^ "" ^'^^ *'"^^ '"^•««' tl»' lowest levels? I was in hori'-f hi ''"' ''^!i''''^ ^^■"'■'^'"- '•""' ^^•^' ''"^» ^>"^vn there. vhe l"ie Sred T 1"''' T *''' '''\ '''^'' '" ^''•'^ •^'^"^' ^'^^'^ level, no V ei It i« ^''■'^'^^^^^- "»> to the No. 8 I,onrd with one can o f before ''"' ^"'^^'" ^" ''" ''""^ '° ^^^ ^^'^""i" ««'"" Q. Frani your knowledge of that slope, do vou su.mose 'inv A 'There i'' '^'Z '' ''''' t'''-''' '^ -"'^' ''« oi-ncd'T; .S A. There is an old say.ng that money makes the mure go. " ' Ye8?;ir.^'' ^"" ''"*"'' '"^"""« ''''""' ^^'""^ P'"^'« t" the west. A. '^ood^'roo7on\tl?Tlo? 'a^ ''if'^' ^''''''- '^'''''' ^'''~^^ ther<, a :^n;rthe"^ i^a iac: t thfl 80o'lh "r'T","^ ' l-^^tty ,oo^ roof, («„-.+!, i« a piace oy tne 1,800 the heads be may coinin" close A. 'sevm, fZ" '"'■ ''";"'if"°»» "' 'l><^ <^^"»1 "■' 11.0 wet «i.l„? from theTottn of Ilerer o^Xr '^1:Z- vU"",'™, "'° '"""'.'™ in all. Who,, y„„ ,. tbu.|; .1,; ocZdf. ;?,"'■ '""""' ' "'"■'""' above. I ,Io not think it would p„y („ So iS, "h° l, r T^ '"', good. I'"^i'- '<-n on (lio roof (o ki'op it i'mis iisr PKToir Miivrp,. K"i"gouty a no, n..ton the McBean seanVa d w ^ ? we."^' '"•'^'- / ^^"« '" t^^^' ^'"ki'i o° ■scam it never lowered a n i n p I ! ^"""« ^^"^'" ^he McBean 7 fee^ What they drove ^ 'n" ";:•?; ^'S l^f ,'"* ""^ ^^''"^ ^^ "' the .s,.v feet seam from the l,e m n. f f i ? "' "' l^^'^'^il'lc. In "P "nd down, Honietinie Vv £ / ^ \ ^ •'' '^ '""^ j"«^ •>» the ■•t wa. not running c"ulu When Th "^' "' ^^'""''^ '^^ ^'^''^^ feet; saniedifticultyocctu.; il, l^f^Vn^' '^''"'' ""^* '^"'' ^^'^^t the like that. The no8 H lit v . • u /^^^^^''" , ^^^^•'"n there was nothin.. ^Six foot sean. wcK ' "^ he f 'n''''' ^'" ""»*' ^'""'''^ '» the ''eing driven did not sot tl. wH^^^^^^^^^ • '^^^''^ ''"th slopes some people that when v tT,' f 'f '"/ "»^1"'"»- It is said by tlu^trot.ble would noi he The^rc at 'all "" "' '^'' ^^'^'''' «^'^"^ possi.„e it may ulrn u j^^ Srih feT'" ''' '^^^^V^' ^^ ^« feet seam it did not go with rojuiti?; ' ''"'" '^''^^ ^" *'^« S^-^^ Q. As to the (piality to the west in tho 1 ^on *• ^ . , ..... »....s«o., tha. it ,v„..^.<„, .„,„:/'..r: •i^,;r. ,',rLt1' c: r>2 KIRKS FN IMCTOIT MINES. William M. OitMOM) culled, .sworn, uiul cxmuiuoil l)y Mi'. (iil[)in. I nuiy suy that an Jiir us the past \h coneorned, it (Tlioilfiirn'H) WHS a very liuc place, uid continued as sueli until ;st the Imsine^^n men. At that time mostly HI lh« company's houses wvw oicupied and also the houses in the village, and thinfTs {generally were tlourislung. The p)od times started in 1H7S and eontinued. I ihmk the tiro w«8 in 1>, and the tnmhles eommeneed then, and the eondition has beeu 'M-owin*' orse siiiee thai time, and to-day I do not think tluTc Ts a (juaiter of the business done there. A large proportion ot tlu« houses arc empty. I think there are pretty nearly 200 apart- ments for families there altojrether ; out ot that I think there would be over CO per cent, of them empty to-day. There are about u dozen families there whose husbands arc away, and those people cannot <;et work there whose husl)ands arc away, it makes it pretty bad lor'^them to be separated. There are al)Out 90 houses outside ot the company's houses. Some of the company's houses arc double and will contain two families. Assuminjj; that there is plenty ot coal t'.iere, it would be advi.,;il)le to open the mine. i}. Can you tell us about the ([uality of the coal in the MeBean seam? A. It must be certainly a superior quality of coal in the Mcliean seam, when, duiii.^ the strike in I88fi and 1887, the Steel Company sent men there and some of the ofHeials came and dug the coal themselves. That is prcttv good evidence that our coal is sui)erior. It must have cost them at least $25 a ton. I knew there wns some complaints about the coul from the first lift, that they could not sell the coul. Q. Take the three years preceding the lire, did they have any tronlde in selling the coal? A. I do not know that they had, exc( pt the competition from the Cape lireton mines. Previous to the amalgamation I think it worked st(!ady. I think the amal- gamation was in 188(5. For three years it may not have worked as Avell. il- Then von think that it the seven foot seam was opened it would take its share in the market? A. I believe it would. I understood that the Steel works used it to a great extent and they would give almost anything to get it, as shown by the fact of theui goiuir tlKU'c to get it. Q. After the strike, did they continue using it? A. 1 do not know, but I think they always used more or less of it, and I think they used t'ue six feet seam, too. Q. The six-feet seam, is that as good (luaHty as the old seam? A. I believe it is not as good. I believe they have had some trouble in seHii g it. They were «itpp!ying the I. C. K., nnd had (me comi)laint^ from tliem on account of the ashes, and the Steel KIRKS IX PKrrOU MINKS. c,n WOlk«, too, stopiKul ILsin^r it. lo,. „ „,l,j|, sollm^r then, to the StocI works uftcr that. >N l)ii( I (liiiik )| K'V ^v^^vo A. IIUMO IH an c,|,„U(.i, <,u( Ih,'!-,. Il„,| |lio »k f,>„t „, r ; n . out to tho west Me. i( « .ml()() rUn V..r,. «« * ' ^*'^' h..s aaod ; .t ditl about onclnrcl of the hu.siuoL of ' p|t^ '^'"i: 18!».} the aM,.c.s.al.lo piopoity outside of the A.-adia CWI V. .' WU8 $21,814 ; at the present time it h as.v.,,^\ at $l"' *'"'i^''i aiKl examined by Mr. Gilnin • AN e would like to have an expre sion of opinion as to the etfeot upon 64 FIRES IN PICTOr MINES. •i the general business of the (bounty, hy the re-oponincr of the senms of coal which are at present out of our reach on p-^count of fire and what the position of the County would likely be if it were possible to open and work then) ? A. I have not given the matter any thought ate !.y, but as I understand it you wish niv opinion as to the ettect on trade of the re-opening of those mines. Q. Yes, assuming we had opened all of these mines' A I think it would have a great beneticiMJ effect on the trade of the County particularly in the coal trade, because the idea is goin-^ abroad that our coal resources arc getting limited, and it is only a matter of a few years when we will have to close up. Q. Then you think it is more important for the sake of reassuring the pu bi.e mind than for any immediate gain in the sellinjj of coal ; A No, not „t all. 1 do not take such a senti- mental view of it ; I mean from a business point of view I think It would be a great matter if the old AU)ion Mines coal were put on the market again ; it had as you know several qu dities about it 'ind characteristics as a coal that are not in the other c 's on the market One of them was quite a good gas coal aad was al^, used for blackl smith purposes, that is the slack. I do not think other coals takes its place. Q. Supposing these mines were re-opened, and that they were to take out half a million tons more, do you think it could be sold would there be any practical gain ? Do you suppose that from youi' know edge of the coal business of the County that if the Acadia Coal Company and the Intercolonial Coal Company we.ie to double their output to-morrow they could sell their coal? "a. I am Inrdlv quahhed to answcT your question. To-day Fergie cannot fill his orders for coal. He is as l)usy as he can be. q Is there a market which would absorb an increased output? A. ^\ ell I hardly flunk that view of it should be taken just now in connection with he whole queestion. I think the point is, is il practicable, to put Ihem m a position to get the coal I do not think we could sell that additional quantit'v if we had "it the wmv trade is at present ; bet as I said before f am hardly co.npetent 'to give an opinion on a commercial point like that". Montreal is octually our great consuming point, but Mr. Fergie to-day is sending a g«)od deal to Ilalitax for bunker, and the Ferrona works and the steel works use a great deal more. Q. Supposing that the fact was established that the seams were capable ot being re-opened at any time, would the general . knowledge that the resources of the coal district were increased l.omote manulacfunng, for instance. A. I think so. "»^" Q Would it benefit real estate? A. It would benefit it this way that it w.mld tend to keep confidence all ri„.h „,,» .«„„o„(ed „,(,, Q- I^'(I yon ever cut co'il? i r ^ ^ -;:::irz:::;:rt:r ^^- ---• to the rise nncl I drove the hnd donn helon sir. Q- "'''.v«„c.vo,.,alni. Where the top coal was good the bottom c»)al was good. We found that the ease. A. time ■ — — . .1. up to the time of the blast. I drove from the old % „it level T "^ """' "^ ^^' "'^^ % l>''t' horses and men. I drovj f a 1. "'*"''*^ '^ travellini? road for f. feet of coal we left o r.^v": '" ^'" ""''''' ^^'^ ^ '^'>""^ « « ling way. About two yewsT In. f ^'''''7 '^''^^'^ '■"^- '^ travel- Wherever the top eoal wi^i^/.^^ jlla-'bl^l^^.^ ^r^ ^^^ ^ the|; pS^^" Ar^srr^io^c^m'r^^" ^'Y ^^^ ^^-« i>^^»-i ""til they moved out ; then the^-ow"'' ""'•>' ^'"^"^ '^"'«^' ""t the Dalhousieand the Byn t I ' communication river. They had ^ c nediS[ rW? ' ' "^J"' l*'''^^ "^" *'^^' ^^^^e >vhere fhey lot the M'ate off V.kf i/ "''^"'"^'^ *^^ ^■^"•"■•'^'" ^'^«'"t» -here they let the ^^te^^;^ ^^1^^^:::!^,]:^]^' ''-^'-' timeVw^mSsXl-^'T 'TtuldTM^.I ^^'^ ''''-^'^' ^' *he - Io.t them at once. The^.„ l::^^:^^:- uH!: '-' ^''' JErPKv McCoLL-Called and examined by Mr. Gilpin incrS;.e the'.S^j''!j 't'l? N *'" '^'""^ "^ ^'^ "--« ^^> Glasgow very much and i .17 l^ '""''?■'' ^''^ '"'^'"^'^'^ '>f' ^^«^v these mines uoe wo k^dt^^ "^'"."/''^ '"'"^•^' ^"''^ ^^'"'''"t idea is that t e ...m^mi ''""'^^ "''^ ^^'^^ ^'«''^' -''"^^ '"y the lessees of tlTenrjl '", f "'"" arrangement with aband(,n them C£r . ^-f f ^'^'^ eould ,e.opon t|.o mines or they should be nl le to Inl '//''"'";'" ""^^^'^^ standpoint, u'o think tield. They all ell 1 H / f ,c.'>'d "leasures elsewhere in this coal seen?th^ »lr V ""? "^ " ^'■"'" ''" ^'"^^^'''^ P"i"t '>f view it would nrethro:^':;:;;^t t;;i:^r;":I."^v^^ iniurv N. o rty llieir money unnecessarily, whicj cou5)tiy or district But ti I IS alvv lys an experts. It has been said that if you 1 to go to look for it wher len we arc not miiiecs or you lose anything vuu havis got •e you lost it, but there is an exception to 6)< FIRKS IN PICTOU MINES. to that rule. It is no use t o go into !i mine which has been destroyed. We leol it i^ injurious to business places when^ you have a luunhor of men depondinii' upon a mine lor eniploytneut who only get half tijue. The men have to live ; the company will not keep them ; but the shopkeepers have to keep them ; the men are ahvays expecting better work, and this is the manner in which tne thing is carried on, which always tends to injure the l)usiuess of a place. Q. Supposing it is feasii)le to re-open these mines, is it worth while woiking more co-il mines? A. It they cannot sell the coals it is not while working them. VVe have an idea that mining is like every other business— the more you sell and the more you work at it the cheaper you can do it. If you work it cheaper all that can bo raised in tlie district can bo sold. We find in Cape Breton the now ap})liances gives them the coal at a less price, and they have a better demand tor it. If a man goes to buy coal he will "o to the cheaper market. I am not saymg that the Cape Breton coal is worth the same as the Pictou coal, Q. Are not the present operators supplying the demand? A. iNot as tar as we can see. Vessels are detained four, live and SIX weeks m Pictou. In olden times they banked the coal, l)ut they biuik very little now. In summer season they only work halt tune, and I do not know the cause of it. Q. Is it the want of demand for coal? A. The demand is in the tall ot the yetir. A man does not usually lay in coals until he requires them. They are not able to supply the demand when It comes. In old tunes they had a large (juantity banked so they could ship quicker. Tiiey used to ship 2500 and ,3000 tons a day here. Coal users are prejudiced like ;>ther people in other things. It they want Pictou coal they will have it. Theie is a large amount ot coal outside of contracts. I l)elieve that if the old pit at Thorburne was working to-day they would ship titty per cenfc. more from there; they are better coals than what they are working here. If the Foord pit was working, and the Caycil tiill time. ()f fcopenthesomine'.. Se'r^' 7?':^''^ it wouhl pay , i« that somethnes even o om/ mh l!''' "•"'j' ^^" '^"'^^^ ""^«'l''''t Hble to n.et coal they require T- ■1^?^"^'"^ '" ^"'^^ ^'"^^.^'<'^ «»« "Ot Company, of New GJas^o v •' thet n o' '"'^"""" *'^^ ^'^'^^'"'^ ^i^^ht of coal in the run ot thcCeir ml« quantity to burn cuhn. Wo havoC/'.i ^" ^"''"'i^'^^ are constructed h-e brought coa. ir^t^X^^f:^::: ^t' ''' ^"'-' ^'"^ he.?o.t'^h!:;Cc^?^'t"^s''^^'r ^^'^^ -- "'--' out quantities of coal the culm would' I. i^ T''' "^'hV^'^g l^r-c supplied all ricjht. Of cZrsrf <^ • ^'''''^''^''^ ^"'^ wo could be business, and ft may be mXned ll'^H ^'^'''^ Hck. Thereis„o^^oubt I t \^a'-^it';f'^,'r'' *^ ^""^ ^''^^ advantagetothiscountyifthen „os en 1 /'"''^ ''" " very great other question whether -Lvir'. '• '""T''''^^ ="'^^ ^he at all. ""''' i^''^ ^* a question I cannot answer in t^Cc^lS'lo l<^;S;?tK''^^ /'•^ ^-^"^'V^ ^'^•"'^-■^■- '-- FoordpitJcavingthenuestionof in rT^° '"' ^'^-'""••^•^'■^ in the A. I think so. *^'^"*^«t'«n ^f immediate opening out altogether? i-oal estate knew thaVthe;.,' was I i'''" '^'''" ^ '^^ "" o'^^^^" o^' I value niy property mo?e!^'^ "^^'«'^' h«^'^'' ^^uld come ; and tlmt it onl^^t ';.":. l" '"'if' ^T' ''' ^"="' pn-served or new pits sunk on no v 1^ ' *'''^ '"^'^ ''""'^l earth. These mines a lo" .Sn'tl!'' on another part of business of fl.n ,. :. 1 ."'*, t"-^ '."■? ^' ^':"- ^a'^' -^hare of the , business ot the province, and I ihuik round and good thinira!! that this talk is all „„ .,.,, „„„,„ .,., show that they ought to put up or shut eapccialiy for the company nonsense about working coal ' this investigation will be It s to be the the coal a may show up. If they cannot 70 FIRES IN PICTOU .MINKS. Harvey Ghatiam, Sccvetftry Now Ghisprow Iron. Coal and Rail- way Company, called, sworn and examined by Mr. Gilpin. It is a most rt'«rretal)lo state ot allairs, that wo have at any rate, and I snpposc anyone who has \vm\ anyUiins,' to do with the coal business for the last year, or who understands to some extent the difficulties the present lessees ot the coal areas hero labor under. Coal cannot be mined as cheaply here as in Cape Breton Just what ought to be done is a (piest'ion perha[)S not so easy to solve as to what might be done. As Mr. McColl has said, something is wrong when the treasures of the province can l)e locked up and held by the simple payment of a small rental. There ought, m my opinion, to be some way when from accident, failure to work, or other causes, the lessees of coal propoities did not operate thci.i, the government should take them over at a valuation or occupy them in some other way. When a country i.^ new leases are not likely to ))e lorfcited where there arc numerous places where coal is mined on the same area. Under such circumstances the thing does not reach a crisis, as when they come to the point where they are holding leases without working them. I assume that this investi- gation is ])articularly held with reference to the Foord pit. Here is a very valuable property in which the i)rovince is expecting a large revenue, and why they are being deprived of that revenue is one of the objects ot this investigation. It is the best coal in the di.-.trict, outside of the Acadia coal proper, at Westviile. I have rather extreme views in this matter. 1 would favor the government remit- ting a very large amount of royalty or giving the company a direct loan for the purpose of opening up this proioerty and thoroughly tcstino; it. I understand the Foord pit coal was the best coal in the district. The Foord pit has not been working -.ince we have been in operation to any extent. Q. How does the present development of the coal trade bear upon your steel business? A. I do not know that it bears unduly heavy. We are able to get all the coal we want, and perhaps as cheaply and at as favorable prices as we could expect. Home con- sumers pay more than those away from home, consequently I dare say the coal we burn here on the spot gives a larger revenue^ to the producer that what goes to Montreal or outside ports. We have not been al)le to get sufficient coal for coking purposes. In niore extensive mining operations they would have a larger quantity of waste, of culm coal, to sell, "which would be an advantage to manufacturers. We used the Thorburn coal at the Steel works and we touixl it very suitable coal. We are using at the present time coal from the six foot seam of theMcBain seam, and we find it is very i^atistactory. Q. Do you suppose that such action should be taken — that the government should subsidize an attempt to re-open those abandoned workings is it a proposition that could be fairly put i)efore the g( vornment? A. 1 do not see why not. FIRES IN PICTOU MINES. 71 Q. Where are they going to stop sub.slcli/iiig people? A Ever^ case must stand on its own bottom. If there'are millions of tony of coal in the Fooid pit seam, and that is worth ten cents a ton to the government, I would con;iider it a legitimate expenditure for them to expenii a small part, to he repaid by the company if it was successfully won. Consider it as a loan if it were successfiil—if it would not be successful it would be a loss to the government. Q. What would be the diHerence in taking it out of tho county? A. It should come out of the whole people, and if successful the revenue would go to the whole people. If y<,u do not do that, annul the lease and place the property on the market and get what you can for it. When a company can hold a property and not work it, tiioro must be something rotten in the <5tate of Denmark. If the winning of this coal cost the same as the'c-ipe Breton coal wc ought to beat the Cape Breton coals in the Montreal market. There is 48 hours' dirt'crenoe in favor of Pictou, and our coal is better and larger. The Cape Breton coal carried a iaro-er percentage of sulphur, which is undesirable for iron smeltinjr The Fooid pit coal, I think, is one of the best cokino- coals in the province, and the people of this county would very much like to see the Foord pit working again, it for no other purpose than to ft. 3 in, had been all taken away ov the i)ords had got loo much to the ji>c, where they worked 15 or 18 feet high. I would not Uxke the jol) at any tigure. il- T presume that when you re-opened the Foord pit it was with the intention of working it? A. I had no intention of working the big coid. I was not the manager o{ the Foord pit workings. Q. What time was the Dalhousie pit worked ; when was it closed? A. Speaking generally I think it was closed about 1^(57. In my father's time all the workings were from the Dalhousie to this line, in 1851 (pointing to the plan.) Su))se(]ucntly the Mul- dants were driven and the big coal was taken under the grave umbrella roof, so tl-.at yon have 13 years to do that piece of work. (Witness expresses himself as being satisfied with the western faces as shown on the plan. ) Q. During that time they could sell anything in the shape of coal: A. Sell anything that was black. Most of the coal taken out of the Foord pit in WilTs time they used in their own fiu-naces and boilers. Q. What was about the position of the crop to the north si;le of the Foord pit? A. 'Vhc n(»rfh crop has never come to the surface. The cover was about 80(1 feet. The faults were changed in the drift. il. Do you mean to say that thei-e was a fault in tiie metal-i? A. Apparently there is a l)ieak. There are other faults there — minoi- taidts as well as great laulls. You camiol tell where these secondary faults arc interfeiinii with the (juality of the coal. The big north faidt is not within our area line except in this corner (l)ointing corner out on plan). Q. An far as your experiiMice has gone, you do n(>t suppose that the nniin sc'am crops u[» agai:) on y uii' K'n-^i-? A. I have no reason to believe that it does. 74 FIKES IN PKTOr MIXES. (}. I>o yon think llitit it oxU'iuls hoyoiul .vuiir IntMo? A. T .-^iliould l)c v(-iy sorry to .spi'iid any money iitfiiU' from wlmt I know ot it lit present. il. Did not Mr. Wills tulio proper steps to n- >pcn the Foord pit? A. Certainly not, since it has provoil too imich for him. Q. He pr()|[)()se(l some steps I tiiink lor strenj^tiieninir the MiMtl whieli were not ennied out , will you tel! us why that was net done? A. He never (:r)mpl('ted his l)asc to huild any thing on. Q. His proposal was I hclieve to line the sb.-ift witli laick? v. He never tinishi 1 the arches that were begun upon which my lininir would have to no built. il. What was needed for a i)ase for the Mnin^' of the shaft? A. Tlie"arches on both side> had the material and everythinu provided A. As f!\r as I know there'was nothing interfering with it. Q. Can you tell us whether WilN was pn-vented in any way from carrying out the recovery of tiie Foonl pit? A. Or the destruction, whicli'.' 'I he (|ue,ition of i ue closing of that place in my mind had notliing to do with the tire for there were so many more oi)enings for the uirto get in — it was merely one of a number. Those cracks where ashes came down on TurnbtiU, that was one; then thee were two places at the head of the shaft pillar where air "•ot in. The fan shaft was s-ippose^l to be covered aftei a tinie. Wills wa^ not prevented from tinishiiig the arches. L'o my know- leduc he m vcr ai)plied for material whicli was denied him. I have norecolicction of it. Sometime in the autumn before the place was closed up we were speaking ot that very tiling, the finishing of the arciies. The ground around the bo, om ot the shaft is all gono. There were two bottoms ; the old l)ottom of 9 feet 3 inches and the new one ; and the lire of 1H80 bi .iight them together and there was a squee/e on the sheets. There was a little widening of tin l)ottom on the west side of the shaft in Wills' time. The .m coal of the Foord pit compared with the top was not so good. Q. Does that answer refer only to the coal that was worked or to llic field generally? A. I should say it was universally throughout the Foord i)it. il. • IIow is the coal in the Ford pit? A. I never wa down. Q. You are doing a little work in the main seam, in the vicinity of the Foster pit? A. Yes. il. What is the coal like? A. There is one ply of th»'cc feet tluil is fair coal. VIHKS IN PICTOU MINKS. 75 Q. Dou't you tliinU that it would he posdl.io for tho tiie to couio down into the Cago pit? A. Anything is p.^ssihlo. Q. l8 it not i)rol«il>io? A. No. ro thro ^r '''"'^ ^*'"'"" ■ ^' '^'""''^ '"■" ""* worixin-s above it to Q. Ttcouldgothrou-i,. iilthoii-h i.m woiking.- were not vov- pcuhculMrly ul,»v, ? A. No, I do not think it uonl.l. I have m'vc.- knowi. a fall of tint .•haiuctcr to run alonif laterally at an tinolo tor ,o gre.t .•• distnn.o. Tlu. origin of (h,'. fi.v. may have i)cen 'vy nnkod lights or i)y >ponlaneous con .ustion. Q. And these woi kings wore on Hrc at I ho time in the; over- lying workings? A. Yes. Q. And they ..ere on tire at the point within on.- chain and a n It i.iternlly? A. Xo, T do not think so. I tMnk your distance 01 one and a half chains is too small. I would not "undertake to say that Douglas was wrong, l)ut I would say that I do not think his concluMon is right. ITo merely gave his opinion. I .say that the In • was not likely to have dropijiti down from one to the other. Q. AVhat sort of measures are there l)ctwe('n the two seair ? Sometimes shaly, sometimes .sandstone bands. These workings arc about half a ch.in out on this plan. They started with the Cage l)it as a base line and errors \\\ re made on account of the courses tliey ran. Q. Do you think it would be wuilli while to re-open the Ford pit again as a commercial undertaking? A. What money would you give me to attempt it? Q. What would you e.vpect as a salary or i)onus? A. What money would you spend on die job? I am afraid to answer that quo'^tion ; it might bring nn nto troui)le with the present owners. I aiii in a pessimistic positio. \ boom may conu; on, as it did in 18V', ai! ■ ' here would I be? Q. We are sure there is tiro in th- Ford pit? A. Y OS. Q. toukl 'Hi put it out is a qiasiion? A. No, could you? I "'annot put that lire out in the Ford pit. 1 do not know whether it is feasible to })ut (he tire ou! The Foord pit might be utilized a-^ a pun.'inng station. The .so-called falling in of tlie intervale from the ;^urfacc I always ti. ight Avas " of 'he old river gulleys. Q. Have you any iotbrmation about that da!n nn is no tire on that side. Adjourned until 3 o'clock. Examination resumed. 76 KIHK.S IN I'KTor MINKS. ■4 I Q. In rcspoi't to the Tlinrlmrn district there hns 1k>om ij j^'ood (leal orrvifh'iiee tc-ndered about that district — have ,(m any idea at dl of the vidu(! oi' ex tent ol" the eoal hdt unworked tiierc' Nothing more than what is evi(hMit to nnyono else. Tiun'o is only ono fnco of coal oxpo.»ed alon<; tho old \v()rkin00 feel from the Ixitlnm of the old lift to tho centre ot the hnsinV A. I did not check it. Q. Did yonr experience l»Mid you to helieve that it wa.s possibh to ijct into tho north outcro]), tli;d is to say that tlie M(diean scum cops a«rain there? A. I did not tind any. Q. They used to show mo a place whore th(!y prospncted tho frround behind (icor^e .MKT()ll .MINKS. 77 conti.mo.] your enstorn Hlop«8 down Hon.e distance further, an.l vou got Hon,o workings to tho wo.t ? A. And wo wont cunt to,! ' theonlln^n'v"! ^f "V'-.r*'"'''"^' '''^ '>"'" <""""^^' t''^'"'' "'>^v ; is it was -I ."' r"'"; ■^•^i"^^*^'"- ^^- '''''^' l''"<^^' t'> tl.o west imianooH the piUavs wore at loast .'{(I foot tliick. ju,?™,/';;):,,*"" ""' °-^"-"" "'■""■' «■•'"""' "-' "■-I-'? A. Q. What Hystom havo you udo))t,Ml ihero? A. Thoro Is no Hc:;;;n:i?i;;.,;'iotbr'""" """'^ ^"'"^- ''^^^^ ^^^^^^^ "^'*^^^^" •■- r.u J'^\/'''!V'-'^?"-^'' "** ^"' "•'' "">' ^•""'^'-'^•'''>" with lin- from tho CVo p t to the third scam rs ooncen.cd, apparently that danoer k ,,a8t nou , except .-o far as the i.iNars here mi-ht tall throuirh? A. Yo^ Ut course, we do not know of any liro'heinir below the harrier in the LtifTG pit seam. il Were you ever in the Cago pit workiii-rs after they were Closed. A. 1 was m part of those workinos before the firo, but wa.s not throujth the stoppings of the big brake. Q. Douglass told us you were awav down Iumv ; when was that (pointing to the l)ig l)rake on plan) ?" A, In 1««7. Q. Is there any proof that thoro is any tire in the workings at the present time? A. f thii::: ihcreis not much doubt ol that I nimk Ihoie is tire six chains from the crop. Q. Do you think it is contined to a small piece of mine or has It spread? A. All iiisid.' ui these stopping-^ there was a lar«'-e area ot hre. In the Cage j)it sliaft there are about 30 or 40 feel of eiudi. I thing the Cage pit workings arc on tire on this side of the big l)rake workings loo. Jt is hard to say how it got out. Q. The tire in the Cage pit is gradually working its wav? A. 1 do not know whether it is moving. VVe have a man who 'roes around to plug up the hole., and observe any settlement, 'etc. There is no active combustion of coal. I would describe it as a bottled in heat, ready to break into rtre if there is a sufficient (piantity of air. Sometimes the holes draw in and .sometimes draw out at the plugs. The temperature is 7,5 de Vale? A I only have heard of one i)lace where tire and water will live to"-"ther rl I 78 FIKES IN PICTOIT MINES. ■ 5: The depth of the Ford i)it shaft is about !)00 feot ; there arc about 2!)(» feet of water in it. The fire has been luriiing in the workings* of the main seam since l«()7, to my knowlodge. TnunsDAY, July IHth, 1895. William Purvis— Called, sworn and examined by Mr. Gilpin : Q. You were engaged in the Foord pit at the time they were tiying to reopen it? A. Yes, sir, I was there. I think I was the first man down. Q. You l)egan after the water was got out of the shaft? A. Yes, sir, the water was pumped out level with the sheets. Q. What did you do when yon first got on to the sheets? A. Well, there was a head going through to the sump to the mines bord, to the lodgment ; T think it was 75 feet, and I put timber up in that to get through into the mine. The levels were closed on both sidesi and this head went olf from the low side to the mine l)ord ; wo timbered that up; we went to the south side I think to the second head that was driven up ; that was a little on the inside of the stone arch which was on the south side, then there was a fall and we could not get any further. ^Ir. Poole sent for Maxwell and Turnbull ; he sent TurnbuU through with me; then there was a head on tlio north side and we went down that ; that was where the tire was most ; the coke was about ") feet there in the solid ; it went in there for about 10 or 50 yards to what is csdled the stable bord, that is the mine boralance to build a wharf on the lowest .^ide. We built it for 150 feet, one foot from the low side rail. They started us tirst to build pillars in on the balances, and we built them solid ns the balance went up, and one morning when we came we i)und her over close on 100 feet. Whenever she came d^ wn it took the weight oft' the levels. Then wo built the wharf along 150 feet along that level, and then when she foil on number one and number two bords on the balance that FIRES IN PICTOU MINES. 70 look the weight olV the level and nu.uth, and ^hose Imlanees wev^ •ill Imilt oft-. Mr. Kuthertoid sent me down hrs^t on the noith suk. toiZuo get in there to get through this fall and tunl.er ,t tor 100 teet a on- the level, and she appeared to ',e l)roke right up. I wen tup to the blacksmith shop and got a rod fifteen -t -g and had it velded on to a punch and ran ,t through, '>nd I '""^^y* " nd eo Id not -et thr. uah where there was any vacancy, and then ihev s^^^^^^^^ 'riKMUhey built it oft" and starred m the big coal ; then they drove the north levels in lOOO teet. Mr. Wills would be here then? A. Ves. Of course there was not a great deal done until Wills came. O It was under Mr. Poole's management the water was taken out?" Ye' s r. The north side of the stone arch we had to i.nber ?hHt • it had 1 een red hot, and when the water came on it spit the stoni, Ind it was all but hanging there. We had to timber that to keep our heads safe as we went along. ^iriTwasdro^eintotl^ "^^IX and theirii; t^ balance was drove up beUveen three and four hundred feet and it was then stopped. n Vn,,t did you stop it tor? A. I do not know what he Q. /; ^-'^ **'y ' , ,^l 1^,,, i^p . I think it was about three or stopped It for ^^ « ; ,^ ;^^^/J ,,a ,an the coal down by the chain, '"T.^" li: le'^1 v-^ dr^' u e^ on the top coal, and then we and then the e^cwa^oe ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ drove in on the old level '>PP\*;' ^ '' • ,^^^^,0 . this was in the ariveonthebaanceagaina ^--(hivenb^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ '•'?^""';/^v tbi^iin\leBi<>' oal under the 1) i\3et 8 inches awing the ^;;;;,^'^-- eo vLtibove us ; all good coal. There balance. 1 wel\( ;^,^Y ' ^n wiv.t wis called the H feet H inches and are U feet of coal between what ^v-'^-'^^^^ ^ ,^ ^.^.^^ .5 the big cold ; 42 cet o ^^^^^^;^ ^^^^ Z, J .,,a coal. The - inches to the bottom ''j'l^^.^' \,, ^^^ was worked, and that was y feet :5 inches was the 1 ust u tl ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^.^^^^^. workeddown, andtleu w.s 1 ^_^^^^^ ^^^^j^,^. toot and one lia t iiu'lics ;;^^\ f ^ ^^^ ,, induding the D teet a jj„,. Tc,therisethec CO. fcctti. ,^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ iv:^:ir\s^';:St^:r^o;d' tL ■. n. UmbreHa ..of there. Q. You drove this place "P - the sc^th ^de and ^ pl.. on i-r^^ti^Sg^^f S" /^^ A. In one place, on the level of No. i Doiu. Q. Attev Wills came, were you dill there V A. Yes, sir. 80 FIRES IN PICTOU MINES. O What aid they do then? A. Well, wc (^rove those levels ■iftoi Wills came and stinted a slant on the north side 500 feet from 'the pit botton, and drove down 300 feet, and then the slant came vc and turned around about due east, and thrn wc urned around cast foliowino- this step. The step on the railroad was 30 leet t Ick a ml Ihc^-e was 30 feet of a pillar left bet.vecn the railway and lemi e andinthemine l,ord it was 60 feet, accordmg to wha Mr llall said. We drove the slant 800 feet on an angle and it Turned level, and then it turned around east There was a balance sfir»ed on the anule, where it was turned around; we were still drivi o it when \ve stopped ; we intended to start anut^lier one fu lerin. The other slants were on the in^.de of this trouble; that was what was called the Muh- shmis ; thc.y drove those down on to the basin. downV above. Did you drive those slants in the bottom coal all the way A. Yes, sir; in the big coal, and lolt all the {» ft. 3 in. Nine feet Q. How much did you take with you? Nine te t. O Was it on the very bottom ? A. We took iiine leet of the bicv coal. The pavement of the 9 feet 3 inches was ihe root, iho (o'l is "ood all vhe way down excepting on the so illiside slants. There is notbinii taken out there except what was taken out of the slant Wc drove that iA-M'O up 300 fVet north on the dip side of the pit. We had to leave on account of the tire which drove us out. Q. What pitch had she going up, was it steep r going up than a .t..,..i w.i« hIso There was no hre in it at all. 1 went up lo • u .ind 1 • me down ihc second one along the level to Uie third one ■' 1 wen p to the third one, to Moouey's place. He (S ewiu ) T* 1 Mt thVlow side corner until I came down. I went to the stayed at tht l.m ^ « ^ , j ^^i^,, j^ i, ^ thirty foot pillar r : ,mo m'k ™ the Icvol »n and I worked three i?uuuners in it. Then I went to carry picks in the blacksmith shop ; then I went to work to tally on the pit head ; then I went in the pit to drive ; ihen T went in the bord to load, and then T started to cut coal and I ha/e been cutting coal this last 4o or 4(5 years. Mr. Hudson came here in 1865. I went into the ^o. 3 pit first, and I was working there a small lad, 11 years old ; then T went to the No. 2 pit and I worked in the No. 2 i)it a year and a h:Ut, and then 1 went into the bord to load. The tirst pit started by the All)ion Company was the old Store pits started in the year 1827. It 'vas about 1828 when the pits were sunk. I remember an cxjilosion in 1833 in the No. 3 pit, in which 3(5 horses were killed. In 183t) there was another explosion and three men were killed and three injured. Dan. lloll and Wm. Dick and Benj. Little killed, and John Lynch and John Blackwood and liob Marshall were burnt. In the year 1839 the pit caught tire—the Store pits— and there were between 30 and 40 horses lost. There was an exi)losion before that in the pit. She was just sunk down. The men were descending this pit when the pit exploded. She was full to the mouth with gas. This was No. 2 pit, in the year 1838. There were no more explosions until 18.58, when the Cage pit exploded, and there were two men killed then— a man and a boy— James Russell and George Kedpath killed. Then, in 18t)4, there was a light expk)sion and 4 or 5 were burnt in the Cage pit. In 1801 the old By pit exploded and there were three lives lost— Wm. Roche, James Robertson and Daniel McKenzie. Th-j Ford pit was just opening up and was fired in 18011 and she exploded, l)ut no lives were lost bnt a few horses. In 1870 the Foster pit went on lire. The By })it and the Foster pit were both lost l)y that tir(>. In 1873 tlie Ft)ster pit fell through to the Cage pit, and they detectiMl the damp coming through and they l)uilt it oil"; and then, in the year 1880, the Ford pit exploded, and there are now 42 bodies ly'w.iX in her yet. Three were taken out. Tiiere was one taken out 'alive, Dunbar, but he died fnmi the effect of the explosion. Before that the water broke in on the loth day of September, 1880, and the pit was wrecked ; tmd it broke in on the other sidt on the 12th October and lives were lost. They were all taken out. Then, in 1888, the No. 2 slop(( exploded on a Sunday, on the loth day of January. They went to lob the pillars FIUK8 IN IMCTOIT MINES. H.') In Deccnhcr she camo .n hr.st. ^l'« '""^^^ in'o. that b the last th. ir.th (lay of January, sho macle a^ clou '>i^'* ' ^ f^j i,,,^.,i jt .xi,h..i(>n. I have l>cen in three «M>lo^';;" ' ^ ^ ^ ^^ ^^ ;, , ,, .vllen she exploae.l. 1 was --•l-'^-^'^.^l^'r, 'clock and ,l,out 20 mint.tes or ha t-pas s.x. 1 »^ .^^'^"^ I^, ' .f concussion in ,,.out 20 nnnutcs or halt an hour '^tte vu I c It a u . r^llito^r^Tou^lhat^ tha^r I ^VlnSoriSlowi!^ nK."il»." Then there .^a.:ujohc^^^ ,,,,„ I which was heavier. So ^ /'^<;"!- \ '' „, , , ..^,,,.a ,vhat was wronjij C\v^iH burnc to death and I was terribly uyuied. 8(5 FIKIOS IN PKTOIT MINKS. QUERIES FOR ANSWERS BY MR. WILLS. 1. What is tho quality of the top coal main scam as worked in the Fooid pit ? 2. What is the quality of the bottom coal in tho same pit? 3. What is the quality of the bottom coal as compared with tho top coal in the Foord pit ? 4. It is merchantable coal ? 5. Is it available for good coke making and good stoam raising? G. Did you suggest lining ot shaft with brick and sand? 7. Why was it not done? 8. Why were the arches at bottom of pit not completed to be ready for lining^ 9. What proportion of coal rais^ed by you from the Ford pit was sold, and what pro))ortion used at tire doors? 10. What objections were made to the scheme of lining proposed by you ? 11. Was any other scheme suggested? 12. Why was lining suggested for this shaft? 13. Would its cost have l)een excessive as compared with the importance ot iho undertaking as compared with the money spent in connection with the scheme of le-opening? 14. Was it understood when you took charge that the bottom eoal was good enough to work under the old workings in the Ford pit? 15. Was it understood that the scheme was to win the solid coal ? 16r Was it agreed that your operations or plans were to be subjected to any tinal decision by the company or any of its otfici ils. 17. Did the operations in the Foord pit after the water was pumped out before you took charge in any way aftect the final results* — if so, give particulars? 18. When did you take charge of the Ford pit? 19. Do you consider that it would be feasible to repair the Ford pit shafts? 20. Do you consider it teasible to re-open the pit with a view to working the bottom coal under the old Ford pit workings in the top coal? FIRES IN PKTOU MINES. H7 21 Do you considov it lousiblo to icopcMi tho Kord pit witli u view to working,' tho coal in the solid to tho dip.'' 22. Do you consider it tcasible to rc-opon the McBoun slope? Would the coal in tho McBean seam unworked wannnt the lo- openinji ot tho seam by a now shatt or Hlopo.-' 23. Do you consider that the six foot seam has been lully proved as to its thickness? 24. What proportion of tho money spent in " reopening" the Foord pit was expended on surface work .-' 25 Wlittt proportion was spent in the work ot re-opening prope.^. not including boilers, hoapstoivd, pumps, coke ovens, etc. 20. How long had tho Foord pit been open when you took charge V 27. Was any air admitted to old workings before you took charge? , x, n 98 Were there so many apperlures supplying «u- to the old l^'„« hpside the leaks in the main shatt Foord pit that the Z^n7t^^o trom the shaft to the old workings was a matter ot comparatively little consequence i 29. At what other points did air gain access to the old workings? , « 30 ' Did any admission of air before you took charge influence the state of the old workings? 31 . If so did you draw the attention of the company to the tact .• ^-i TMd vou do this betore or after you proposed to the com- pany t eS^^ivfrom entering tho old workmgs trom the shaft bv means of a lining.'' 33. Did any air find access to the old workings by the fan shaft? 34. If so state facts? 35 Were you allowed full control of all oporat.ons connected withVe-opening the Foord pit? 36 If not state in what particulars? 37 Were you supplied with all necessary material ? 38. Were any .t your requests tor labor or material not complied with? 39 If so in what way and to what extent ? • . ,.««,.-wl u-iili in any particular— state the 40. If you were '" l^^'''^. :\;;1 ^ / pivi.n intorlering, and particulars, the name? ot Uie pd^on i their reasons for doing so .'' 88 FIUKS IN PKTOIT MINES. 41. What ii) your opinion wiis tho ciiusc of the rii«' «'hit h led to the Hnal cl()sin mixture of it with other coals tor .-oke- makin- improved the coke, and apart Irom this, I had always underrtood that it was an admitted fact that the coke made trom Foord pit coal was superior to that made trom other coals m the district. 1 burnt bottcmi coal in my house grates to test i , and wiiat 1 burnt was I considered (relatively to the coals m the district which I had used, ir hiding Aca.lia) excellent. No. 3. I IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET {MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 IS|2,8 12.5 ^ 1^ 12.0 wuu m U 11.6 a =3 Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 ^0 ^ x5> ^ 00 FIRES IN PICTOU MINES. n board ul the top of No. 1 Imlance, north side, wan milking excellent coal at the time the pit was stopped. No. 4. The coal bein80 45 657 129 November, 1891. 2574 12()5 McGregor Coal, 182 444 24 621 399 60 144 85 Note.— Tliere is un error here of 2i tons in tlio clerk's llgures. 39 626 84 765 -«.-T>» w»K .t t.,,..-^.^;n^o., «J.oj«.^. rJ^^'^^SS No. 10. The only objection mised to the lining was that it was totally unnecessary . No. 11. No other practical suggestion was made. No. 12. except towards the crop where '* J 'U bee .nnn idc = y ^.^^^^ After I had been out u. charge o t e Fm"'"^^;^' f ^^ "^ • ' ,Vom the arches pir shafts, because, had a secure Umiig c^i >^^ ^ ' V ^^^^^^i,^ ^.^e Lid tbn l,ottom of the pumpmg pit secured, the ^^^J'J^-^y^^^^ .nnHned been saic, and, it desired, the working. 02 FIRES IN PICTOU MINKS. entirely to the solid conl to the deep of the s'lafts. I had been in pits on tire round the .shafts secured in this way and know (hat the protection 1 recommended would have been quite cti'octual. No. 13. The cost ol'the lining would not have been at all a heavy item as colliery expenses go, as compared with the importance ot the undertaking or the outlay necessary for re-opening the pit. No. 14. When I took charge it was understood that the bottom coal would bo good enough to w^ork, rnd that there would be plenty of demand for it for coke making, manufacturing and household demand. No. 15. It was understood that the solid coal to the deep of the Foord pit was to bo won. Note. — I had also proposed to work bottom coal under the old workings, and there is undoubtedly a great quantity of this coal which can be worked. It must always be remembered in considering this question that in the last re-opcning of the Foord pit no precautions were taken at the outset to check the ingress of aii. It poured in down the Fan pit, and for a long time through a number of openings in the Foord pit which I had bricked up, and then after these were bricked a laige quantity nuist have passed continuously through the barring into the old workings up to the time of the closing of the pit. No. 1(3. I was under two agreements with the A. C Co. In the first no mention was made of any other officials. In the second it was stated that mutters were to bo referred to the agent, with a right of appeal to the Prest. This, however, in actiuil practice was a dead letter, as I was never able to obtain any decided expression ot opinion from the former. No. 17. Undoubtedly bearing in view the liability to spontaneous com- bustion in tiie Foord pit (now ascertained beyond doubt) the proper course before pumping the water out even would have been to have FIKKS IN PICTOU MINKS. 93 bccurelv sealed all shafts to the vise such as the Ian pit, htoic p t., etc., h; puttin- rails across the shaft, taking out a piece of bariing and filiing in with several feet of sand some Avay troni the sui ace ; then the water sliould have been pumped down (luickly and the working shafts secured. Undoubtedly, therefore, the operations in the Foord i)it after the taking out of the water seriously alleoled the alter results, as air was pouring in at many points for months uninterruptedly. No. 18. Practically at the beginning ot '<.»!, when as soon as possible we l)egan to build oil" the openings in to the old workings. No. ID. I consider that it would be perfectly teasiblo to secure the Foord pit shafts and to re-open the pit. Nos. 20 and 21. consider it perfectly feasible to re-open the pit, with ii/iew t<> in2 the solid coal to the deep of the ^diafts and mucn ot the I work bottonfcoal to the rise. No. 22. I regard the McBean slope and the workings connected with it as hopelessly wrecked. Whether it would pay to rc-opcn the seam again by a new slope or shaft would depend on lhc> area of the scam still unworked, and if this unworked area is likely to be of the «=«'»« /I »l»l'ty-\«/!^« ^""^ worked, .(uestions on which the Government Geological Ofhcials can give a better opinion than I could. No. 23. The six foot seam was thinning seriously at the time 1 left Nova Scotia but whether this was temporary or such as to render the seam unworifable, I do not kno^v, and 1 could not offer any opinion as to what extent the seam as a whole is proved to be. No. 24. analy The exoGnditnve at the Foord pit would require a careful Ivsis from the books to arrive at it accurately, as it was mixed 01 FIRES IN PKl^OU MINES. up with ii heavy water cost (Avhich existed l>etbre and oxistti now) and other matters. Of the nionev si)eiU 1 should roughly estimate surface expendi- ture a« half, hut could not «iy detinitely without going fully through the hooks. No. 25. I should not think more than one quarter. No. 2«5. 1 cannot say precisely, but I should suppose about twelve months from the time the inset bottom was reached. No. 27. A large quantity of air had ])een admitted to the Foord pit l)e{()re I took charge. Six months after I took charge it was practically all cut off (a number of substantial stoppings having been put in tor the purpose,) except the leakage through the barring ■which was serious in extent and position. No. 28. In the Foord pit itself there were no apertures of any con- sequence except the unin-otected barring, and had the shafts been secured as proposed, if air leaking through other apertures nearer the surface had caused tire to spring up in the old workings, it could never have affected the working of the pit as a whole because a thoroughly encased and lire proof means of communication would have existed fi-om the surface to the bottom coal roads, (or if the roads had Ijcen driven Irom the arches into the solid coal to the deep and protected with the solid coal.) , No. 29. Some air no doubt leaked through the fissures near the surface down the Fan i)it, Store pit and other pits nearer to the crop. No. 30. Admission of nir before I took charge no doubt precipitated the springing up of tires from spontaneous combustion. Nos. n and 32. When I first went out to the Foord pit, us I have already Ktiifed (answer 12), all information obtained pointed to spontaneous com- FIRES IN PTCTOU MINES. 95 Imstiun being «|uito unknown and thut the fires in existence in the aiain seam were sniouldeiino- ones nt the crop (which wou'd have taken years to creep down). it wai'- also stated that a l)arrier existed above the Foord pit workings driven through only in two phieos, and it was proposed to get to these ))oinls as quickly as possible, build ihem oil' and confine operations within this barrier; one of those openings was to be driven to and from the Fan pit. When, howtjver, what I considered as evidence of spontancoMs combustion appeared, the whole situation became changed, and I then (Feb. '91) proposed measures which I considered absolutely necessary for the safety of the colliery, and which were, of course (in part), to prevent the i)ussage of niv from the Foord pit workings into the old workings. Nos. 33 and 34. Air had found its way down the Fan pit for months, and .iftor closing it up, which was done shortly after, a slight amount of leakage would take place, a« no mere surhice covering can be as effectual as the measures I suggest (answer 17), owing tV . K. >V11j1jo. Declared at No. 7r-> Queen Victoria Street, '] in the City of London, this 8th day ol I October, 1895, before me, }■ Thomas II. Wkkks, I A Oomminsioiicr for Oalhx. J FIRRS IN I'lCTOU MINES. 97 ' February 20th, 1891. J. W. Clendenin, Esq., President The Acadm Coal Co., Limited, Dear Sir : I should have written had I not heard from you as to the toord ^' "xhe mensuren hero are I believe broken for a ^«n;;f;'-^^'« distance up the shaft, and the barring here also has not been S"ely packed with any air-tight n<>n-->"'l-f "§ '"f ^'^iXVif sand • to do this now would be slow and costly, and I question it t coJli be done effectually. Mr. Poolo thinks the measures are so wet that caulkinfz the joints of the barring would do. I am TtrongW of opinion, however, that the mo.t thorough safe and cheapest way in the end would he. to put a bnck lining (9 inch wo k) Se the present shaft to where the measures are sound and unbroken (say 2.^,0 teet up,) this being built from and continuous witi; the afchway at the bottom of the shaft which will again connect with the bottom coal roads. If the bottom of the pumping shaft is also secured through th^e coal seam by driving behind the burr ng and hi ing in wih sand and brickwork, I should consider the colliery would be safe ; ^t I d not consider that it will be se.mre till this is done, and I think that "his'ind the arching should be completed with all possible speed. To brick the shaft will not entail more than a few days' stoppage, and will merely alter our arrangements to the extent of wr ..ng with cages like A. instead of B. PROPOSED CASING TO FOORD PIT SHAFT. First a single box two-decked cage would have to be made and substituted loi- one of the present cages, a balance being put on the other she (see shaded line 1), a scatlbld amuiged so as to be raised from time to time could then be put in and a brick casing backed with sand uilt (see lines), the coal could be hoisted mi one shift m lb ickingcouldgo on the other two shilts. In this way the shl would soon be secured for the necessary height and could uever be affected by fire. The cages would ultimately run on wire conductors. Upon hearing from you that you approve of the suggestion, i Avill at once proceed with this work with all possible speed. I enclose rough sketch showing suggested casing, and remain, Yours obediently, (Sg'd.) W. R. WILLS, Assist. Manager. 08 FIRES IN PKTOIT MINES. STATEMENT PRESENTED BY H. S. POOLE. AIRHADY EXAMINED AB A WITNESS, ON THE REPLIES OF W. R. WILLS TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS AS TO THE POORD PIT FIRES. Bofon* ooinmonlin;^ on Mr. Wills' roi)lieH to the on(|uii'io8 of tho Comniif^aion, it will Ix' well to atato his position : When tho Foord })it wan pumped out and the condition of tho workings surmised, tho agent, recognizing the grave nature ot tho problem before the company, reminded the directors (Jany. 8th, 1890) of the otler made siome time Iveforo to obtain tho advice of an export. It was expected W. Sawyer, of Startbrdshire, could ho obtained, but he was just booked for South Africa. Failing hlnj, tor H «Mi(loirto tho Hiiggcfition thut all Alliion ojxMutious coiitio in tho Fo(.ra pit. Tlio niUuro ot tho groinul, tlu) inflimiiualiiUty ot the sluik-s, the open t'Xtui'o of tho coal, llie voUiuie ot -otten that tho erop of the seam has heon ()n tiro for 20 years, and what(!Vor leasons there may l)e tor hoping thj tiro is eirenmscrihed hy falls, there U no certainty of thit*, iho crushoa havo been but partial and the settling irregular." " Rortpeeting driving towards the surface (as suggested by Mr. Wills to Sir (i. Elliot) this work is now going on for a connettion with the Fan pit. The Fan pit has been put in order and sunk to the bottom of the seam, but the work of driving down this to ineot the balance driving up has not been beoun, the necessary gear is not ready, and T should like to t)e sure before breaking the walls, to bt quite sure, thai Mr. Wills has thought out his suggested opening)* starting trom the pit bottom directly to the deep, and directly on u half dij) course to the rise. For several reasons it ^eeius to mo better to open out on a level course east and west tor a short distance before taking tho ro(|uired courses." Tho blunders made by Mr. Wills in suggesting the openings be made from u shaft bottom as proposed, will be apparent when it is rejuembercd tho seam dips at an angle of eighteen degrees. Mr. Wills when htj came out tirst as an export madt a plan of tho proi)osed openings from tho Fan pit. On hi«J return from England he got hold of it and destroyed it. 1 ' 100 FIHKS IN IMCTOU MINKS. OOMMHNTS ON ANSWERS BY MR. W. R. WILLS TO QUESTIONS BY THE COMMISSION APPOINTED BY THE OOVBRNMBNT. No 1 and 2. Tho ooUo hoin Hi« 9 foot a inch coiil wum Huporior, but 1 1.0 lotur.w tVoin Lo.uloiuleiiy Khowod tho coko luade horn tho boHoni coal (under Mr. Wills) was not m good. Coal ash 11 yoi" ».ent. No. (5. Tho lining of tho lowest part ot the Foord pit was acknowledged by all as advinable. It had been done ''«tmo Ml^ TVills took charge, but this packing he look out when he relunlt the ar • t'« and he did not restore it. Objoctiou w s take" to reducing the 8ize, as he HUgge^tcd, to 7 leet round, for obvious reasons it the pit was to be used as a hoisting p=t. There were other ways ot closing the shaft in over the arches, without reducing the size, as by waifs of timl)er or concrete with clay backing. Wh(Mi spoken to on one occasion about tho non-completion ot tho work over the arches at tho mouthing. Mr. Wills stated thnt m it would stop the getting of coal fo- the time he would not do ;. then. He was most anxious to make a show ot output as no had ollered, il given charge ot the work, to have the pit m condition for an output ot 1000 tons a day in two years' time The getting ot conl therefr-e })ecame to him of more importance than the condition of the mine lor a permanency. Mr. J. II. Harden, the well-known practical engineer, of Phoenixvillo, Pa., was consulted, and did not agree that a V foot shaft was advisable. Besides the safety o+the pit did not turn on the closing in of the shaft over the arches. There were other places where the air loaked, e. a., at the opinion of the aircnt. A^ to the offer of n h ca! fim to !Zr tlu. Foo.ll ».it online., It w.. -"''^^^ .«';-', '^^^ of Ml- WilUwhuhcouianotl.ogUMn.ntet..l. hm-e t tell tlm S L toul!. en,rine. they uro by Joyce, a Hnn ot excollonc v.puto. hnt they arc not modciii. No;* IC nnd 11. 'VWne replies aro not true. No 13 Many oxpoiionciMl n.on .u»> .)t opinioM his pn. .sml lining would not luwo Juv.l the pit on account of th;' -Wh aUoajKy •dVircdto. His opinio., can only l.c taken lor vvluc it is woi h. M,rj«uK^ Maxwell i.s cited uh an illustration ol cxpcr.enecd n.on differing from him. No 1(5 Mr. Wills s'ws he had no deeided oxpressi.»ns ot opi,I!on trom tlTo agent, lie doul.tle.n h... forgotten the contrary opinions expres^'id when he suggested : Opening tho Gordon pit to make a draft to the rise through >voik ncs asauncd to le on fire ; to change the railway tr.udv a. d ;^^"S::;n the Fan pit and the null , to ^^'-^ - '^-^"S il the Back mines, pull down the ovens tl>e ..c. ? *;> /■;' '^ 'j;^^^ immedhUcly below the Foord p-.t bottom; o start an mclmc tiom Z cen/r/of the Fan pit .]> under the crushed "^"f«^ ;\;';^ emBlovment of notoriously diuidiou i)it uuuuigors one ot whom was . CtTcer^ilicate ; the doing away altogether -'tl-^ <>-;->t^- « the Albion mines, &e., and the frequent uncovering of the l^ooi 1 nit The wilful leaving open for hours of this p t ,n the absence ot The agent clused the ex';,losion that terminated his engagements. ^ No 15. In answer to this and similar questions, Mr. Wills desires it to be thought he wus always anxious to stop a.r l«'jks 'U the agent opposed hin,. Ou turning to the correspondence the boot will be found on the other foot. February 13th, 1891 (p. 838), the agent wrote : "I would suy the b 1; cLrsl now is t\! take i pessimistic view ^-^J^^^:!^ sider what course is best to pur.ue under the P^^^"^,^ ^'^f *!;."; to I incline to abando.iing tho proposed use ot the Ian p. ,^ to believe, slow as it will be, that the .afer course will be to adop. ,he English slope for ventilation." This was opposed by Mr. vVills.' (Sec his letters.) Further Mr. Wills has evidently forgotten his letter of June 27th lb '1 sug;estiug tho use of the air leakage into the old works ? sun tl by h?m at OOO cubic feet per minute) for the purpose ot forking the old 9 tt. 3 in. pillars. To this the agent wrote : ..Surely the salfer course is to assume th>t the ^^^'^^er |^f'j;;^^j;^ of air is objeotionable, as it may cause the fire to ^^ '«1 ^^^;^ ' f '^ westward " Ar the permanent working of the pit would have dared to do so. He wanted to drive a set of bords close below the mine bord back towards the Foord pit, which if d-^ne would have let down all the water to be again pumped at extra cost and permanent outlay of plant. Thnn he suggested (see his first report) working the rise east side of the English slope whore the coal is very inferior and no appliances existed for its extraction, &c. Then he proposed a slant direct from the centre of the Fan pit risin<» nine degrees up under old workings full of d imp if not of fire. Then robbing the shaft pillar temporarily to get out coal which the trade did not call for. What was wanted of him was to get the Foord pit in order for a future trade, as he undertook to do ; he was not wanted to produce coal at any cost and increased risk. Mr. Wills denies selecting his own men. He may remember he brou'^ht out with him, as head i iimen on high salaries, two men who were not steady ; one had no certificate, although he knew his Nova Scotia laws required underground managers to have certifi- cates ; and one was notoriously dissipated, an 1, as an illustration that he did select his own pitmen, the case of Hilly T may bo mentioned. The agent, knowing the man, advised against his employment; nevertheless he, Wm. T was taken on. It is childish for him now to say proper men should have been found for him when he could and did select for himself. ♦wins ? 104 FIRES IN PICTOU MI^ES. He also speaks of difficulty in getting tuateruil. The heavl engineer was hi.s own selection and gave every in^forcnce to^no work for the Foord pit, even to the sacrifice of the Back pita, from which the market had necessarily to he supplied. Local enquiry would easily prove this. Besides, no opposition was put in the way of oeiting more fitters, &o., had such men been wanted for the Foord pit. Mr. Wills was sometimes unreasonable in his expecta- tions : he lectured the agent on one occasion before the storekeeper (McK.) for not having material out from England, even befoi^ an acknowledgment of the order iiad come by mail. That he ordered much ot the material re