Appendix B to the report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. Cap. 151 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines. / Presented to both houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty.
- Great Britain. Royal Commission on Mines
- Date:
- 1864
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Appendix B to the report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. Cap. 151 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines. / Presented to both houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![When was it; yesterday, or the day before ?—The day before, Wednesday. About what time of day ?—About 2 o'clock in the after- noon. Where were you at the time?—In the boiler-house along with them. The engine boiler-house?—Yes, in the engine boiler- house. Who were there besides?—Uriah, my son, was there. The deceased, Frederick Uren, was there you say?—Yes, sir. And what was the other man called who is dead ? {Mr. Bice, an agent of the mine.) George Teague. {Coroner to witness.) And your son? {IVifness.) My son Uriah Bosanko, and others, were pre- sent at the time. Were they all changing their clothes, or only these two?—We was all in the act of changing at the time of relief. You were all going to leave work?—We had come u|) from underground, and they was going underground. We were taking off our underground clothes, and they were about to ])ut on underground clothes.' You and your son, and some others, had come up, from underground ?—Yes, sir. What ha])pened while there?—The boiler burst while we were changing. While you were changing the boiler burst?—Yes. What intimation had you got of it at first?—No intima- tion in the least. You heard an explosion, I suppose, first?—Yes, sir; we heard an explosion, and saw it also. It came out just nigh where we were standing; and we, being very nigh the door, made our escape into the engine-house. You heard an explosion, you say?—Yes, sir; it came out under first. And you, being very near the door, made your escape through, you say?—Yes. Did you all escape ?—Yes, sir. You said you saw something of it; what did you see? — I saw it burst out from just under the fire door, and it went out against the wall of the coal shed. {Mr. Bice.) It would be more proper to say it forced its way just through the bottom flue of the boiler. {Coroner.) You saw fire? {IVitness.) No; water and steam forced its way through, and come out against the wall of the coal shed. You made your escape immediately, and saw nothing more of it?—As quick as possible we could; a quarter of a moment, or as soon as we could open the door. Four of us was standing on the platform washing at the present time. You saw nothing more of it then afterwards ?—No. The steam followed us into the engine-house. We quickly made our esca])e from being burnt alive, and that was aD. The steam followed you into the engine-house, into which you made your escape, I sujjjjose ?—Yes. Were you all in the same place ; or were those in a more dangerous j^lace than you ?—To all appearance we was in the most dangerous place. Why ?—We was nighest where it burst. Where were those two men who have died ?—Those two men were on the other boiler that did not burst; and they, hearing the explosion, and thinking to make their escape, jumped down to the fire-doors, where it had bursted out, among the steam and water. They were on the top of the other boiler, I think you said ?—Yes ; from the top of the other boiler. And then they jumped down before the fire-place of the boiler that burst ?—Not exactly; they made their escape through the window. How many boilers were there?—Two. And they were on the boiler that did not burst?—They jumped over thicky that didn't burst, and steam and water was coming out about them from the other boiler that burst, and they made their escape through the window; they climbed up through the window that they throw out ashes through. The window is about five feet high. {Mr. Brice to witness.) Did those two men who were killed make their escape through the window ? {Witness.) Yes. {Uriah Bosanko.) One made his escape through the window, and the other through the door of the coal-shed. I think that's of it, from the account they gave me. {Coroner to witness.) Did you see anything of them after the accident ? {Witness.) Yes, sir. W^here?—Out in the coal yard. We ran out of the en- gine-house, and heard them crying. We went round to the gate of the coal shed, and we saw Frederick Uren crawling on his hands and knees, and the others was standing up. Did you see what state he was in ?—Yes. He was able to talk, we hear?—Yes, he was able to talk. 3 Did he give you any history of it at all ?—He didn't give any history, or say anything what occurred; but he begged us to open the yard gate, which was locked; but we couldn't until we got the key. He said nothing about the occurrence?—I don't know that he mentioned anything about it. (Uriah Bosanko.) I asked him what was the matter, and he said he was burnt very bad. {Coroner to witness.) Did you see that he was burnt very bad ? {Witness.) Yes; very bad abi)ut the head and arms, and every part we could see. He appeared to be seriously burnt; scalded ?—Seriously scalded everywhere we could see. He had his clothes on. Every part that was exposed, you say ?—Yes; it appears he was scalded everywhere that was exposed to the steam. What was done with him? He was let out of the yard, of cou' se ; did you do anything more to him ?—No ; he was taken up by these here men, my son and who else? {Uiiah Bosanko.) I can't say. {Witness.) He was carried into the account house, and very quickly after that he was carried by James Vincent or two men to his own dwelling. . {Coroner.) Where he died, I suppose? (Witness.) Yes. Were you present when he died?—I was in the house, but I didn't see him pass. My son did ; he was sitting by him. How soon after the accident ?—About ] 1 o'clock at night; about eight hours after. Uriah Bosanko sworn. (Coroner.) You are a son of the last witness ? {Witness.) Yes, sir. And live in Wendron too ?—Yes, sir. With your father ?—Yes, sir. And you are a miner too ?—Yes, sir. And work with your father?—No, sir. You work in the same mine?—Yes, sir. You work in BuUer and Basset United Mines ?—Yes. And you were there on Wednesday last?—Yes, sir. And in the boiler house with your father, as he has stated?—Yes, sir. And were present at the explosion ?—Yes, sir. You have heard the evidence your father has given; is it all true as to the manner this poor fellow was injured?— Yes. Just give us the names of those persons you think were there. You said the parties present were, the two deceased, Frederick Wren and George Teague, and ?—Myself and my father, John Oliver, William Oliver, and James Oliver (brothers), John Hand, and James Hore. Were any beside these two injured?—Ves; James Oliver was injured, and Jaiftes Hore. They were also scalded ?—Yes, sir. The others escaped unhurt; is that so ?—Yes, I believe so. {The Coroner, addressing: Mr. Bice.) Now then. Captain Bice, we will have your evidence. We want to have the best information you can give us as to the cause of acci- dent. (Captain Bice.) I think Bosanko's evidence is as near the truth as I can state. But we want to have some scientific knowledge about it ? —I don't know that I can give any scientific account, I can merely state— The coroner, however, desired him to be sworn. Samuel Bice sworn. (Coroner.) You are a mine agent? (Witness.) Yes, sir. Where ?—At Buller and Basset United Mines. The principal manager?—No; the sub-agent. Captain Pascoe, is the managing agent. (Capt. Pascoe was not pre- sent.) You have been a mine agent a considerable time ?—Yes. Many years ?—Several years. And employed there any length of time?—'Tis about 18 months since I came to that mine. Were you at the mine on Wednesday last ?—I was in the account house at the time of the bursting of the boiler. And you went out at once, I suppose?—Yes. You heard the explosion, I suppose?—No; I did not hear the explosion. I think it can hardly be called an ex- plosion ; it was rather a blowing out of the boiler. (John Bosanko.) Yes, that's the thing. (Witness.) The boiler blew out,—the bottom part of the flue ;the steam escaped through the flue. (Coroner.) You heard of it before you went out ? (Witness.) Yes, I heard of it, and I went out immediately? You heard of it from some person you met at the door —From one of the men who had been in the boiler-house. Just give us your description how it was. What did you L 4](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b23983292_0515.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
