§ MR. MACDONALDasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If it be correct that eight days or thereby 575 previous to the final inundation of the Home Farm Colliery, near Hamilton, in the county of Lanark, that the water burst into that mine or colliery; if the work of a seam, under the Ell Seam, where the bodies of the four men who lost their lives are supposed to lie, was stopped from the inflow of the water; whether the principal Inspector of the district or his assistant visited the mine during the whole of the week that the water continued to flow into the mine; if so, what were the directions he gave; and if, having regard to the whole circumstances, there is evidence to show that the mine should not have been stopped before the final burst of the water?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, that in answer to the first part of the Question of the hon. Member, he had to state that it was true that eight days before the final inundation a fall in the roof had taken place in the extreme workings; that in consequence of that fall the work of the lowest seam was stopped from the inflow of water, but the men went on working in the middle seam. With regard to the third part of the Question, whether the principal Inspector of the district visited the mine during the whole of the week, he had to say that the Inspector was not aware of anything having taken place in the mine at all until the morning of the accident, no notice having been given to him of the water having got in eight days before. He was told that the persons in charge of the mine did consult the Duke of Hamilton's mineral agent, who was a gentleman of great skill and experience. That gentleman went down and gave his advice as to what ought to be done, and stated that no further accident was expected. With regard to the last part of the Question, he was not able to say from any information before him at present that the mine should not have been stopped before the final burst of the water; but the Procurator 'Fiscal was making an independent inquiry into the whole circumstances of the case, and he should wait until that inquiry was completed before taking further steps in the matter. The information at present before him did not lead to the conclusion that the men should have ceased working.
§ MR. MACDONALDgave Notice that to-morrow he would ask the Home Secretary, if he would not direct a special 576 inquiry to be made into the circumstances of the case, seeing that a destruction of human life had been involved in it?
MR. ASSHETON CROSSthought the hon. Member could not have heard what he had said. He had stated that the Procurator Fiscal was making a special independent inquiry at the present moment; and when he heard from that officer, he should be happy to consider whether any further inquiry would be necessary. The hon. Member had, therefore, better wait the result of that inquiry, which was already in progress, before asking the Question.