unsecured safety lamp was found, and the general opinion at the time was
that the disaster was caused by the inexcusable carelessness of one of
the twenty victims. Besides this, when the clothing of the bodies
recovered was searched, the contents, taken, it should be noted, with the
pitmen into the mines, consisted of pipes, tobacco, matches, and even
keys for unlocking the lamps. It is a strange reflection on the manner in
which this mine had been examined previous to the men entering upon their
work, that the under-looker, but half an hour previously, had reported
the pit to be free from gas.

Another instance of the same foolhardiness on the part of the miners is
contained in the report issued in regard to an explosion which occurred
at Denny, in Stirlingshire, on April 26th, 1895. By this accident
thirteen men lost their lives, and upon the bodies of eight of the number
the following articles were found; upon Patrick Carr, tin matchbox half
full of matches and a contrivance for opening lamps; John Comrie, split
nail for opening lamps; Peter Conway, seven matches and split key for
opening lamps; Patrick Dunton, split nail for opening lamps; John Herron,
clay pipe and piece of tobacco; Henry M'Govern, tin matchbox half full of
matches; Robert Mitchell, clay pipe and piece of tobacco; John Nicol,
wooden pipe, piece of tobacco, one match, and box half full of matches.
The report stated that the immediate cause of the disaster was the
ignition of fire-damp by naked light, the conditions of temperature being
such as to exclude the possibility of spontaneous combustion. Henry
M'Govern had previously been convicted of having a pipe in the mine. With
regard to the question of sufficient ventilation it continued:--"And we
are therefore led, on a consideration of the whole evidence, to the
conclusion that the accident cannot be attributed to the absence of
ventilation, which the mine owners were bound under the Mines Regulation
Act and the special rules to provide." The report concluded as follows:--
"On the whole matter we have to report that, in our opinion, the
explosion at Quarter Pit on April 26th, 1895, resulting in the loss of
thirteen lives, was caused by the ignition of an accumulation or an
outburst of gas coming in contact with a naked light, 'other than an open
safety-lamp,' which had been unlawfully kindled by one of the miners who
were killed. In our opinion, the intensity of the explosion was
aggravated, and it