REPORT UNDER THE QUARRIES ACT.

SECTION I.

The following table, compiled from the annual returns, shows that during the year there were five more quarries worked, but there was only one more person employed regularly than in the preceding year.

It will be seen by the above tables that there was a decrease of 120 in the persons employed, and 60,453 tons in the output of mineral.

SECTION III.

TABLE (22).

SUMMARY OF FATAL and NON-FATAL ACCIDENTS, classified according to

The death-rate from accidents per 1,000 persons employed was, inside the quarries, 2-22; outside the quarries, 2.84; and both inside and outside the quarries, 2.32.

It will be seen by the above table that 65 accidents occurred in connection with the working of the quarries, 5 of which proved fatal to five persons. The number of lives lost is the same as the preceding year, but there is an increase of 13 in the non-fatal

accidents.

It is satisfactory to note that the year passed without the loss of a single life by the use of explosives.

TABLE (23).

ACCIDENTS with EXPLOSIVES, classified according to their CHARACTER or CAUSE.

The following is a short account of the accidents by explosives :

At Llanelly Quarry, on 17th January, a quarryman was ramming a hole containing a pellet of gelignite, when it exploded and injured his face. He was using a wooden

rammer.

At Graig Isaf Quarry, on 22nd February, a labourer was struck by a stone projected by a shot of saxonite. He had retreated 100 yards.

At Llanelly Quarry, on 23rd January, a quarryman had gone about 80 yards away from a shot when he was struck on the wrist by a stone projected.

At Hatch Quarry, on 4th March, the foreman was charging a hole with gelignite when it exploded and injured his hand. He was using a wooden rammer.

At Trevil Quarry, on 30th August, two men had fired 3 lbs. of powder in a hole 14 feet deep for the purpose of "shaking" it. In half an hour afterwards the leader threw a handful of loose powder into the hole to see whether any fire or smouldering fuse remained. After waiting some time and seeing no signs of fire they proceeded to pour powder out of a tin containing 3 lbs. into the hole for the purpose of further "shaking,' when an explosion occurred, which smashed the tin and burned the men's faces and hands.

At Dolyhir Quarry, on 10th October, a quarryman was struck by a stone projected by a shot which exploded before he had reached shelter.

At Trevil Quarry, on 1st November, a quarryman, who had taken shelter, put his head out when the shot went off and he was struck by a small stone.

At Forest Isaf Quarry, on 14th December, as the chargeman was completing the ramming of a hole charged with 8 ounces of gunpowder, it exploded and injured him and three others who were looking on. A wooden raminer was used.

There were no accidents from the use of electricity.

SECTION IV.

PROSECUTIONS.

There were no prosecutions during the year of either the owners, agents, managers or of the workmen.

SECTION V.

GENERAL REMARKS.

102 visits of inspection of quarries have been made by my assistants and myself during the year.

Each fatal accident has been investigated, and each inquest attended, and several of the more serious non-fatal accidents have been enquired into.

Docks, Wharves, and Quays.--I do not know of any wharves or quays in connection with mines or quarries in my district.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

The Right Hon. H. J. Gladstone, M.P.,
His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State,
Home Departinent, Whitehall.

FRED. A. GRAY.

APPENDIX I.-List of Fatal Accidents.

LIST of FATAL ACCIDENTS in the CARDIFF DISTRICT, during the YEAR 1906.

Cause of Accident and Remarks.

Repairer.

At face, coal, 5 ft. by 4 ft. by 18 ins. thick, discharged or crushed out two sprags, and fell on deceased. Died February 15th. Coronation seam.

At face, coal, 4 ft. by 2 ft. by 2 ft. 10 ins. thick, fell. A heavy "pounce," which in all probability loosened the coal, was heard just before the fall. Deceased had holed 6 or 8 inches under the coal, and had not set sprags against it. Five-feet seam.

At face, coal, 4 ft. by 4 ft. by 22 ins. thick, fell as deceased was cutting out the "butt" of
a face slip of coal. One sprag was said to have been crushed out. Four-feet seam.
At face, coal and shale, 4 ft. 9 ins. by 15 ins. by 33 ins. thick, fell from a back slip. The
face of the coal was said to have been vertical before the accident. Red seam.

At face, coal and shale, 44 ft. by 13 ins. by 3 ft. thick, which had been overhanging and
which was not spraggel. Yard seam.

At face, coal, 5 ft. by 21 ins. by 46 ins., fell off a face slip as deceased and the collier in
charge were cutting at it so as to get it down in small pieces. Deceased failed to get out
of its way and was crushed against a prop. Six-feet seam.

At face, clod (shale), 5 ft. by 10 ins. by 12 ins. thick, fell as deceased was kneeling down,
and crushed his head. It was unsupported. He died in two days. Bute seam.
At face, cliff, 2 ft. by 9 ins. by 9 ins. thick, fell and struck deceased on the forehead. He
fell backwards off a stage, upon which he had been standing, and alighted on a heap of
stones. He had driven a heading in the seam, and was making room for a length of
arching at or near the face. The top cone projected too far in, and he got on to a stage
to cut it away. Directly he did so, a stone, which the coal had supported, fell. It was
thought to be a slight accident at the time. He died five days after the accident. Nine-
feet seam.
At face, coal and clod, 7 ft. by 1 ft. 6 ins. by 3 ft. 11 ins., the upper part of a back slip in a
thick seam, of which the bottom coal had been worked away, fell on deceased as he was
working at the bottom coal with a bar. There were said to have been 3 sprags
against the top coal, but the evidence upon this point was unsatisfactory. Four-feet

seam.

On road, rock, 44 ft. by 4 ft. by 4 ft. thick, fell from a smooth joint. Deceased and the
repairer had been ripping roof and taking off side at the place. A shot, which had been
fired 5 feet from it, may have loosened the stone.

On road, fireclay, 27 ft. by 7 ft. by 2 ft. Deceased was widening a heading, the sides of
which were supported by "spangers " and short sprags. He had removed two spangers
with a prop-withdrawing machine, and was straining at the third, when the above large
fall of side took place He should have proceeded from one end, securing the ground as
he went along.

At face, coal, 6 ft. 10 ins. by 13 ins. by 30 ins. thick, fell off a false slip as deceased was
carrying coal along the face. One sprag was said to have been crushed out or disturbed
by deceased in passing. Six-feet seam.

On road. Deceased was lagging two pairs of timber which he had just stood, when the
pair next to them broke down and caused the ground above the new timbers to fall, and
crush them out. He died on April 22nd, 1906
Five-feet seam.
At face. fireclay, triangular, having sides and base 5 ft. long, and being 18 ins. thick,
crushed out one prop and fell on deceased. The roof was full of rolls and joints. He
died on January 7th, 1906. Nine-feet seam.

At face, rock, 16 ft. by 5 ft. by 27 ins. thick, fell as deceased and his assistant were filling a
tram with the rubbish produced by a shot, which had been fired in the bottom a short
time previously. Five road side props, which are said to have been crushed out, may
have been loosened by the shot. Two-feet-nine seam.

On road, cliff, 5 ft. by 14 ins. by 14 ins. thick, fell as deceased and a repairer were removing
an old door frame. The roof was unsupported. Two-feet-nine seam.

* All mines are coal mines, unless otherwise specified.