THE KAITANGATA COAL MINE EXPLOSION.

FURTHER PARTICULARS, THIRTY-TWO BODIES RECOVERED. ALL FOUND DEAD. THE CALAMITY LEAVES TWENTY WIDOWS, AND 100 ORPHANS. MOST BITTER WAILING AND DISTRESS. LIST OF THE KILLED. GREATEST SYMPATHY FELT FOR THE BEREAVED. , CAUSE OF EXPLOSION PROFOUND MYSTERY.

Balolutha February 21. All the" men were found dead in the mine. Mr Hodge, the manager included. The mine is clear of fire damp now. The greater number of the men were evidently killed by the after damp. It is stated that Mr Twinning, a professional coal viewer^ examined the mine last week, and no latet than yesterday, told one of the directors that the ventilation arrangements were perfect, and everything in excellent order in the mine. He cannot possibly conceive how the accident occurred. He was at Kaitangata to-day, and and has superintended the arrangements for getting tbi bodies out. 9.30 p.m. : 28 dead-Bodies had been got out of the mine at 9 o'clock to-night. Four other bodies were seen at that hoar, and will be got out as soon as the debris ia taken off them. : The only one known for . certain to be ' now in the mine, besides the four who are visible, is Archie Hodge, the son of the manager, who will no doubt be dead. There may be one or two more but it is not known decisively how many were in the mine. The only persons who could have given positive information being those who are killed. About twenty women are made widows by the calamity and fully 100 children rendered orphans. : The scene at Kaitangata and the pit mouth is truly a heartrending one. 11 p.m. Thirty-one bodies have been recovered and there are now only three known to be still unfound. They are expected to be reached during the night. The fire damp still prevails, many of the rescuers being carried out insensible at invervals. February 2i. Three more bodies have been recovered to-day. Dunj9Din, February 22. The Kaitangata coal mine explosion is causing great excitement, and the greatest ' sympathy is felt for the bereaved widows and orphans. There is some doubt even yet as to the precise number killed, but the best information to hand states that thirty-three men went into the mine yesterday morning. The bodies of all those killed, excepting Archibald Hodge and Andrew Jarvie, have been recovered. The boy Dunn was driving's, horse ont of the tunnel and when within forty yards of the mouth the blast caught him and burled him with terrific fury. He was picked up alive, strange to say, although nearly every bone in his body was broken,' and was carried to a sidling, where he. died in a few seconds. The cause of the explosion is, and muse necessarily remain, a profound mystery,: not a single soul being left to explain it, but from the appearances and situation of many of the bodies, it would seem probable that an explosion of fire dam p took place somewhere about the middle of the mine, and that becoming aware of the disaster, the coal cutters hastily made for the mouth, but were compelled to cross a belt of black damp, which caused them to drop down 38 if stupefied with chloroform, and then they were speedily suffocated with pestileat vapour. Of- course this is only an hypothesis, but it seems a feasible one when it is considered that not one corpse was found in the place where the men were working, but thirteen bodies were found within a radius of twelve yards, in a spot where no explosion had occurred, and that the majority of the corpses were not even blackened or mutilated in the slightest, but wore a peaceful appearance, and were only disfigured with rand and mullock, always to be found in workings of this nature.

A house that stood within thirty yards of the mine's mouth was driven bodily off the formation several yards, it was shattered, and two horses were killed, but strange to relate, the man who was tipping the trucks immediately in front of the shed escaped with his life. He was propelled like a shot from a gun before the blast, but was lucky enough to be | forced under the shed where he stuck, and was afterwards extricated without material injury. One corpse was found with a pipe in its mouth and looking in the ghastly glare of the safety lamp, quite natural and life like. Wm. Hodge (the manager) was, when discovered, reclining on a ledge of coal with his hand supporting his head, and with bis countenance peaceful as though he had been overtaken while meditating about something. 1 LIST OF DEAD. The following is a list of the dead: — Samuel Coulter, leaves five children, one boy of 13, able to work, and a girl in Dunedin, about 10. All the rest are young. He is an aged man, and arrived lately from Scotland in the ship Taranaki. David Buchanan, about 27, leaves a wife and two young children ; he is a son-in • law of Coulter, and is also a new arrival. Wm. Watson, about 40, leaves his father-in-law, who is a very old man, and four

children, the eldest of whom v about 9 years. James Spiers, leaves eight children, the oldest 10 years and the youngest 4 months. W. Jams, leaves eight children, three of whom are grown up girls at service. Archibald Hodge, deputy manager, was unmarried. Wm. Hodge, his brother, who was general manager, was about 35, a riogle man. Thomas Smitb, between 30 and 40, leaves n. wife and five children, the latter all young and unable to work. Barney M'Gee, married, about 40, has a wife and three. children unable to work. George Jarvie, leave •* a wife and two young children. R. and T. Hall, brothers. William Whinney, a young man, leaves a wife and two children. James Beardsmore, leaves a large family, five of whom are growing ap »nd unmarried, and three of whom are little children. Joseph Beardsmore, brother of the last man, was acting fireman of the mine, he leaves a wife and grown up daughter, and two sons, one of whom is grown up. . Edward Beardsmore, a young man, and son of James Beardsmore, leaves a wife and two children Caleb Beardsmore, son-in-law of James Beardsmore, leaves a wife three young children and an aged parent. James Beardsmore, junior, son of James Beardsmore, a young mm unmarried. James Molloy, an elderly man and his two sons, John (aged 18) and Edward (aged 15). Mrs Molloy who is about 60 has thus lost her husband and sons and has hot a relative iv the Colony. ' James Clining, 25, leaves a wife and three children. John Clark, late of Green Island, roadfman in the mine, leaves- a wife and large family. John Ferguson leave 3 a wife and five children, the eldest is about seven years of age. Charles M'Donald, son of John M'Donald, pony driver, 14 years. Edward Dunn, sou of George Dunn, a hawker, 15 years. William S. Wilson, late of Green Island, and nephew of the Samson's of Green Island, leaves a wife and four children all William Hay, a young man unmarried, has no relatives in Kaitangata but has a sister and brother in the Colony, his married sister, Mrs Hurdie, is wife of a baker, late of Green Island. Robert M'Millao, a young man leaves a wife and four children, the eldest of whom is about six years. Mrs M'Millan's only relatives in the Colony is a brother at Green Island. Thomas Frew, mid lie-aged, leaves a wife and five children residing in Dunedin, two of them are grown up daughters.. Thomas (Slack, an elderly single man of about 55 years, had no relatives in the district, he once had a lease of a coal quarry at Lo veil's Flat. Daniel Lockhart, unmarried. Jospeh Morton leaves a wife and child. 11.40 a.m. One body was got this morning, it was that of Spiers. Thirty-two bodies in all have been recovered, two are still in the mine and the search for them is being continued. Mr Carew, R.M. arrived at Kaitangata this morning to bold an inquest. Coffins are being made and the graves dug. Wailing and distress arc to be heard everywhere throughout the township. jjJThe inquest was held to-day, and after identification of 31 bodies adjourned till * Monday. The body not identified is sup- > posed to be one of the Halls.