MINE FATALITY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 30, 15 November 1939, Page 6

MINE FATALITY.

ONE MAN KILLED BY DEBRIS. ANOTHER STILL TRAPPED. "A (Per Press Association). WESTPORT, November 14. When the roof of the tunnel of the old dip section of the Westport Coal Company’s mine at (Millerton collapsed at noon to-day three men were trapped. One was rescued alive, the second was found dead, and it was feared at a late hour last night that the third is also dead. The men were:— Killed. Mr Robert Brownlie, aged 60, maiv ried, a shiftman, of Granity. Missing. CMr Joseph Hopkinson, aged 69, married, a deputy, of Granity. • Rescued. Mr John Blake, single, a shiftman, of Miller ton. Willing parties of miners and truckers toiled to rescue the men. After four and a-half hours of laborious work in the tunnel, 40 yards from the mouth, Blake was reached, it being necessary to make a hole for about 10 feet through a tremendous heap of clay and rocks which had fallen almost without any warning. Mr Blake miraculously escaped with minor abrasions and shock.. He said that when the roof of the tunnel collapsed some of the woodwork wedged him into a sort of shelter at the side, from which he could nof escape. He realised that Messrs Hopkinson and Brownlie must have been less fortunate, and he could do nothing to help them. He could hear groans and breathing coming from under the debris for a short time, but later they ceased. When the rescuers reached Mr Blake they coukl see the lower part of his body partly showing under some of the debris. Working in relays for four hours, the gangs of rescuers had a difficult task in recovering Mr Brownlie, although his body had been visible before Mr Blake was reached. Eventually about 10 o’clock the body was reached, and it was evident that *Mr Brownlie had died soon after the collapse of the tunnel. The men continued to work under great difficulties in the loose material in search of Hopkinson, but at a. late hour to-night had found no trace of him. It is feared, however, that there is little hope of his being recovered alive. The other men were fortunate to escape injury, two, Messrs John Leonard and Joseph Young, seeing the collapse of the roof as the three men passed underneath it. The gang under Mr Hopkinson had been engaged in retimbering the tunnel to a section which it was intended to reopen up after it had been idle for some time. Tins is the first serious accident since 1927, when four-men, Messrs Michael Ford, William Pearson, James Cowan and William Mahar were gassed in the Millerton mine. Messrs Brownlie and Hopkinson were miners of the old school, they having worked at Millerton for many years, but Mr Blake has been employed by the company only for a very short time. Mr Brownlie was well known in the Buller district for his interest in first aid work. Mr Blake came to Millerton from Christchurch.