MINE DISASTER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 45, 2 December 1939, Page 2

MINE DISASTER

EFFORTS TO SAVE LIVES. MANAGER’S WIDOW’S EVIDENCE. (Per Press Association/. HUNTLY, December 1. A dramatic turn in the proceedings of the Royal Commission which is inquiring into the death of 11 men in the Glen Afton mine on September 24 was given by the testimony of Mrs Mary Jane Blackburn, widow of the mine manager, who was among the dead. Mrs Blackburn said her husband left home about 9 a.m. on Sunday,‘September 24, and said he was “just going to have a look round the mine, but would not be long.” Some time later she had a telephone message over the mine telephone from her husband, who said “For God’s sake, go over and get Thomas (the mine engineer), and get him to start the fan at once, as there are two deputies losh in the mine and I can’t find them.” She went to Thomas’ house and gave his son the message.

“I went home and sat by the telephone,” witness continued. “John (Mr Thomas’ son) went straight away to find his father. I had told him there was something serious at the mine. The next message I got was from Cole. He said: ‘Start fan.’ There was a distinct break between each word. Then he said: ‘Carbon-monoxide gas.’ “I went over to the railway and called Mr Thomas, who was just leaving with Mr Marshall. I told Mr Thomas I had a message from Mr Cole that there was carbon monoxide in the mine, and he said he had started the fan.”

Mr Taylor: Did you go back to the telephone again? Witness: Yes, I stood there, and I hadn’t been there long before I had a message from Mr Blackburn, and be said

Mrs Blackburn broke down, and Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., the chairman, adjourned the proceedings for 15 min utes. Upon the resumption, Mr Taylor asked Mrs Blackburn what was the last message she received from her husband. Mrs Blackburn: He §akl, “ Have you got Wattie Cole out ? lam going back to get the others. My God! It’s awful.” That was the last I heard from him. I don’t know whether he heard me, because there was no answer. He just put the receiver up. In reply to a question from Mr Paterson as to a slight conflict between what she told the police about her husband’s first message and what she had said to the commission, witness replied that, as the first statement was made immediately after the tragedy, she would say he said: “For God’s sake tell Thomas to get the fan going as there are men trapped in the mine.” Safety of Conduits. The relative merits of an armoured cable or conduit pipes rverc discussed at a later sitting. During evidence given by an, electrician, Mr Paterson said that the only thing with which the Commission was concerned was whether or not a mine installation should have armoured cable or conduit pipes. That was all that was really relevant to the matter under discussion. He added that the present regulations permitted the use of conduit pipes. Mr A. K. North, acting for Glen Afton Collieries, said there was no suggestion of any lack of care, and the witness had said that nothing he saw had suggested the reverse.

The chairman said a fall of earth at anv part of the mine might affect an armoured cable also, thus causing a fire.

The witness being heard was Maurice Green, who said he was instructed to test the electrical system at the- Glen, Afton mine on September 30 to see if it was safe to begin work on October 2. He went to the farthest point to where the wires had been previously disconnected and began tests which indicated a defect in a section of the power mains. The cable at one of the boxes bo,re signs of overheating. The insulation was perished and 20 yards away he found a broken pipe. He replaced certain of the cables and subsequently reported the. system was sale for operation. He, was of opinion that overloading of the electrical system at that part of the mine caused overheating of the cables. Warning Civien by Engineer. Visibly affected by his experience in the mine, David William Thomas, chief engineer to Glen Afton Collieries, said that he started the fan as requested. On going into- the mine be became affected after passing Section F, and saw a light about 30 yards away., Here he found Brown dead. He himself was able to get out only with difficulty and at another section telephone the mine inspector, warning him not to let anyone into the mine under any circumstances.

The chairman (Air S. L. Paterson, S.AI.) commended witness for telephoning the message, which was the best thing to do and was probably instrumental in preventing further loss of life. Other witnesses stated that tliev considered the mines in, the Waikato not gaseous and that fire was the principal dang Cy. It is anticipated that the commission will not end its sitting until Tuesday or Wednesday.