FIVE MEN KILLED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 23, 7 November 1940, Page 3

FIVE MEN KILLED

EXPLOSION IN COALMINE. BUILDINGS BLOWN TO PIECES. DISASTERS ON WEST COAST. (Per Press Association). GREYMOUTH, November 6. Five men lost their lives and two were injured when a terrific explosion took place in Kaye and party’s co-oper-ative coalmine at Ten Mile, on the Greymouth-Westport coastal road, at 9.20 a.m. to-day. The injured men were admitted to the Greymouth Hospital, suffering from shock, burns, and the effect of gas. Those involved were: Killed. Mr John Kaye, senr., aged 56, married, of Dunollie, with four children. Mr John Kaye, jun., aged 30, single, winchman. Mr Undo Colpo, aged 45, married, with three children in Italy, of Itunanga. Mr Frederick Llewellyn Williams, aged 27, married, of Ten Mile: Mr Alexander Mclntosh, aged 52, married, with no children, mine manager, of Greymouth. Injured. Mr Adam Boote, jun., aged 29, married, with three children, of Runanga. Mr William Burnett, aged 31, married, of Cobden. Both the injured men were admitted to the Grey Hospital and are progressing satisfactorily. The disaster is the worst experienced on the West Coast since V the Dobson Mine explosion in 1926, when nine men Were killed. Deafening Explosion. The employees at the Briandale Mine, which is situated on the opposite side of' Ten Mile Creek, he'ard a. deafening explosion and a tongue of flame estimated at 150 feet long shot from the mouth of the drive of Kaye’s mine; The blast was of terrific force, the winch house and another hut at. the mine mouth being blown to pieces. Trees in the vicinity were stripped of leaves and branches and a sheet of corrugated iron was wrapped around a tree 30 yards away from the mine mouth. Kaye 1 junr. was employed in driving the winch at the mine mouth and apparently was inside the winch house when the explosion occurred. His body was found almost 100 yards down the gully with the debris of the ■winch house. Death had been instantaneous.

The other men involved in the disaster were in the mine when the explosion occurred. The two injured men Were able to walk some distance out of the mine, this being one of the most remarkable features of the explosion. Rescue Operations. One of the first at the scene of the disaster after the alarm was given was the district inspector of coal mines, Air W. Parsonage. When ho was about 50 yards from the mine mouth Burnett staggered out, blackened and exhausted. He said Boote bad assisted him part of the way up the drive, but then dropped. Mr Parsonage raif into the mine witli a carbon-monoxide detector and lamp, and proceeded about two chains when he heard a voice a few yards further down the dip. Guided by the voice, he found Boote seriously affected by gas and shook in a stenton oil the dip. The inspector called two other men, who carried a stretcher into the mine and brought Boote out to Dr. 13. H. Densem, of Runanga, who had already mado Burnett as comfortable as possible for his journey to hospital. After that a party from the Dobson rescue station, comprising trained men from various district mines, under Air Frank Duffy/ arrived and, donning full rescue equipment, entered the mine to investigate the possibilities of reaching the four men known to be still in the workings. Working in teams of five under Mr Duffy’s personal direction, the rescue brigade, having their first big test since the establishment of the Dobson station, made a thorough investigation of the mine, travelling through smoky blackened workings for a distance of about 10 chains to the face. Other willing helpers on the surface awaited their return for news of the men still underground, and about 12.45 the party returned with the news that they had been ablo to reach the men and had found that all were beyond aid. There were no, falls of coal oxstone in the mine and the small fires had burnt themselves out by this time, so that thero was no great difficulty in bringing the bodies to the surface. Mclntosh’s body was brought out at 1.30 p.in., and the others shortly afterwards, ltigor mortis had set m, indicating aspliixiation some hours previously. Two of the men were iound almost at the bottom of the drive and the others about two chains nearer the surface. The co-operative mines in the vicinity ceased work immediately, many willing helpers 1 joining in the difficult task of carrying the bodies down a jig near the mine with a steep gradient. By moans ol the Briandale Company’s locomotive it was possible to transport the bodies io within 50 yards of the highway. . The severity of the explosion may be gathered from the fact that the bodies of four of the men had the woollen working singlets singed off them, the heads and faces being burned. All were in a crouched position when found. The difficulties of the rescue operations were increased by the iac that the ventilation system was destroyed by the explosion.

possible Cause. Although it is not possible to define the cause until a full investigation is made, it is thought that the disastci was caused by an explosion ol car-bul-etted hydrogen (lire damp), propagated with coal dust. The mine has

been operating for three years and no gas had been experienced previously. It is one of the smaller type of mine, the only other employee being Norman Pattinson, aged 1.0, a horsedriver, who was 150 feet below the mine month when the explosion occurred. Mr Mclntosh came from Murchison to manage the mine earlier this year. Mr Colpo commenced last week, and Mr Burnett only yesterday. Mr Williams came, from Christchurch a few months ago. The Hon. P. C. Webb, accompanied by the chief inspector of mines, Mr 01. Duggan, will leave Wellington tomorrow morning for the West Coast. The news of the disaster came as a great shock to Mr Webb for he had known a number of the men involved over a long period of years and. questioned if a better or more experienced miner could be found in New Zealand than, Mr Kaye, senr.