THE BALMAIN DISASTER

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 73, 27 March 1900, Page 5

THE BALMAIN DISASTER

FIVE MEN KILLED. PATHETIC DETAILS. \ frightful accident happened on Saturday. March 17, at the. new coal mine of the Sydney Harbour Collieries Company, at Balmain. resulting in five men being killed. They were dashed to death by being precipitated to the bottom of the shaft from a height ot about 400 feet. At 3 p.m., the hour for changing the middle shift, six men took their places in the bucket, in which they were to descend the shaft to the depth of 1800 feet. It is the custom for the men to ride on the edge of the bucket, with one leg insido and one leg outside, and to hold on to the rope or tinl bucket handle. The signal was given, and the bucket- was then lowered rapidly. The bucket does the journey in 1 minute and a-qnarter, travelling about as fast as a. suburban train.. Everything went well until the depth of 1400 feet was reached . There, without a moment's warning-, five of the mtn were hurled out of the bucket, owing to it striking the bnntons at the side of Hie shaft. In a few seconds their lifeless nodies were at the bottom of the shaft. The only survivor was William Watkhis, who was left clinging to the bucket. Except for a cut over the eye; another on the hand, and the shock to his system through the sudden stoppage in the quick descent, he was not seriously hurt. His wounds were dressed at the Balmain Hospital and he subsequently walked home. Watkins, the sole survivor, is very hazy in his mind as to what actually occurred. All that he could say definitely was that the lights went out suddenly during the descent, and that he distinctly remembers the bucket striking the side of. the shaft once. All the rest is a blank. One theory is that one or more of the the men shifted their position during the descent, and so started the bucket oscillating. At the rate it was travelling the swaying motion would be greatly increased in a few seconds. The five men killed were James Smith, 85, single, living at 5 Gowstreet; Charles Mannings, 28, single, living at 5 -flow-street; Alex. Robertson,^, married, living in .Taques-street; Theodore Trovers, 22, single, living in Cove-street; Philip Jones, 21, single living in Thomas-street. Twelve men were working at the time at the bottom of the shaft, which is 12 feet in diameter. They had just been blasting, and the smoke from the charge had hardly cleared away when they heard the noise above, caused by the bucket striking. They ran instantly to the side of the' shaft, to seek such shelter as the timbers afforded.. The next sound that reached them was that of the falling bodies, The first body to reach the bottom was that of Philip Jones. It fell right across the alternate bucket, which stood filled, ready for the ascent. The men say that directly it touched thp bucket the legs snapped off. The temporary floor at the bottom presented a fearful sight. The recent blasting had left the ground broken all over". The bodies seemed to fall as if they were boneless, and they filled up the crevices in a most gruesome manner. It was with great difficulty that they were afterwards raised, and placed in. the bucket to be. sent to the surface. They could only be hoisted one at a time, and this sad work occupied fully an hour. Philip .Tones' father, who is head ehargeman, was with the 12 tnen at the bottom of the shaft when the accident happened.' When his son's body fell across the bucket he stepped from the shelter'of the slabs,: and, looking tip the shaft, called out to his comrades, "There's another yet, lads." He had unconsciously counted the fall of the five bodies, and knew that there must be another. Nothing, j however, was to be seen of Watkins, as 'lie hung suspended in the bucket..Pulliing himself together, the father went :over to where his son's body lay, and, 'placing his hand tenderly on his son's head, observed, quietly, "This is my boy." The scene, his comrades say, was most affecting. The manager of the mine and the contractor were standing-, close 'by when the bucket disappeared, and they - state that it started steadily. They • afterwards' noticed the swaying, and 1 saw that something was amiss. The ■ enginedriv.er was signalled t0../ stop; but the latter had himself seen the • swaying and was stopping before he , . got the signal.