HUNTLY MINE CREEP.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 74, 26 March 1920, Page 6

HUNTLY MINE CREEP.

WORKMEN'S INSPECTORS REPORT. In a report on tbe creep in the Huntly Extended Mine the workmen's inspectors, Messrs. A. Lees and R..L. Roberts, deny a report of March 10 that the area affected by the subsidence was inspected by "Mr. Boyd Bcnnie and the workmen's inspectors," and state Mr. Bennie was never wit I) them on any inspection previous to the 22nd of March. They also wish to make it clear that this area is a considerable distance from the. locality of the previous disturbance, j ())i Sunday Mr. Reed (Inspector ot, Mines) arrived from Wellington, and in] company with workmen's inspectors! examined the surface evidence. He. in | company with Iho manager, Mr. Wood, j {the workmen's inspectors, and .Mr. Boyd) Bennie, went to No. 4 dip section westl side. ! The report'subsequently made by the workmen's inspectors is as follows: — liar.. 20.6.'i; Ther.. .V,. Monday, March 22, 1020. We. rhn undersigned. In company with the manager. Mr. Wood, tbe Inspector of Mines, Mr. !•". Itce'l. the uiidorvlewer, Mr. .1. Mackluson. examined tile No. 't dip, west side, and report as follows: - We went down past the ttrst passlry: we led the men (who volunteered to get the tools out) at tills point. Mr. 11. Bennie remained here also. We then proceeded through the crush area. We found it I sstHl under crush, hut not. so violent. We proceeded on through the passby till we came to Daverall's bord. We found C.H.4 illredattip) on the jig here. Wo proceeded ftirlhcr lo two other bonis adjacent, where we found tiie same mixture. \W decided to keep ihe volunteer men out at the point of most safety, and we started to carry the men's tools out, the Inspector, Mr. F. Reed, rruiulnlUjt there. There is no crush Iv evidence at the-working faces: quite a large volume of black damp is present. The ventilation Is negligible, rendering the nreilnm;i pra,-tii-ally "Inert." ° After having got all the tools -we could find out of the section, we returned to the top of the dip. Mr. Heed tried .to take an air reading, bin could not get rile anemometer to move. In our opinion only men required for special work should he allowed In this section, and ihen special care will have to be exercised. Tiie rest of the west side men are quite safe, so. far. hut we will have to watch future activities here. iSlgiieU) A. LEES. 11. 1.. 110IBERTS. N.l'..- "Quite safe" means "the maximum of safety that can be applied." Uar., 2«.78. Ther., of). Tuesday, March Hi, 1920. We. • the undersigned, have this day, in company wlih ihe mine manager, 'Mr. Wood, Inspected :he old workings in the area affect.! by the crush, and report as follows:- We went into the workings ot Xo. "i west dip section, north side, continued our inspection rl_it up along the edge of the water this area being, flooded—on fo No. 1 west dip section, north side. We found it alt iv course of crush, heavy pressure present, and the area directly under the surface disturbance on the other side of the river, al iv course of action towards settling down. Uur opinion Is that at preeelll there is no immediate danger: but this area wants strict atteution to watch future developments uu Thursday. »-,. examined the old 'Xo. 5 west dip. north* alii, on to Xo. 4. followed righr up along the edge of tiie water. This is the area giving surface evidence of subsidence across the river. We found It In a more settled condition that ou our previous inspection. There is no cause for immediate alirrn. still we recommend strict observation -if this area. (Signed! A. I.EES. K. L. ROBERTS. 1 S I .-day a fail and gas have been found here. •_'!':.:._).