A RUNAWAY CAGE.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20918, 27 July 1933, Page 8

A RUNAWAY CAGE.

♦ DROP OF 1350 FEET DOWN SHAFT. FOUR WAIHI MINERS HAVE LIMBS BROKEN. EIGHT OTHERS ESCAPE SERIOUS INJURY. WAJHI, July 26. Twelve men had a remarkable escape from death when a cage broke away as the men were being lowered down No. 2 shaft of the Waihi Gold Mining Company's mine this afternoon. The cage, just, alter the lowering started, broke away as a result of the clutch corning away from the engine and shot down with terrific velocity for a distance of 1350 ft, where it was suddenly arrested between No. 12 and 13 levels by a 12in by 12in hardwood beam. The injuries were fortunately confined to the legs of the men, due to the sudden jolt when the cage came to a stop. The most seriously injured were:— William Taylor, both legs broken. Sam Hamilton, fractured ankle and splintered shin. Lcn Coward, broken leg. Jack Gordon, broken leg. Others not so seriously injured were Harry and Fred Cornes, Herbert Butler, and J. Follas. The chambermen at the different levels as the cage rushed past saw a blurr and a crowd of sparks. The whining and booming noise of the runaway cage was heard half a mile away. Hundreds of people remained at the shaft-head fur two hours as the injured were brought up singly in the cage.