FIRE IN ALBURY COALMINE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23349, 7 June 1941, Page 4

FIRE IN ALBURY COALMINE

ROAD IN DANGER The fire at the Albury coal mine was the subject of a letter received by the Mackenzie County Council from the Inspector of Mines (Mr J. Hughes) at its meeting yesterday. Further subsidence of the overburden placed over the coal outcrop had taken place, said Mr Hughes, and it was quite clear that there was, under the present circumstances, a definite danger of the fire spreading, with a possible ultimate danger to the coal-pit road as a result. In his opinion, said Mr Hughes, the quantity of covering placed over the coal ‘outcrop was inadequate. He felt that there would be no certainty of success in extinguishing the fire along these lines, and it appeared that the ultimate deviation of this road might require consideration. , In view of the large expenditure which would be required to form a new road, said Mr Hughes, efforts in the meantime should be directed toward providing the recent work carried out with a reasonable chance of success. The Mines Department had already, over several years, been involved in fairly considerable expense regarding this question, said Mr Hughes. He strongly recommended that the council’ agree to employ its heavy grader to assist in further covering the material already deposited over the outcrop, and, at the same time, to turn away the surface water from the roadway. Providing this work was carried out with a reasonable degree of thorough • ness, he considered that there was a possibility of holding the danger in check for a considerable time and one would say there was a possibility, although remote, of finally extinguishing the fire by this means, providing ail other possible means of air access were totally and thoroughly clpsed. There was a danger of the whole road caving in, said Cr, P. Kidd, and this would involve the council in heavy expenditure. He believed that the supervision of the Mines Department in the past had been slack. t A new road would cost the council hundreds of pounds. It was bgreed to contribute £ls toward the work of placing soil over the fire, the money to be spent under the supervision of the engineer. Notices indicating that people had to use the r£ad at their own risk will be erected by the council.