LIVERPOOL MINE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23411, 19 August 1941, Page 8

LIVERPOOL MINE

WORK TO RESUME TO-HAY

INSPECTIONS OF HEATED AREAS *

(F.0.0.R.) GREYMOUTH, August 18. Idle since last Tuesday because of heating in the west level at the_fopt of Anderson’s dip, the Liverpool. State mine was to have resumed work this morning, after an inspection yesterday afternoon, which disclosed that the mjne was sale to work. However, the j miners held a meeting at the bathhouse this morning and • decided that ■ they would not work as they did not consider the mine was yet safe. The miners also held a meeting at Runanga this afternoon. , . Mr J. McArthur (Inspector of Mines) with the workmen’s two inspectors, mdde an inspection of the mine yesterday afternoon and decided that it was reasonably safe for work. There was no heat at any of the . three conCrete stoppings, and, though there was a quantity of gas, about 500 cubic feet, above one of the stoppings, there was no gas at the other two, they said. This gas, it Was considered, could be easily cleared by ventilation. , ■ The president of the State. Miners Union (Mr G. E. English) today that the miners viewed the situation with great apprehension, but he did not think- that apprehension would be nearly so great if the Are were in any other section of the mine. The Anderson section was very gassy and dusty,-and no one could really tell what was going on behind the stoppings. That section gave considerable trouble to the management in keeping it clear ot gas, he said. It was thus very expensive to the department, and he could not see that it. was profitable. A suggestion had been made, he said* that the whole section should be flooded, as that would definitely get nd of the fire and would remove any doubts in the minds of the men as to the safety of, the section.: The trouble was that the Anderson dip was the first dip inside the main haulage; and if anything did happen there, the men in the other sections of the mine would be isolated. He wished It to be clearly understood, however, that the. miners' decision not to work was in no way, a lack of confidence in the departments inspector or check inspectors. ; .The men were “a bit jumpy ’ and not without reason; ... „ The Chief Inspector of Mines (Mr G. Duggan), he said, would arrive fron) Wellington to-morrow, and the situation would be discussed with.him.,; Discussing the-question of flooding the section, the Inspector of Mines (Mr McArthur) said that it would cer-. tainly be an additional precaution as, once the water rose above .the- fire, there would be no question of danger. There was already a , considerable accumulation of water.in. the section as there had been no pumping there since the mine stopped working last week. There would be no question of a loss of coal in the section, as the water could be pumped out after complete flooding. ' ',, , The president of . the State Miners Union (Mr English), a check-inspec-tor, the Inspector of -Mines (Mr -McArthur). and two trainees from -the rescue station made an inspection of the scene of the trouble behind., the stoppages this afternoon to ascertain if the heating had: ceased. Although it was, found that heating had not ceased, it was-considered by-the party that the mine was fit to work in, and the .mine will, therefore resume! tomorrow; .' ;• Were, it still: to have been found burning uhdlhe miners took'the Vjqw, that it was not safe without flooding; the mine might possibly’not :have been worked : for some weeks because of the time that the flooding would fake. ,