ROUGH SEAS ON GREY BAR

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26987, 12 March 1953, Page 3

ROUGH SEAS ON GREY BAR

COLLIER UNABLE TO ENTER PORT FULL COAL BINS CAUSE MINE STOPPAGES (From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH, March 11. The Wallsend State mine, which was idle today because of transport difficulties. will work tomorrow, but another State mine—the Blackball—will be idle tomorrow through inability to dispose of the coal on hand. The dumping of coal in the open was resorted to at both the Blackball and Strongman mines today, adding several hundred tons to the quantity already held in mine dumps. It is estimated that there is now more than 15,000 tons of Grey district coal held in stocks here—about 12,000 tons in the mine bins, which are all full, another 2000 tons in trucks under Idad awaiting shipping, and 1000 tons at the Strongman and Blackball mine dumps. The position is causing grave concern in mining circles in the district, as there is no immediate relief in sight and mines have become more vulnerable than ever to transport hold-ups. ■ Relief was expected today and tomorrow with the arrival of the colliers Puriri and Kokiri, but these hopes have been dashed. Although the weather has been fine here there has apparently been a fairly severe storm out at sea and today there are rough seas on the Greymouth bar. keeping the Puriri in the roadstead and casting grave doubts on the possibility of any shipping movements in the next 24 hours