FIRE IN A MINE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1570, 14 October 1912, Page 5

FIRE IN A MINE.

A HUNDRED MEN ENTOMBED.

DEADLY FUMES.

HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS.

PATHETIC SCENES,

By TeleirraDh—Preßs Association—Coryrlshl

(Kec. October 14, 0.25 a.m.)

Hobart, October 13. A hundred men have been entombed in North Mount Lyell mine as the result of a fire at noon on Saturday in the seven hundred feet level. It was caused by tho blowing out of a water pump. The flames quickly spread to the cham-ber-house, which was lined with! inflammable wood, and stored with oily waste and bagging. The ore body next became ignited, and tho fire spread with nlarming quickness. The smoko permeated the various workings, where 150 men were employed. Tho alarm quickly spread, and a number of men rushed to tho cage, about 50 reaching the surface, assisted by the heroic efforts of some miners who battled through the smoko. Tho news of the outbreak was sent to Queenstown, and doctors and other helpers assembled at the mine, including many men from tho Mount Lyell mine. Rescue parties got to work under the direction of the general manager and engineer of the Mount Lyell mine, and compressed air at the rate of seven thousand feet a minute was pumped into the workings, and other urgent efforts made to save the entombed men. A telephone message received from the thousand-feet level said: "For God's sako give us more air." Dense volumes of smoke are issuing from the main tunnel. A big crowd gathered round the mine. According to tho lost report, four men had been rescued from the fivo hundredfeet level, which is regarded as about the worst position as regards smoke. This gives hope that most, if not all, of the entombed men will be rescued. ONE OF THE INTERVIEWED. ALMOST CHOKED BT SMOKE. (Rec. October 14, 0.50 a.m.) Hobart, October 13. The latest reports aro less hopeful. One dead miner was found at tho five hundred-feet level. The rescuers were then driven back by the smoke. When the alarm was given 72 men escaped, 93 being still entombed. O'Connor, one of the rescued men, on being interviewed, said ho was working at the 850-feet level. (At crib time on Saturday he was startled by cries of fire, and the smoke was soon so dense that he was unable to 6ee.

He and a number of others groped their way to the cage. When they were being drawn up tho smoke was so thick that they were almost choked. They clung together to prevent themselves from falling.

He has grave fears for those in the lower levels. Their only chance was to get to a dead end and use tho air pumped in.

One cogs is working as quickly as possible to act as a pump in drawing out the 6moko.

Gangs are removing and filling some o tho passes to allow more air to enter,