STATE COLLIERY FIRE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 291, 4 September 1937, Page 8

STATE COLLIERY FIRE

Affected Section Sealed Off COAL BURNS FIERCELY By Telegraph —Press Association. Greymoutli, September 3. As tbe result of an outbreak of tire shortly before 10 o'clock this morning, the Kimbell West section of the Liverpool State Colliery at Rewauul was completely sealed off to-day. lhe outbreak was due to spontaneous combustion, and a hurried exit was made by men working in the section as soon as the flames were discovered. Previous warning was given by a strong smell and materials and tools were quickly removed from the scene. As with the remainder of the coal produced in the Liverpool colliery, the section contains bitumous coal with large percentages of gas. and the outbreak soon developed into fierce flames. Throughout the day a State mines rescue party, with the assistance of all the shiftmen, numbering about 40, worked under difficulties to have the section sealed off, and the work was successfully accomplished just before 6 o’clock to-night. The sealing operations were directed by the mine manager, Mr. A. Smith, and Messrs. I. Tyson and I. Mossop (underviewers). After an inspection had been made by .Messrs. C. J. Strongman (superintendent), G. English, president, and W. Pendlebury, secretary, of the State Miners’ Union, and J. Hadcroft and M-. Parsonage, Mines Department inspectors. Three banks are affected by the outbreak. Trouble from spontaneous combustion has been experienced previously In the Kimbell West section of the mine.

The Superintendent of State Mines, Mr. Strongman, stated this evening that In all probability the portion of the Kimbell West section sealed to-day would not be reopened. Heating was suspected some months ago at No. 3 and No. 4 banks in the Kimbell East section, about a quarter of a mile away from yesterday’s outbreak. Sealing was necessary at the time, and no work had been done there since. About 30 men are employed in the section affected. It is expected that arrangements will be made to absorb them in other parfe of the mine. It is not known whether tbe mine will work on Monday. , Production from the Kimbell Mest section is estimated at about 100 tons a day. The closing of the section will not greatly affect the output of coal produced at Liverpool. Up till March 31 1936, the Liverpool mine had produced in 30 years 2,698,068 tons of bitumous coal, the figure for 1935-36 being 124,015 tons. This production placed Liverpool third on the list of Dominion collieries, the financial return being the highest.