COLLIERY DISASTER

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 134, 3 December 1926, Page 8

COLLIERY DISASTER

FRIGHTFUL EXPLOSION AT DOBSON

MEN ENTOMBED IN MINE ON FIRE

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GREYMOUTH, This Day. At ten mm tes past 3 o'clock this morning a disastrous oxplosion occurred at the Dobson mine. Tho night shift were in tho mine at the time, and they numbered nine. All were entombed. The names are:— James Richards, deputy, a single man, aged 40. Eric Ashton, trucker. Robert Hunter, winch driver. »aomas Black, miner. John Lindsay, miner. Edward Partington, miner. Alfred Noakes, miner. Ernest Brammer, minor, aged 40, married. James Marshall. The explosion was of terrible force, and wreckr/l the telephone and telegraph wires and threw debris a distance of a quarter of a mile. Truck wheels were hurled from tho mine mouth. The fan of the mine was restarted at 4.30 a.m., and soon after a number of men descended tho shaft in order to attempt a rescu In t'.io meantime word was sent to the managers of the Blackball mine and the State colliory for the dispatch of rescue apparatus located at Ruuanga, while workers wore summoned from Blackball. Most of the men entombed were comparatively new arrivals in the district.. The Dobson mine is known to be rather gassy. NEWS BROUGHT BY CAR. Tho first news of tho disaster had to be brought by car to Greymouth owing to tho interruption of tho wires. Howoyer, when the fans were restarted hopes were raised that the rescue of tho entombed "men at '' faces might be effected. There were five men engaged at the face when the explosion took place, while three were trucking at the time of the explosion. Subsequently two bodies were recovered, those of Richards and Hunter. Ashton and Lindsay were rescued and sent to the Greymouth Hospital. Five others are still entombed at 8.30 a.m., and there is little hope of rescue. EXPLOSION HEARD SIX MILES AWAY. Two explosions occurred. The first, which was the greater, was heard at Runanga, six miles away. Much surface damage was done. Heavy colliery wheels were blown 400 yards away, and a 20-ton concrete block at the mine entrance was shifted a few yards. Houses at Dobson had their roofs pierced and windows broken by falling debris. The cause of the explosions is unknown. The rescue party cannot get beyond the main dip, 1200 feet into the mine, where the workings sharply turn. At this point four men were found (Richards, Hunter, Ashton, and Lindsay). The other men were further in, and until the gas clears nothing can be done for them. J. Smeaton, with the two other miners who formed a tunnelling party, had a lucky escape.-They came out of the mine two minutes before the explosion to have their "crib." It was the first time they had thus come out for fully a fortnight. THE MEN ENTOMBED. Marshall, one of the entombed men, attended the Grey Band's solo competitions last evening and was given special leave to play first in order to get back to Dobson for his night shift, and was placed first in the euphonium solo contest with 99 marks out of a possible 100, the judge remarking that it was an outstanding performance.

Richards, who resided at Taylorville, lost his father and uncle in the Brunner mine explosion 30 years ago, and two brothers were killed in the war. Richards was dead when the reicuers reached him. Hunter was alive, but was in a hopeless condition, and died soon after 6 o'clock. He was a prominent local Methodist, and a nephew'of Mr. C. Hunter, formerly manager of the Dobson mine. Eric Ashton, who was removed to tho hospital, formerly resided in Ashburton and joined the mine staff three weeks ago as a trucker. Ho was semi-con-scious when rescued. Ho was terribly burned. John Lindsay was similarly injured and was totally _ unconscious. Both are in a critical condition. There are pathetic circumstances in connection with Thomas Black, 'who is entombed. His wife is an inmate of a nursing home with twins ii few days old. Mrs. Black's father was killed some months ago at the Dobson. Mine. Marshall is a married man with two children, Noakes a married man with no family, Brammer is married with no family, and Pardington •is single; ALL HOPE ABANDONED. The scenes at the mine mouth were full of pathos, where groups of women and men watched and waited. Dr. Violet Reins and' Dr. M'Brearty were early on the scene and did all that was possible for the rescued men. Further explosions aro possible and warnings were given to tho largo crowd which assembled. Another party of rescuers in charge of Mr. D. J. Davis, Inspector of Mine 3, discended i undaunted by the frightful risk, and after half an hour returned with tho news of the failure to. reach the entombed men. It is proposed now to seal the mine to put out the fire, as all hope of rescue has been abandoned.

FEARED LOSS OF NINE LIVES

A shocking disaster is reported this morning from the Dobson Colliery, near Greymouth. A terrific explosion took place at 3 o'clock in the morning, involving the whole of the night shift working below. Rescue parties recovered two bodies and two miners still alive, but in a very critical condition. Little hope is entertained for the five remaining men on the shift entombed below in the mine, which is now reported to be on fire. The force of the explosion was so great- as to do considerable damage in the vicinity of the pitmoulh. The Minister of Mines (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) states that a full investigation will be made into the disaster.