MINE DISASTER

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 113, 8 November 1940, Page 9

MINE DISASTER

VISIT OF MINISTER

TRIBUTE TO RESCUERS

INQUIRY TO BE HELD

(By. Telegraph—Press Association.) GREYMOUTH, November 7. All district mines will be idle tomorrow out of respect to the victims of the disaster, at Kaye and Party's Co-operative Coal .Mine at Ten Mile and to enable miners to attend the funerals, which will take place in the afternoon. Messages of sympathy with the bereaved are pouring in from all parts of the Dominion. The aide-de-camp to the Governor-1 . General Lord Galway, telegraphed the Minister of Mines, Mr. Webb, as follows:—"The Governor-General and ' Lady Galway are deeply grieved to learn of the tragic mine disaster yesterday and would be grateful if* you would convey to the relations of those who lost their lives in the accident an expression of their Excellencies' heartfelt sympathy in .their bereavement." Mr. Webb replied as follows: "Please convey to their Excellencies my sincere thanks for their kind message and assure them that I will be pleased to transmit their message of sympathy to the relations of those killed." Mr. Webb arrived from Wellington by plane this afternoon, accompanied by Mr. G. Duggan, Chief Inspector of Mines, and Mr. C. H. Benny, Undersecretary for Mines. Shortly after their arrival they proceeded to Ihe scene of the disaster and made a thorough inspection in company with the '. district mines inspectors. This evening Mr. Webb visited the relatives of the victims, conveying the Government's and his personal sympathy. SPLENDID WORK. Mr. Webb paid a tribute to the work of Mr. F. Duffy, superintendent of the Dobson rescue station, and.the rescue brigade. The fact that within five hours and 40 minutes of hearing of the disaster they had made a complete survey of the mine and had everybody taken to the surface illustrated the value of these rescue stations. Without the work of the men from the rescue station, it was safe to say that it would have taken at least 24 hours before the bodies could have been recovered. Had there been any men underground still living the brigade would have rescued them. The senior inspector of mines on the West Coast, Mr. W. Parsonage, displayed great heroism in going into the mine in the face of carbon "monoxide to rescue Mr. Boote. Experienced as he was, he realised fully the danger of entering the mine without being fully equipped with life-saving apparatus, and, had it not been for his undoubted courage, another life would have been lost. This heroism inspired everyone who visited the mine. Mr. Webb also paid a tribute to others who assisted in the rescue work, including Inspector McArthur, who, he said, did yeoman work. The Minister said a thorough inquiry would be made as the Mines Department was an'xious'to ascertain the cause of the disaster, and, if any defect could be shown in the legislation, it would soon be remedied. A further announcement as to the form of the inquiry would be made later "I am more convinced than ever, as the result of this sad experience, that the price of coal can be measured in blood, tears, and sweat," added Mr. Webb. The two injured men, Messrs. Adam Boote and William Burnett, continue to show further improvement at the "Grey Hospital, and their condition is satisfactory. Mr. Boote is a son-in-law of his late partner in the mine, Mr. J. W. Kaye, sen.