TRAGEDY AT ABBOTSFORD

Evening Star, Issue 14624, 21 July 1911, Page 6

TRAGEDY AT ABBOTSFORD

A COAL MINER KILLED UNDER A FALL OF COAL. A tragedy occurred in Freemafi's Abboteford coal mine last night, the sudden fall of a huge mass of coal and clay bringing a horrible death to James Walker, a young married mail, working on the night shift. Hundreds of tons were precipitated upon and around the unfortunate miner, and it was 11 o'clock this morning before his comrades, after a night's work full of Labor and danger, extricated the remains, and brought them homo to hie wife. Walker was only 32 years old, and had been married for but three years. There "is one child, and the tragedy is rendered all the more pitiful from the fact that the poor wife is near her second confinement. Walker was a very careful and experienced miner, and he neglected no provision that could 6ecnre his safety. The accident \tos one of those that occur and recur in every mine, making in the toll they take dreadful annunciation of the fate that sLalks at every miner's side. He wag working on the corner of a pillar, removing it; two " slippery faults" ran together at this point, and allowed the roof to fall in suddenly, evidently without warning sufficient to enable Walker to get clear The mate evidence of the position in which he lay when pulled out suggests that h«i had eome warning, for an arm was thing above his head as though he had apprehended the coming ruin, and sought thus impotently to stay it. A thing Jump struck him on the head, probably killing him instantaneously—stunning him at all events —and under that crushing weight it is cei-tain that his lungs never aga.m oxpanded. It was sudden, if cruel, death. Some 50 men are employed at Freeman's mine on the day shift, only two on the night shift. The unfortunate Walker and his mate, Patrick Cassidy, were the night shift miners, and they descended to their work at 3.30 yesterday afternoon, alter the mine had been examined as usual and pronounced safe. Cassidy was working about two chains away from Walker, ana it was arranged that the latter should repair to Cassidy\s wo. king face at 6.30, and the two men wculd have their tea. Walker did. not come, and it is established that 6ome time between 6.30 and 8 o'clock, when Cassidy went to seek his mate, the fall occurred silently, and Walker went down to death without a sound to give Cassidy warning of his end. Seeking Walker, Casfidy found the mass of debris, but does not seem to have realised at once that his mate was beneath it. He thought, perhaps, that Walker had left the mine, and he himself went down to Mr Freeman's house and informed him of the occurrence. The general manager hastened to the scene, and at once guessing the tragedy, called, in the men available and sent to Abbotsford for others. Mr GiUanders (the mine manager) took charge of the operations, which were full of danger, since th-* whole mass was. loose and insecure, and further falls occurred at irregular intervals. Indeed, towards 11 o'clock, when some 20 men were working • feverishly to uncover their comrade, a fall enveloped a miner named Falconer, and he was not rescued before sustaining injuries which had to be dressed by the doctor. It was about midnight when the bodywas uncovered, and the fact of his death definitely ascertained. Until this was absolutely certain the men had stopped to take no precautions, but led by Mr (tillanders (who himself took very great risks at times), thev worked literally with a like | fato to their'comrade's shaking over their heads. But when it was seen that human help could avail Walker nothing, the task of extricating him was undertaken with great care. 'Everv yard had to be timbered, and even then* falls were frequent. On five or six occasions the whole b-.Kly was uncovered, and only the feet left pinned; but the effort to drag the corps*, out brought another fall, and the wtiole work had to be recommenced. The men worked all night, and it was not till 11 that the body was brought to the pic mouth and conveyed to the office, where neighbors' wives performed the last offices before he was taken to his home. Walker was the son of Mr Walker, the owner of the Brighton colliery. He learned his business with his father, and was a good miner, as well as a popular and re--spetted young fellow. This is the first serious accident that ha* happened in the mine since it was opened 46 years ago.