BURIED IN COAL

Evening Star, Issue 16625, 7 January 1918, Page 3

BURIED IN COAL

LUMPER'S THRILLING ESCAPE

After his mates had worked, for four hours and a-haJf, William Hughes, a coaJ lumper, of Garden Island, Sydney, who was buried up to his cars in coal in a bunker of a steamer lying at Darling Har bor a lew days ago, was rescued, and brought into the open almost unmarked (says the Sydney 'Sun'). The rescue was made possible as a ressu'lt of the fine work of James Connelly, of Phillip street, Waterloo, who, according to his feliow-workmen, risked his life and exhibited unusual bravery in a dangerous situation. Hughes, Hector Johnston (of Forrest road).. Tempo, and other coal lumpers were working in one of the upper- bunkers of the vessel, and were trimming the coal, when, owing to the chute door in the engine room being opened, the coal gave way in the centre, and poured through a manhole into the lower bunker. When he left the coal slipping, Johnston caught a girder, but Hughes was carried down, and his legs went into the manhole. There ho remained while the coal poured down on all sides of him and buried him up to his ears. Fortunately, the coal stopped running then, but all the same Hughes's position was particularly perilous, for with the slightest interference with tire coal several hundred tons would have poured down on to him. Johnston realised this, and clung to the girder until a plank was run out. The men above then caught him and swung him to a position of safety. But though the coal lumpers who had escaped were willing enough, they were puzzled as to what to do to help Hughes, as they- realised that a false step would mean death for their male. Eventually a rope was poked over a girder with a stick and lowered down. Connelly climbed out on to tire girder, and went down hand ovor hand to where Hughes was caught. Even then he had to move with extreme caution, for small quantities of coal werestill coming dowii the sides of the funnelshaped broach in tho stack. Eventually lie got his feet planted' on tho sides of the manhole, and was able to scrape, tho coal away from Hughes's face. That was thrown into a bag lowered from the top. After a lot of tedious work he pot the man's shoulders clear, and placed the rope under his arms. An effort was made to pidl him out, but that was found to be impossible, as the coal was still bearing down too stronsrly on him. Connelly then scraped more of the coal away, and at half-past 3 a.m., four hours and a-half after tho accident happened, Hughes was pulled clear. Ho was bruised and scratched about the body, but ho did not. require medical attention. One of tho coal lumpers who assisted in the rescue described the action of Connelly (who is a returned soldier) as the bravest thing he had ever seen. "He Tisked his life every moment ho was in that bunker," he said, "for we were all scared to death that tho coal would slip again and busy and kiD the pair of them."