TRAGEDY IN COLLIERY

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 May 1929, Page 7

TRAGEDY IN COLLIERY

EIGHT MEN LOSE LIVES

Eight miners lost their lives in a disaster at Coombs Wood Colliery, Halesowen, Worcestershire, oh March 18. The men were trapped by fire which broke out shortly after they had begun work, and it was not until after an all-day fight with the flames that their bodies were 'recovered. Nine men were cut off when the fire was discovered, but one of them dashed through the flames and smoke and escaped unhurt. After he had reached safety he stated: “I begged the others to come with me, but they would not do so.” They feared their position would be made worse by taking the risk.

Pathetic scenes were witnessed at the pithead while the rescue work was in progress. Grief-stricken wives ami mothers of the entombed men. waited for news throughout the day, and at one time the crowd numbered about 2000. This is the most serious colliery disaster since February last year, when 13- officials lost their lives in the Haig Pit, Whitehaven. It is the first serious accident which has taken, place at Coombs Wood pit since it was opened nearly 20 years ago. The man who escaped was Jabez Edwards, aged 56. Seven of the victims were married and one leaves seven children. STORY OF THE DISASTER. An official of the owners of the colliery stated: “The men went down the pit at 7 a.m. and it was 20 minutes later that word went round that lire had broken out. We immediately hurried to the spot where the nine men had been working.

“Jabez Edwards escaped without injury, but although we shouted for some time, there was no reply from the other eight men. Two rescue parties immediately got to work, but were unable to penetrate through the thick smoke and fumes. It was four o’clock before they reached the men wjio were found to be dead. It was apparent that they had been dead some hours. The part where the fire broke out was 300yds from the bottom of the pitshaft.” Edwards, the man who escaped, gave ,tho following graphic description of what occurred: —“We were just going to work and when we were near our stall I turned round and noticed the canvas damp sheet was in flames. It was burning fiercely. I. and two or three other men tried to get back to the return airway, but could not do so as the smoke was too strong. Nor could w-e hold any light. We found a place where w-e could breathe a. bit, as the smoke was. not so thick, and sat down for about a quarter of an hour.

“I then made two attempts to get out, but could not get through the smoke. I. begged the other chaps to come with me, but they would not do so, and said we should get down in the road and should be in a Averse position. However, I made a. third attempt, and, by putting my cap in front of my mouth, dashed through it. “The chaps rescuing us heard me coming and collared me. After I got away 1 did not know what would happen. In the place where I left the other men the smoke was only thin. There seemed to be more air, and if it kept like that they should have been all right.”

STATEMENT BY A DOCTOR .Dr. 11. W. Bland, who assisted for many hours in tlw rescue efforts stated that the men must have been overwhelmed by the fumes within a few minutes of the outbreak of fire. “After one man had dashed through the flames,” he said, “the others must have found the heat and smoke too intense. Carbon monoxide fumes must have swept over them and kileld them before they could make and further efforts to escape. I base this opinion on the facts that when we reached the bodies the men had obviously been dead some hours, and that one man had been burnt by a candle he was holding. He must have lit it to try and find a. way of escape and died before if. had burned, to the end. “The. men were cut off from the surface by a curtain of fire, and the rescue workers were unable to penetrate it. We realised after several unsuccessful attempts that the only way to reach the men was first to quell the flames. “Miners and others quickly organised a bucket service. A line of men covered the distance of several hundred yards which separated the water supply from the scene of the fire, and pails of water -were passed along the line. A hose was also got to work. When there appeared to be a decrease in the fierceness of the fire efforts were mad to dash through, but time and again the men were forced back. One fireman was burned and had to give up. It was not till late in the afternoon that ‘safety men’ with masks were able to get. through. “Rescue work was made more difficult by the fact that the beams supporting the colliery roof caught fire, and led to a collapse of part of the roof. Some of the debris had to be dug away. This fall, however, assisted in putting out the flames. The men were found quite close together. Apparently they realised that it would be hopeless to retreat, and that their only hope of safety was to dash through the flames.”