NIGHTCAPS DISASTER

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 April 1932, Page 5

NIGHTCAPS DISASTER

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

[PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

INVERCARGILL, April 14,

The fatality that occurred in the Black Diamond mine at Nightcaps yesterday is ascribed to the fact that men had been taking “easy” coal from around the pillars snd must have undermined them.

Those - killed were:— Robert W- Duncan, mine manager, aged forty, married, with three children. J. Nutter, miner, aged thirty-nipe, married, with four children.

The late Mr Duncan’s family has been unfortunate in its connection with coal mining. His brother-in-law, the late T. Dixon, was killed in an accident in the Wairaki mine last June and his father was the victim of a mine fatality at Nightcaps in 1907. When the fall occurred at 9-30 a.pi-, rescue parties were recruited from adjoining mines and the work of digging in search of the victims wss commenced immediately. Dr Wood, of Nightcaps, was summoned and the ambulance room at the head of the shaft was prepared. After three hours of desperate woj?k by approximately sixty men, Nutter’s body was recovered, life being extinct At that time, there was no trace of the mine manager, but shortly afterwards his voice was heard and then searchers worked with renewed vigour. About one o’clock, Duncan’s body was found. His voice was heard almost until fie was reached, so that he must have died just before he was found.

The Diack Diamond mine has always been considered a very safe ope. It was pyre luck that Mr Arthur Tinker, a director, who lives at Nightcaps and works at the mine, was not caught in the fall, as he regularly accompanied the mine manager on his visits to the shaft. This morning he happened to be assisting in another part of the mine and so was not in the danger area.

FALL OF EARTH AT ROCKVILLE

NELSON, April 13.

A single man named Andrew Simpson, aged 36, a Russian by birth, was accidentally killed at Rockville a few days ago by a fall of earth. The deceased,\ who went to the district from Murchison about three years ago, , was engaged in gold mining along with Messrs G. Skilton and D, Mouat at Nicholas Flat, Slate river, Rockville. He was directing a by? drant onto the lower portion of a face some 100 ft high in order to bring away a fall'of earth. A large boulder was sticking out at the foot, and Mr. Simpson went to remove it, when about 100 tons of earth came away, completely burying hjai. Mr. Mouat, who was an eye-witness of the accident, immediately procured as? sistance, and the buried man was extricated. Medical aid wgs sought, put life was pronounced extinct. At the inquest held before Mr. R. Kirk, Coroner, a verdict of accidental death was returned.