DUNOLLIE TRAGEDY

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 November 1932, Page 7

DUNOLLIE TRAGEDY

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST “PILLARS TOO SMALL” As the result c£ the fall of stone which occurred, yesterday, in the cooperative mine of Boote and party, near Dunollie, Robert Gore lost his lif:. through asphyxiation. James Devlin was also caught by the falling stone, but was extricated, and escaped serious injury. He is an inmate of the Grey River Hospital, and his condition to-day was reported to be about the same as when admitted. He is a native of Brunnerton, married, 42 years of age, and has one child. An inquest was held at Grey mouth, to-day, before the Coroner (Mr W. Meldrum), regarding the death of Gore. Constable Houston conducted the proceedings, and there were also present the Chief Inspector of Mines (Mr G. Duggan) and Inspectoi* C. J. Strongman. Mr T. F. Brosnan represented the co-operative mining party. Robert Sidney Gore, schoolteacher, son of deceased , stated that his father was a native of Lancashire, aged 53 years. He was a co-operative miner, and had resided at Runanga for a number of years. Witness last saw his father alive on Monday, and he was then in good health. Walter Brown, manager of the Braehead, mine, Dunollie, stated that he met deceased outside the mine abbut 8 a.m. yesterday, and accompanied deceased and Devlin to their working place in the mine, which was the pillar area in the extreme north. The two men were getting coal during the morning, when witness was present. About 11.30 a.m., he decided that a rail was required in the working place. He had just left the face, and Gore was about two yards behind him, when a fall of stone took place from the roof. Witness escaped the fall, but Gore was caught, his head being about three feet back from the edge of the fall. His whole body was covered with broken stone. Devlin was also caught, some distance further back. Witness called out, and Gore, replied, “Oh, dear! What has happened?’’ Witness went for help, and sent for the doctor. When he returned, he could still hear Gore calling out. Efforts were commenced to release the men, about 20 others having arrived. Gore was got out in about three-quarters of an hour. He was lying face down, and stretched out. There was no sign of life, and artificial respiration was applied, without success. It appeared to witness that Gore had been smothered. Witness inspected the working place about 7 a.m., before the men commenced work, and it then appeared to be safe. It was properly timbered. The fall, was unexpected. The roof was known to be dangerous, and had been timbered as well as it possibly could be. Deceased was an experienced miner.

To Inspector Strongman: Witness held a first-class manager’s certificate, and had had a large experience :n various collieries. He knew that a number of the roadways in the vicinity had fallen, up to 6ft in height There was every indication that there was more than the ordinary amount of danger. Some of the pillars were fairly small. There was pressure on the workings, which would be due to the small pillars. The place was timbered in accordance with the regulations. He did not calculate the size of the timber necessary to hold up the stone. Most of the bars were Ift 4in to Ift sin in circumference. The breaking strain of the bar would be approximately six tons. The thickness of falling stone in the adjoining roadways was about 6ft. Inspector Strongman: Was not the weight of the overburden far in excess of the breaking strain of the bar?- —That depends on how many bars were in.

They were four feet apart?—Yes. Don’t you think that the overburden was too heavy to put on them? —Yes. In answer to further questions, witness said that the members of the party supplied the timber. They had not interfered with his management in any way.

To the Coroner: The timber was not more than 3ft. apart. The regulations allowed 4 feet. In the opinion of witness, the fall was due to the failure of the carrying set of timber. Witness had been manager of the mine for about three months. The coal pillars were, in his opinion, too small. A good size would be 80 feet square, but one of the pillars was only 25 feet by 17 feet. The Coroner: It was taking a risk to have them so small? —Yes. Dr. G. W. Meade, of Runanga, stated that about 12.30 p.m. he received a call to the mine, and arrived about 1 p.m. The body of deceased was on a stretcher, and witness was told that he had just been extricated from the fall. Life was extinct. From the appearance of . the body, witness concluded that Gore was suffocated. The slight injuries were not sufficient to cause death. There yas a three-inch long cut on the left forearm and a slight abrasion about one inch long on the right side of the chest. { RESCUE WORK DESCRIBED.

Isaac Powell, co-operative miner, and a member of the Braehead party, stated that about 7.30 a.m. yesterday, he saw Gore at the mine mouth. He appeared to be in his usual health. Witness saw him again between 10.45 a.m. and 11 a.m., before the accident, when he went to Gore’s working place for a. tool used in repairing the roadway. Witness was working about two chains away. He heard about the accident between 11 a.m. and 11.30 a.m., and took his mate. Edward Hambley, to the scene. They assisted in the rescue work. Gore’s head was cleared in 20 or 25 minutes, and the body was recovered in three-quarters of an hour. There was then no sign of life. Deceased’s body was in a crouched position with the head between the legs, and the face to the floor. Devlin was six or seven feet from Gore. It took some hours to release Devlin. Gore’s body was about 15 feet from the working face. The fall covered an area of 20 feet by 14 feet, and the broken stone would be about four feet in depth. The place was considered safe.

To Inspector Strongman: He held an underviewer’s certificate, and was one of the first managers of that particular mine. He had acted as mine manager on various occasions. When the mine was being laid out, the size of the pillars necessary was discussed

with the Inspector. It was two chains by one chain. He could give no reason why that size was not adhered to. He did not take the responsibility for the small pillars. When he was manager, witness left pillars that he considered were of adequate size.

Questioned regarding the size of the timber used, witness said he did not consider it was too small. There were quite a lot of five-inch bars used. The Coroner: Did you form any opinion as to the immediate cause of the fall? Witness replied that the place seemed to be quite safe. The only thing that could have occurred, in his opinion, was the springing of the carrying set. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased, Robert Gore, came to his death at the Braehead mine. Dunollie, on November 11, from asphyxiation, caused by an accidental fall of stone from the roof, which completely buried him. The evidence disclosed that the timbering of the mine, at the place where the accident occurred, complied with the regulations, and that the fall was due to the springing of the carrying bar. The late Mr. Gore had resided in Runanga for 27 years, and was formerly a member of the Runanga Borough Council. He is survived by his widow and one son. The funeral will take place to-mor-row afternoon, at Karoro, leaving Runanga at 2 o’clock. RESCUE BRIGADES. MR HOLLAND’S INQUIRY. [SPECIAL TO “STAR.”] WELLINGTON, November 11. An inquiry as to what had been done in connection with the establishment of mine rescue brigades, was addressed to the Minister of Mines (Mr MacMillan) in the House, to-day, by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland). ■ Mr Holland said the Minister would remember, that after the Dobson explosion, there was a widespread demand from the miners for rescue brigades, on the lines of the British system. The only objection that came to the institution of these brigades was from the owners, and that was on the score of expense. Negotiations took place between the owners and miners, and the latter agreed to withdraw their claim for four brigades, and remain content with two. If that had been accepted the total cost would have amounted to something like Id per ton of coal. Mr Holland said he understood that the Mines Department had adopted a neutral attitude. He did not know what progress had been made, but .he was sure the Minister would recognise the importance of brigades, from the point of view of public safety. He would like the Minister to give a promise he would go into the matter with a view to seeing if anything could be done. The Minister said that conferences had taken place between the parties at which representatives of the Mmes Department had been present, but it had not been possible to arrive at any basis of settlement. He would be pleased to look into the matter during the recess, and would co-op-erate with the Leader of the OppoSl M°r l Holland: Will you introduce legislation? The Minister said that might be done, if no appropriation were involved.