GRESFORD PIT DISCOVERIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 April 1935, Page 9

GRESFORD PIT DISCOVERIES

FIRE BIGGER THAN THOUGHT WREXHAM, March 11. Hitherto the rescue teams who have gone down Gresford pit have conflu p ' 1 themselves to exploration.. To-day they began the work of recovery. They too, down picks, shovels, saws, hammers and axes. Several discoveries were made and these indicate that the fire after the explosion was much more extensive than has been hitherto thought to Ik the case. A burnt charred report, apparently belonging to one of the stablemen, was found in the roadway about 10 yards from the Dennis Main. This would be only about 100 yards from the Martin shaft. Until now it has been believed that the fire was confined to the actual explosion area. This discovery is regarded as evidence that the fire swept right through the mine. It lias undoubtedly caused some surprise to the officials. Floods were also encountered for the first time by the rescue teams today. In the old stables, water was found to a depth of two or three leet. and floods were discovered in another part of the connecting road near to a big fall of roof. Many coal tubs had been broken to pieces, and the teams had the greatest difficulty to push along through the floods and debris. Most members of the teams found the work so strenuous that they were brought to the surface before their allotted time of 11 hours had expired. The Hafod team, the first to descend the mine this morning, took with them a peculiar appliance known as the “Sylvester,” and wiui it withdrew a loose girder which was projecting from the roof into the roadway.

They also had with them a cylinder of carbon dioxide, which is to be mixed with oxygen and fdmiiiistered to any man overcome by poison fumes. The carbon dioxide assists a man to revive. Dr. T. D. Jones accompanied the Gresford No. 1 team, and took four samples of air in the main Martin return. a road running parallel with the main Dennis haulage road. This team was warned particularly to not< the oxygen used and the distance they travelled.