FIRE THREATENS TO DESTROY 1,000,000 TONS OF COAL
(11 a.m.) SYDNEY, Mar. 8. A fire which broke out' yesterday 1J miles underground in the Ayrfield No. 3 colliery now threatens to destroy 1,000,000 tons of coal. Smoke was seen issuing from the mine as the men were about to descend. A party of men wearing respirators went down to find the seat of the fire but they were driven back by smoke before getting within half a mile of it. On the way out five horses which the men had passed on the inward journey were found to have been killed by carbon monoxide fumes. - , The men then erected stoppings to prevent the smoke from penetrating other tunnels, but they soon had to be withdrawn in case of an explosion. The air system was then stopped in the hope that the., fire would be smothered by its own gases. • Today it was found that smoke was penetrating the stoppings and invading other parts of the mine. An attempt will be made by men wearing special apparatus to seal off the tunnel. Should this operation fail the entire pit will have to be plugged.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22889, 8 March 1949, Page 5
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193FIRE THREATENS TO DESTROY 1,000,000 TONS OF COAL Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22889, 8 March 1949, Page 5
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