DOBSON MINE.

Grey River Argus, 10 December 1926, Page 5

DOBSON MINE.

—l FIRES EXTINGUISHED. ABSENCE OF SMOKE. PUMPING PRACTICALLY COMI’LETED. At ihe outlet of the Dobson Mine there is :i strong smell of smoke ami charred’ timber from the tires that previously raged and blackened the doors and woodwork of the fan house and the cliffs in the vicinity, but yesterday morning all other sign of burning had disappeared. The last wisp of smoke curled above the fan shaft the previous* night. Although the fires within have apparent!} been ext in<<ni>hed the water from the pumps still splashes into the pool at the entrance t<> tin* outlet and runs through the dark passage into the inner recesses of the mine. A complete Hooding howevc! will be made to ensure that there is no smouldering coal to be fanned again in.o a fire should the water be driven off and a draught from the entrance Io the dip be created. In addition to the two pumps al ready working two leads are being used and the workmen were engaged yesterday morning installing the en gine at the river side to draw up ihe water for this purpose. The Hooding of the mine hay practically been ac Complislied. When it is completed tic water will probably be left standing in the mine for a day or two. Ihe work of emptying the mine will then be commenced and will lake longer than many people anticipate. Owing to the necessity of shifting the* pump ing plant Io the various levels it is estimated that it will be two months before the mine is free of water again. Except for one or two minors about the place and a few motorists passing through the township there was agaii li.tle sign of life in Dobson yesterday. The men are st eking work elsewL- •• and it is understood that twenty pairs are leaving for Roans soon as they cun get away. quest for - employment. bkunner collieries ltd. Yesterd.-iv tilt* Directorate of lire Brunner Collieries Ltd. were waited upon bv Messrs J. Smealon (President), <■’ lb.Herts (Secretary) of th.' (irey Valley Miners’ I’nion, with a. re quest Hint,' if possible. work should be found at Wnllsend Mine lor some of the idled Dobson men. The Company decided to instruct it. Manager, Mr Whit ties! one, if ii were iit. ail feasible to employ as many ot the idle miners as possible. The Com passed a resolution rd Mn.ere condolence both with the Grey Valiev Collieries Ltd., and with the relatives of the miners wlio lost ■.henlives in the disaster, and also the member of the Grey Valley Miners’ l’uioit, adding the earnest hope that the work of restoring th.- mine to a productivc condition would prove spvet.y and successful. Mr A. IL Kimbell. L’nder-Secretai \ for Mines, arrived ill Greymouth yesterday by the express from Clirist- ' .hureh. In reply to a query of an “Argus” reporter, regarding the Dob son disaster, Mr Kimbell mid that Im had no statement to make in Ihe mat Mr A. O’Donnell. Manager id th. Roa Mine, lias lent appreciable h. I| to the (Irey Valley Miners’ I mon n thus placing so nuuiy of the idle men and the President of the Union. Mi .1. Snreaton, states that great eredd, n due to him for ids help in the matter Mr Smcaton also expresses apprceia tion of the great assistance given bt the Chief Inspector of Mines, Mr - A C. Bayne, since his arrival at Dob HOU. 4 1 nr In addition to the nien Io be on at Roa mine, about ten pair o miners will be found work at the Stat Collieries. reliee wqLZTin greymoutii The members of the Greymou’.h Bor , ,• 'I l-.st i Venin"- held an 111ouch Council last i ' mi's formal meeting with the object ot assisting in finding k for the idled Dobson minors. I here wcie pi(S<iH ihe Mayor (W. 11. Parfitt, Ks<|.), < >s ,|. O’Brien, J. B. Kent, IL F. Ibmgan F. 11. Kit'diinghnm, G. Harker. .L \v Greonslade, and G. Perotti. It was repocod by the Mayor IW the Hon. G. .1. Anderson would nrrivi here on Saturday anti it would be . good opportunity to secuie Ills hi Ip i' finding work for the. idled Itobsol miners. It. was resolved after a general ms eussioa, that a deputation from th. Council Wild upon the Minister m Saturday evening Io place before bin a request for a sum of money to b spent upon the work of widening th road between the Grey River Hospitn and the Cemetery, in order to tirovid a number of the idled miueis with ter porary employment upon work that i urgently needed. The Relief Fund. 'The Dobson Disaster Relief I‘i-t now totals about £3Bll, the. latest co tributions recorded being: Previously acknowledged .. 3-13 > Kirkpatricks, Ltd-, Nelson 23 II L. B. Miller ■" 0 Officers and Crew of s.s. Waiau, Lyttelton (per H. Kirk) 3 10 A. E. Kilgour 10 Total 370 2 Bishop Brodie’s Donation. His Worship the Mayor, Mr W. I’.-irfitt, yesterday evening received t following letter from His Lordsli Bishop Brodie, enclosing a donation £2O Io the Dobson Disaster Relief Fun “Catholic. Presbytery, Cliristehiirr December 6th: —- Mr W. FI. Parfi Mayor of Greymonth. Dear Sir,— learn with deep regret, of the sad 1c of life through the explosion at t Dobson Mine, and join in the, com mu

men. My heart goes out wiih sincere sympathy to those who have been cast into sorrow by the sad accident. .1. understand a movement is being promoted to organise a Relief Fund for the bemfit of the sufferers. I <mclose a (hcipie for £2O towards that fund, with my eario'st wishes that the appeal may meet with a most generous response. Believe me, yours sincerely, Alai t hew .1. Brodie, Bishop of Christchurch. ’ ’ PRIME MINISTER’S MESSAGE. •'l’lio Acting-Prime Minister (Hon. \V. Downie Stewart) has sent the following message to Air F. AVilliams (Mayor of Brunner): —Wellington, December 9: “I have been asked by Hom ! I. G. Coates, in London, has been shocked to hear of the Dobson mine I disaster, to extend t) the relatives of tho unfortunate victims, expression of this own ami Its Coates’ sincere sympathy in the sad bereavement they have sufl’ered. Will you be good enough to convey this r/bssage to those concerned?” ' The Chairman of the Cobden Town Board (Mr C. Uddstrom) has received I the following reply from the ATayor Brunner (Air F. Williams): —Appropriate and pleased to convey your kind PI message to bereaved relatives ot men P who perished in mine disaster. 0 THE ORPHANED TWINS. TIMELY GIFTS. ° The President of the Grey Valley Minors’ Union (Air J. Smeaton) received vcsterday a telegram offering a ’gift for tho twin children of Air? *• Black, who lost her husband in the <• disaster. The telegram was from !' Messrs Pitcher ami Co., Dunedin, ami ■ was as follows: ‘‘Regret lo hear of the • Dobsc-n disaster. We will bo, plea soil 1c G present Airs Black with a twin go *• cart.” Air Smeaton replied, thanking I the firm, ami accepting the gift oi Mrs Black’s behalf. In addition tc c which, a Greymouth lady is sending s i- perambulator to ATrs Black for the use e of the two babies.