MINE ACCIDENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 January 1925, Page 5

MINE ACCIDENT

MEN CAUGHT BY GRAVEL.

ONE CRUSHED TO DEATH.

RISKY RESCUE WORK. (by TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION- X DUNEDIN, Jan. 23. Further particulars of the mining accident show that the portion of the mine in which the tragedy occurred had been closed down on account of fire since the holidays. It is understood the management decided to block up the shaft to a depth of 180 ft. The shaft was. divided into two by. wooden partitions. A large quantity of gravel was put down one shaft, and the two men concerned went down to break the dividing wall, allowing the gravel to pour through one portion of the shaft to the other. They successfully broke the wall, but when tlio gravel commenced to move the wall above came down and buried them. This occurred just before 4 o ’clock yesterday afternoon. Rescue work commenced at once. It was necessarily slow, as only four men were able to work abreast. They were reached at 2.30 o’clock this morning. Jordan was found buried to his neck in gravel, and was quite uninjured. He was got out at 4 a.m. McGowan had apparently been jammed by timber, and was found crushed to death. It was too risky to then attempt to extricate the corpse, lest the whole fabric should collapse. This risk; was, of course, taken for the living man.. It may be jjossible to extricate the body by to-night. The rescuers cannot remove the body of McGowan till the timber and gravel are shifted. Shifts are working to-day endeavouring to cut the timber and remove the gravel. They expect to recover the body some time to-morrow. Dr Reekie went down the shaft at 2 a.m. to render assistance to the entombed men and remained till 4.30, when he came up with Jordan. All hands worked willingly in the rescue efforts. The mine manager (Mr Hadcroft) was an efficient leader, and worked • with the best. The rescue party were risking their lives, as 25ft of gravel were liable to fall on them. Jordan is suffering from slight shock, but is reported to be progressing favourably. He lias no injuries. o The fire in the Taratu mine, which . started at Christmas time and has not yet been suppressed, covers a distance of five chains. The company is working Barclay’s mine, 200 yards away. The manager of the Taratu Coal Company (Mr G. Cheeseman) has gone down the mine, accompanied by the inspector of mines. Seen this m'orning by 1 a reporter, the acting-manager said that the mines are working as usual. The shaft in which the tragedy occurred had been closed up since the fire early this month. McGowan and Jordan were down below working, it being the company’s intention to close the shaft permanently. Just what had happened he did not know, except that the gravel, with ( which it was intended to partly fill up the shaft, must have fallen on them, perhaps from one part of the shaft tothe other. The company employed .GO odd men, and the. top mine was working as usual.