DOBSON DISASTER

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 14 June 1927, Page 5

DOBSON DISASTER

CONTINUATION OF INQUIRY.

MINE MANAGER’S EVIDENCE,

THEORY AS TO EXPLOSIONS

(BY TELEGRAPH - PRESS ASSOCIATION.) GREYMOUTH, June 13

Tne Dobson mine disaster inquiry was continued for the third day today. Mr Hughes, manager of the mine, stated that he was acting-manager at the time of the explosion. The indications were that the line of force came

from the rise workings, and! unless it coin'd be shown that such line was

from the dip, the ignition must have been elsewhere than in the dip. He did no; think the heating caused ignition, but a fall from.a roof could cause sparks, as also could a safety lamp leit- where gas accumulated. If the ignition had occurred in Brammer’cS place in the dip, it would extend, hut that place was. wet, while Noakes' place was’ damp. He did not think Reid’s, p ace was the scene of the explosion. Witness had instructed the underviewer two days before the explosion to see that the air was kept

'light'bP to the working faces. Dust had attained dangerous proportions :in some parts, and on the Saturday. before the. . disaster witness had agreed with the mines inspector to employ cla.v as a remedy. He did not think shot* were fired improperly to any extent. The electrical equipment was satisfactory. He did not think gas accumulated in the “goaf.” There was no check on the safety lamps. He had heard no complaint as to sparks from the electric motor. He was (satisfied after the disaster that there had been an explosion in Brammer’s .place. He would have preferred that the electrical switch below shotted have been immersed in oil. Possibly if the mine had been stone-dusted the explosion would have been averted, and he thought stone-dusting was essential. The officials in the mine were not overworked. He was convinced the initial explosion wag due to gas. There was not sufficient dust in the rise working® to carry it along. The explosion was probably off No. 5 or No. 6 heading. Nothing was done to prevent coal dust accumulating. Being the only mine manager at the time, witness had no instruction to use stone dust. As to the non-checking of amps, he had only followed the custom in vogue before he came. No record of the system' of search for lamps existed. The regulation should define 'the depth for shot holes without the present ambiguity. N After argument between witness and the ex-manager, Walter Leitch, as to responsibility, witness saying lie did not feel he could do as he liked in Leitch’e absence, the oh airman, Mr Page, said Leitch was responsible for the system he had employed, but not for anything else. Hughes, to Mr Balderstone. said the explosion might have been due to heated coal, but Dobson coal was nod likely to bring about spontaneous combustion.