MINE DISASTER

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 November 1929, Page 4

MINE DISASTER

EXPLOSION AT MT. LINTON

THREE MEN KILLED. OTHERS BADLY INJURED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, Nov. 15. Three men were killed and four ill iurod as the result of an explosion in the Linton Coal Company mine at Mt Linton, about 50 miles from Inreroar•vivl. this morning. KILLED: Robert John Johnston, aged 44. a miner of Ohai, married, with a family of five children. Antonio McCoy, aged 27, a miner residing at Nightcaps, married, with one cliild. Harry Kibto, aged 22, a miner residing .at Ohai, married, without family. TAKEN TO HOSPITAL:

John Chamberlain, aged 30, a trucker, residing at Wrey’s Bush, single. He is badiy burned about the face, head and arms. Robert Ross, aged. 55, a miner, residing at Ohai, married, with four children. He is badiy burned about, the face, head: and arms. James Robb, aged 32, a trucker, residing at Nightcaps, married, with three children. He has severe burns on the face and arms. Arthur Pennock, aged 58, a housedriver, residing at Ohai, single. He has a, badly fractured arm.

Tlie explosion, which occurred atom 9.30 a.in., came with startling suddenness. Tnex-e were 27 men in tlie area affected, and the loss of life, therefore, can be considered light. Investigations carried out loiter in the day indicate that the seat of the explosion was about 11 chains from tlie pit-mouth tome indication of the force of the in one of the more recent workings.

Some indication of the force of the explosion can be gaineu from the tact that a horse-driver, Pennoeu, Who was standing near the mouth of the, mine, was thrown bodily through tho air a distance of about a chain. Winciows in the winch-house, more than a chain fiom the entrance, were blown out, and the winch, operator was thrown against- a wail. immediately after the explosion the alarm was given and tne volunteer reserve hurried to the scene from the neighbouring mines. Ail the other es in tne district were soon .practically deserted, and the suffocated men were brought out as speedily as possible. Many of the rescuers suffered from the effects' of the fumes and some were temporarily gassed andl had to be assisted out of the mine. Practically ad the volunteers were strangers to tne mine and were hampered by lack of knowledge of the workings. Mr R. K. .Sheen, surveyor of the mine, was also in the mine when the ..cement happened, but was: nob. badly injured, and performed very valuable v.'oric in helping the others out. The first men to be .brought out reached the pitmouth in about -ten minutes from the time of the explosion. Frem then onwards suffocated men were brought out in rapid' succession. Many were so badiy gassed temporarily by'the fumes that tney had to be carried out. As the injured men were brought out in such rapid! succession it appeared that one 'pnysician would not be able t:> give all the assistance desirable and the services of two doctors from Otautan were requisitioned. News of the tragedy spread rapidly through the district, and relatives of men working in the mine assembued at the headworks anxiously awaiting news irom the scene of the tragedy. It was a oathetic group that watched the par ties of injured men conveyed to then homes or to hospital-

Tiie . body of Jomiston was brought cut. very shortly after the accident. It wa.s apparent lie had received the fufi force of the explosion, and death must have been almost, instantaneous. A fairly considerable time elapsed before the rescuers recovered the body of Mecoy, which was brought out some time alter mid-day. The .body of Kitto was not found nul 3 o’clock.

Throughout til© period of the aescue dense, suffocating fumes hampered the „ urn of the volunteers. Compressed air and the ventilating fan were utilised, and after several! hours the air became more pure and an investigation was carried out. Many of the stoppings were found to be smashed, but otherwise the damage was slight and less than might have been expected. One or two minor fires were discovered, but these were extinguished. 1 The mine will be inspected by an inspector of mines, and the tragedy, will be fully investigated. All the miners pay tribute to the presence ol mind shown bv ithe miner James Rogers, who removed the nozzle from the. compressed air pipe, liberating sufficient air to keep the men alive until, .rescue came. ‘Had lie not done that,” said one miner, “we would all have been suffocated.” The injured men, who are in the Riverton Hospital, wore reported at a late hour to-niglit to be fairly comiortThe condition of three who were suffering from burns was serious, butthey were progressing as well as coufld be expected.