MEN TRAPPED

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4694, 16 May 1935, Page 3

MEN TRAPPED

NARROW ESCAPE FROM MINE Trapped 2000 ft. underground, eight men were fortunate to escape drowning in the Great Boulder Mine, Western Australia, recently. The day shift was going down the Hamilton shaft in a cage, when it over-ran the bottom level, and precipitated them into water at the bottom of the shaft. The first warning the men had was the shock of the cold salt water at their waists. The next instant they were completely submerged. All were experienced miners, and knew the construction of the cage, so that at oncq' evfery man was

struggling in the inky darkness to lift the hinged flaps at the top. Though they were packed tight in . the cage, all managed to win through the openings and climb on the top or cling to the shaft timbers. No one was hurt in the frantic', struggle, though one man had his flannel shirt torn off. With their lamps gone, and still in darkness, they were not yet out of danger, as they were liable to slip off the cage and be caught between it and the timbers. The rope they could feel was hanging slack, but presently it tautened, and the cage was slowly hauled out of the water. A light was got to them, and when each man was in a safe position the cage was hauled to the surface. All were shaken by their experience, and some were violently ill from swallowing the foult salt water.