The Colliery Disaster at Lithgow.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1698, 3 May 1886, Page 2

The Colliery Disaster at Lithgow.

LATER PARTICULARS,

STATEMENTS OF SURVIVORS.

The details of the catastrophe at the Lithgow Valley Colliery show the occurrence to have been a peculiarly painful one. The five unfortunate men who lost their lives did not die as suddenly as poor Doig and his two companions a few weeks ago. They appear to have struggled" hard for life, and then to have succumbed one after the other, encouraging each other as long as sensibility remained, and one at least audibly praying to Heaven on his own behalf and for the sorrowing ones he was destined to leave behind him. The men died within short distances of each other, four of them m couples, and one the same distance ahead of his ill-fated companion. He, like those who were fortunate enough to escape with their lives, had been somewhat fleeter of foot when a rush was made towards the pit's mouth immediately after the explosion took place, and when the entombed men m the horrible darkness which had fallen upon them, and m the suffocating fumes which enveloped them, realised'" that death was close at hand. It appears that ten men were engaged at the time of the terrible occurrence at the work (which has been carried on for some days past) of endeavouring to extinguish the fire which broke out recently m the mine. They were occupied m pumping water upon a portion of the fire, and removing the debris by means of skips. After pumping for some time they withdrew a little, m accordance with the custom, to let the place upon which they had been throwing water to cool down and the steam get away, and a'so, as it was the meal hour of their shift, to get something to eat. Just as they had seated themselves for the lastmentioned purpose, they heard a great roaring as of a tremendous storm approaching them, and their first sensation was that the mine was tumbling m on them m all directions. Witi this idea m their minds they seized hold of one another, and sat for a moment or two horror-stricken, and expecting to be instantly crushed. A terrible rushing wind came upon them, extinguishing their lights, bursting the stoppings or partitions which had been erected m the efforts made to extinguish the fire m the mine, scattering the debris m all directions, and suffocating the men with foul air. The horror of the first sensation passing, and it being known that a train of skips was standing close at hand, a cry was raised by one of the men, "To the skips, boys !" and as well as it could be done m the thick darkness, a rush was made for the skips. They were found, and the men" clambering into them leaned over the side to lay hold of the rappinc. wire, which signals the engine driver outside the pit, and pulled at it violently, m the belief that the signal would be heard by the enginedriver, and the skips with their human freight drawn out of the mine. But the poor fellows pulled the wire m vain. It was jammed by the debris caused by the explosion, and no signal could be given. Then, fearing that there had been some great fall m the mine which blocked their retreat, it was determined to leave the skips, and one of them cried out, '• Let us run for it, boys !" meaning that they should rim us fast as they could, and make their way m the direction of the tunnel's mouth. They cnuld not, of course, see anything of eiich other, or of the way m which they wanted to go. They could only feel, but as well as they could manage, and encouraging each other, all but one ran along the main heading m the direction where it was thought safety was to be found. The one who did not run was Charles Norwood, and he remained m one ot the skips, and by that means was ivfinfctiall v raßGiicd.. .'"■•. i-.._ ! i_i2±jMskii