MINERS ENTOMBED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1180, 1 December 1924, Page 5

MINERS ENTOMBED.

ATTEMPTS' MADE AT RESCUE. ANXIOUS WAITING AT PIT HEAD. LONDON. Nov. 29. The minors who wore imprisoned in tile Dunvant colliery near Swansea owing to a sudden inrush of water, were still entombed at a late hour last night. They are. now stated to number 11, The rescuers have been working for 24 hours with magnificent courage, and are continuing throughout the second night. Those entombed are divided into two groups cif live and six. Hopes are most favourable of reaching the fatter, but it is feared they may already have perished from black dump. Normally fifteen pumps pump out botween 12,000 and 15,000 gallons of water per hour. Yesterday only two pumps were working. The others were swept away by the torrent which is believed to bo due to the bursting of a barrier owing to pressure of water in another pit, long since abandoned. The workings are u mile in length and are on a steep slant. The water poured down to the lower levels with tremendous force, carrying timbering and debris. It. overtook a line of trolleys wherein a youth named William Goulding was journeying. He was swept away and eventually pinned under by the timbering. lie was found unconscious and died.

The rush water and debris tore the clothes from many of the survivors, who reached the surface almost naked, with their hands cut and bleeding. They told thrilling stories of desperate struggles to surmount fallen coal and sections of the roof. Many were obliged to wade waist deep and crawl on their stomachs long distances through slime. A number of survivors were brought out unconscious by their comrades, who, ignoring their own danger, stayed to succour those pinned down and half drowned. The officials had difficulty in keeping hack the crowds of miners willing to risk their lives to rescue their comrades. Tired and anxious women were still watching the pit head in the drenching rain lust night.—A. and N.Z. cable. RESCUE OF FIVE MEN. LONDON, Nov. 30. Five of the men entombed in the Dunvant colliery were rose lies l last night, after hope had been abandoned. One was found dead. Feverish efforts are being made to save the others.—A. and N.Z. cable.