DOBSON DISASTER

Northern Advocate, 31 January 1927, Page 3

DOBSON DISASTER

1 DE-WATERING OPERATIONS. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS. WELLINGTON, This Day. Replying to criticism that the Dobson mine was not being de-watered as rapidly as possible, the Minister of Alines on Saturday outlined the steps taken, in contradiction of the charge. After discussion with the agents of the British manufacturers, and it was discovered that it would take many , months to import the necessary plant ji’or de-watering it wak decided to j borrow a plant. After a. thorough examination of the plant and tests as to j its efficiency steps were promptly takjcn to dismantle it and to transport it •to Dobson’s, but it will take several |weeks, for the concrete foundations | have to be put in and set before the j plant can be erected and worked.

A careful review of the whole of the steps taken shows that those entrusted with the duty of procuring the required equipment have carried out their duties expeditiously.

The Minister is advised that the dewatering of the mine should commence within about a month and operations will he continued until the mine is dc-watcrcd and the bodies recovered. —Press Assn.

RIVERS OVERFLOW QUEENSLAND INUNDATIONS. BRISBANE, January 30. Owing to the Condamine river overflowing its banks, branch line trains in southern Queensland are held up. A large number of soldier settlers and their families at Cecil Plains are Isolated and it is impossible for them to obtain the necessities of life until the river goes down. The river is now rising at the rate of six inches an hour.

At Nangwee, the whole country is a sheet of water, two or throe feet deep in some places. At Maryborough, a youth was drowned while attempting to swim to an island in the Mary river, which is now recoding. ; Further landslides arc reported at Palm Woods. One landslide damaged the residences of three settlers and serious slides have, occurred among' the banana plantations in the Nerang j district. Acres of land, carrying thousands of bunches of bananas, slipped j down the mountain-side and have been 1 into the Nerang river. j