COLLIERY CALAMITY

Northern Advocate, 16 November 1929, Page 10

COLLIERY CALAMITY

HEROIC RESCUE WORK KITTO FOUND DEAD. MANY SAVED FROM SIT EQUATION.

(Per Press AssoclaMon. —uonynpht.l INVERCARGILL, This Day,

After the explosion at the Linton mine the alarm was given and volunteer reserve workers hurried to the scene from neighbouring mines. All other mines in the district were soon practically deserted and the suffocating men were brought out as speedily as possible.

Many of the rescuers suffered from the efforts of the fumes and several were temporarily gassed and had to be assisted out of the mine.

Practically all the volunteers were strangers to the mine and were hampered by a lack of knowledge of the workings.

Mr R. K. Shoen, a surveyor, was also in the mine, but he was not badly injured and performed very valuable work in helping others out. The first men to be brought out reached the pit’s mouth in about ten minutes from the time' of the explosion, From then onwards, men were brought out in rapid succession, many so badly gassed, temporarily, by the fumes, that they had to be carried out.

The news spread rapidly through the district and relatives of the men working in the mine assembled at the headworks anxiously awaiting news. It was a pathetic group that watched the parties of injured men being conveyed to their homes, or to the hospital.

The body of Johnston was brought out very shortly after the accident. It was apparent that he had received the full force of the explosion and death must have been almost instantaneous.

An investigation of the damage was carried out. Many of the stoppings were found to be smashed, but otherwise the damage is slight and less than might have been expected. One or two minor fires discovered were extinguished. The mine will be inspected by the Inspector of Mines and the tragedy will be fully investigated.

Harry Kitto, aged 22, married, with no family, was also killed. His body was not found till 3 o’clock. John Chamberlain, aged 30, a trucker; Robert Ross, aged 55, a miner, married, with four children, and James Robb, aged 32, a trucker, married, with three children, were badly burned and their condition is serious.

Arthur Pinnock, aged 58, a driver, had an arm broken.

The' explosion came with startling suddenness about 11 chains from the pit mouth. An idea of its force can be gathered from the fact that Pinnock, who was at the mouth of the drive, was hurled through the air nearly a chain. Twenty-seven men were in the area affected. All the miners say that the presence of mind of Rogers, who released the compressed air nozzle, saved them from suffocation.