HE MINING DISASTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7905, 25 March 1887, Page 5

HE MINING DISASTER

.— ♦ ■ ■ - ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. EXPECTED LOSS OP 85 Llf E» HEARTRENDING SCENES. Ibeutkb's telegbam.J Sydney, March 24. The colliery explosion at BulUt occurred yesterday afternoon, but no news was received till night. The accounts to hand state that a sadden and terrific blast of hot air burst from the tunnel, and the force of the explosion blocked the mouth. A search party with difficulty penetrated, and got a distance of threequarters of a mile, when they discovered six charred bodies of adults, and the disembowelled remains of a boy. Efforts are being made to get at the others entombed, who are said to number seventy, but the rescue is believed to be hopeless. Mauy of the search party have been rendered unconscious by the foul air. A profound sensation was caused throughout the district, and the scene of anguish at the tunnel's mouth, where the wivee and children of the entombed men congregated, was indescribable. The mine has been lying idle for some time owing to a strike,*but work was lately resumed, and every precaution had been taken to ensure safety.

The last accounts from Bulli state that there is no hope of saving the entombed. It is believed there are about eighty in the mine, most of whom are married and have families. The search party found eighteen other bodies, some greatly mutilated. The cause of the explosion is as yet unknown. Safety lamps were used in the gaseous parts of the mine, and the cause will probably be found to be due to an accident or through negligence. Later. It is now stated that 85 miners were in the tunnels of the Bulli mine when the explosion took place. A number of bodies have been found which are not disfigured by the explosion. They were clasped in each other's arms, and the unfortunate men had evidently died from suffocation. Heartrending scenes took place at the mouth of the tunnels as the bodies -were brought out and identified. A van load of coffins has already being conveyed to the mine. The search parties encounter considerable difficulty owing to the foul air. They cannot yet reach the places where the greater number of miners were when the explosion took place. The work of recovering the bodies is being carried on as quickly as possible, but no hope is entertained that any of the entombed men may be rescued alive. Steps are being taken to provide for the widows and families of the sufferers. The Bulli mine is situate about a mile and a-half from the township of Bulli. The mouth of the mine is almost tilled by women and children, who are anxiously watching the operations which are being carried on to recover the bodies. It is impossible at present to fully explore the workings, as hundreds of tons of rock have been dislodged by the explosion. Many of the bodies of the miners have been driven several yards from the place where they were working, their limbs being broken and shattered, nearly all the bodies bearing evidence of burning. A most depressing gloom has been thrown over the whole township by the accident. Latest news from Bulli reports that so far thirty-five bodies have been recovered. It is understood that the Government will give assistance to the sufferers by the explosion.