MINING DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15123, 14 October 1912, Page 7

MINING DISASTER.

EIER UNDERGROUND 800 MEN INTO^BED. IN A TASMANIA*! MINE. HOPES OF RESCUE SMALL. LEVELS FILLED WITH SMOKE. . FIRE STILL SPREADING. SEVENTY MEN SAVED. Br Telegraph Prcsa Association Copyright. (Received October 14, 12.50 :t.rn.)

Hobaet, October 13. Ji nrxnuED men are entombed in the ;North Mount Lycll mine, as the result of & fire- which broke out at noon on Saturday in the 700 ft level. The fire resulted from the blowing out of the water-pump.

The flames quickly spread to the chamber house, which was lined with inflamjnable wood, and in which oily waste bagging was stored. From the chamber house the fire extended to the ore body and spread with alarming rapidity.

The smoke permeated the various workings where 150 men were employed.

The alarm was quickly spread, and a. number of men escaped by the cage, about 50 reaching the surface, assisted by the heroic efforts of some miners, who battled through the smoke to help in the rescue.

News of the outbreak was sent to rQueenstown, and doctors and other helpers 'soon arrived, including many men from iho Mount Lyell mine.

The rescue parties set to work under the direction of the general manager and engineer of the Mount Lyell mine.

Compressed air at the rate of 7000 ft per -minute is being pumped into the workings. ..ud other urgent efforts are being made to save the entombed men.

■ A telephone message was received from .the 1000 ft level:"For God's sake give His more air."

- Dense volumes of smoke are issuing from the main tunnel.

' A big crowd has gathered round the , mine, and a late report stated that four ' ; Tnen had been rescued from the 500 ft revel, which was regarded as about the worst position, owing to the density of the smoke in that level.

This gave rise to the hope that most, or possibly all, the entombed miners would be rescued. The latest reports, however, are less hopeful.

One man was found dead in the 500 ft level. The rescuers were then driven back by the smoke.

When the alarm was given 72 men escaped, but 95 are still entombed.

STRENUOUS RESCUE WORK

MAGNIFICENT HEROISM.

MINERS FLOCKING IN TO HELP.

(Beceived October 14, 1.5 a.m.)

Hobaht, October 13. Strenuous rescue work was unremittingly continued throughout- last night and to-day hundreds of miners flocked from the surrounding districts.

As one party retired exhausted many others were ready to replace them.

The rescue parties made desperate and heroic efforts to penetrate the deadly fumes arising from the ore. A magnificent spirit and splendid devotion is being displayed by all. One of the cages is being worked quickly in the hope that 1 it will act as a pump, and draw, out the smoke from the mine.

' Gangs cf men are removing obstructions at. some of the passes to allow more air to enter.

PATHETIC SCENES AT THE MINE.

STRONG MEN IN TEARS."'

ONLY A SLENDER HOPE.

(Received October 14, 1.5 a.m.)

Hobabt, October 13. The scene at the mine is intensely pathetic.

Strong men with tear-stained faces are standing in groups, hoping for the best. Streams of people are coming in from the surrounding township and are gathering at the mouth of the mine.

Divers' suits have been obtained to be utilised in penetrating the lower levels.

The chemists and the mine officials hold the view that the men in the bottom levels hive 0, chance to escape, as the tendency of p?:son<n: = fumes is to rise, not to descend. All ad:nifc. however, that the chance is a slender one. It is now feared that the loss of life will be hea.w.

The fire is still spreading.

A FIGHT FOR LIFE.

RESCUED MINER'S STORY.

GRAVE FEARS FOR THOSE IX LOW

LEVELS.

(EecMved October 14, 12.53 a.m.)

Hob.art, October 13.

0 Connor, one of the rescued miners, in ftn interview. sa iJ he was working at the 850 ft level. At crib time on. Saturday he was startler] \y hearing cries of "Fire." The smoke soon became so dense that he was unable to vee. He and a number of Others groped \h?h way to the cage. When the cage W<? being drawn up, the imoke was so thi<k that they were almost choked. They clung together to prevent themselves from facing. O'Connor added t\at he had grave fears that for those in thejower levels the only chance was that thy might get to a dead end, and use th\ air being pumped into the mine. \ \