FATALITY IN A MINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19454, 9 October 1926, Page 10

FATALITY IN A MINE.

DEATH DUE TO SUFFOCATION. OTHER WORKERS AFFECTED. RESCUE PARTY'S EXPERIENCE. NEARLY OVERCOME BY FUMES. [BT TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] INVERCARGILL, Friday. What is nowadays a rare, type of fatality was inquired into by the coroner, Mr. G. Cmickshank, at Nightcaps to-day. The inquest was into the death of a miner named Anthony Fitzpatrick Francis, aged 39, who was found dead in an abandoned working of the company's coal mine under circumstances suggesting asphyxiation by methane gas or firo damp. Constable Boyle, of Nightcaps, represented the police, Mr. Horace Macalister, the Linton Coal Company, and Mr. W. A. Stout, the relatives of the deceased. A miner named Henry Weir said that on October 2 at about 2.30 p.m. he was informed by a trucker that Francis was missing. Later he met a shot firer at the bottom of the main dip and the latter organised a party to search the passages. Witness himself went with the shot firer and a man named Crawford through the return airway. When they came to the "nndercast" the shot firer asked witness if lie saw any footprints. He then noticed distinct marks on the rough white stone steps of number 2 "undercast." The three followed on in the same path as the footprints and fin: ally they could see the reflection of a light shining on the rib of the left airway. Witness called out but did not receive a reply. A few steps further on he made ont a man's boots against tho light of an electric cap lamp. Witness called to | the others, "Here he is," and they went up. Francis was lying in a crouched position on his side with his head on the ground. Felt His Body Stiffening. Continuing, witness said that when ho put. out his hand to raise the deceased's head he felt his own body stiffening. He lost consciousness for a moment and the next thing he knew was that he had fallen into the dross at the foot of tho incline. He thought he must have been affected by gas. Samuel Crawford, another miner who accompanied Weir and the shot firer into the return airway, gave similar evidence. He added that when he went up to the body he seemed to lose his breath and fell back, lie had a feeling of constriction in the head and it appeared to him the attack was caused by gas. Ho did not remember much until he managed to get out. Once out of the danger area witness warned others not to go into this particular part of the mine. H« informed a miner named Robertson that deceased was lying in the mine and a party, including witness, went inside again. Robertson reached up and pulled the deceased out by the legs. The body was taken into a safe place and artificial respiration was employed without result. To the coroner witness said he neither tasted nor smelt the gas, the only indication of danger being a choking sensation and a pain in the head. Alexander Russell Malcolm, shot firer in the mine, gave evidence along lines similar to that given by previous witnesses. He said that when he approached the body he also "felt queer" and had to retreat. Weir, who went forward, also fell back across witness' feet. Witness did not see Crawford but heard him making a strange noise. The party finally went back 6ft or so where the atmosphere was clear. Judging by the effect witness thought that the gas was fire damp. At about 5 p.m. when the place was examined, witness was again present. The air was then clear of gas. Questioned by the coroner witness said ho could not say where the deceased had intended to go. The "overcast" in which he was found led merely to an abandoned working of the mine. To the inspector of mines witness said he was carrying an oil-flame safety lamp with which he could have made a test for gas. However he was affected by the fumes so quickly that he could not do that. He was too ill to think of it when Robertson went back to get the body. Evidence of Doctor. Dr. J. P. McQuilken, of Nightcaps, said he made a post-mortem examination. The cause of death was suffocation which could have been caused by inhaling an irrespirable gas. Death was not due to carbon monoxide poisoning. An underviewer at the mine, Edward Charles, said that on the day of the accident he had inspected all the working places in the mine. Some time after 11 a.m. witness saw deceased, who was then in his regular place. At about 3 p.m., while on the surface above the mine, he was told Francis had been missing. A little later he received an urgent, call from below and set off for the main dip but while going down tho shaft ho met a shot firer from a different section, who told him that Francis' body had been found. Several miners were using artificial respiration but when witness tried the pulse and heart he found no motion. Some time after witness climbed up the ladder in the intake passage and tested tho atmosphere with the result that fire damp was detected apparently in a moving body. The ventilation in the mine was ample to keep all the workings clear. George Langford, mine manager for tho Linton Company, said he was familiar with the portion of the mine in which the deceased was found and knew gas had been found in that "overcast" before, but only on week-ends when the fans were idle. The fans were started each night at midnight in compliance with tho Mining Act and were of courso running on the day of the accident. No Right to be In Spot. To the coroner witness said the doceased had no right to go into the "overcast," as tho regulations forbade miners to go away from their working places. To the inspector of mines lie said that on a previous occasion a large accumulation of fire damp mixture, estimated roughly at about 3000 cubic feet, was found in tho "overcast." The construction of the place was probably the reason for tho gas accumulating. At this stage Ihe inquest was adjourned owing to tho fact that the insurance company holding tho deceased's life policy had not received notice that the inquiry had commenced. It was agreed to send the company a copy of the depositions before the coroner entered his verdict.