RESCUE FROM MINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20302, 9 July 1929, Page 13

RESCUE FROM MINE.

TWELVE MEN TRAPPED.

RESCUERS' HEROIC EFFORTS.

Twelve men were trapped in tho Jumbuiin;i coalmine at Korumburra, Victoria, in Gippslancl at about four o'clock on tho afternoon of Juno 27, by a heavy fall of earth. Gangs of volunteers were soon at work to effect a rescue. Air was meanwhile pumped into tho mine, and by a few minutes after midnight all had beon liberated. Tho men wcro Australians arid Italians. They were heartily welcomed by relatives and friends on emerging from tho dobris at tho tunnel mouth. Some of tho men were in an extremely weak condition when liberated. They declared that had air not been pumped in most of them would have lost their lives through suffocation. Tho rescuers worked in shifts of six men each. They wero unable to stay in tho tunnel for more than 15 minutes or so owing to the presence of foul air, and some wero in a stato of collapse when they eventually broke through to their imprisoned comrades. Although the underground party were trapped at about four o clock their plight was not known until six o'clock. Apparently after tho knock-off signal was given at four o'clock tho men wero walking to the mouth of tho tunnel when they wcro stopped by tho fall of earth about 20 chains from tho tunnel mouth. An alarm was raised when some of tho men did not return home, and inquiries then showed that none of tho underground party had left tho mine. Tho Jumbunna mine, which is about six miles from Korumburra, had been closed for some time owing to industrial troubles. Under tho present management about 20 men aro employed, twelvo of whom work underground. On Juno 3 thrco Italians wero overcome by foul gas in ilia J urnbtmna mine, *nd di«d.