TERRIFIC SPEED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21554, 27 July 1933, Page 8

TERRIFIC SPEED

STEADIED BEFORE HALT CAGE MUCH BUCKLED AT REST 1450 ft. BELOW TOP FULL INQUIRY TO BE MADE , [nv TKI ECiRAPU OWN CORRESPONDENT] "WAIHI, Wednesday When questioned as. to the cause of the accident this evening, Mr. H. W. Hopkins, superintendent of the mine, said that all that could be said at present was that the start was being made to wind the men down. One cage was going up at the same time. The down cage carried 12 men 3nd for some reasr-n not yet ascertained the cago broke away and did noc come to rest until it reached a point .'3oft. above No. 13 mine level, a distance of 1430 ft. below the surface from which the cage started. Mr. Hopkins said he thought the cage broke away from the No. 5 level, 500 ft. from the sir ' ce. Ho considered it must have fallen at a terrific speed, and said that as yet no information was available as to what checked the speed of the cage before it came to a halt. Had it come to a sudden stop, the jolt would have been sufficient to kill the men. It had been suggested, said Mr. Hopkins, +hat the cage caught the end of a flat sheet and thus eased the fall and caused the ropes to loosen and the gripes to operate and stop the cage. Mr. Hopkins said the whole of the circumstances would form the subject of an exhaustive inquiry and that at present there was no further information he could give. In the meantime it may be said that the condition of the cage is such as to suggest that it was eased some time before it reached the halting point. It was evidently either steadied by the wire ropes falV-.g round the cage then coming into touch with the timbers, or by the gripes operating. The cage was considerably buckled, indicating the probability that it was steadied by tho rope. ' '