FLOODED COAL MINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21911, 21 September 1934, Page 10

FLOODED COAL MINE

WATER STILL RISING BLOW TO HIKURANGI SERIOUS VIEW OF POSITION [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WHANGAREI. Thursday The serious view taken yesterday of the flooding of the Hikurangi Coal Company's shaft mine at Hikurangi was confirmed to-day. In addition to the flooding of the workings in use, the water had risen 25ft. vertically in the shaft between 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon and 10 o'clock this morning, and by 2 o'clock this afternoon had risen a further 10ft. This evening the depth was over 40ft., with the water steadily rising. The level of the water was approximately 350 ft. from the surface. It is not anticipated tho rise will be nearly so great during the next 24 hours, as old workings branch off from tho shaft some little distance above the point at which the water was this evening. It was estimated this afternoon that water was entering the mine at the rate of 140,000 gallons an hour. The nominal inflow during the past few weeks had been 110,000 gallons an hour.

The only work that could be carried out to-day was the salvaging of three cables. Included among the pumps submerged is a 9in. pump recently imported from England at a cost of £IOOO

Discussing the position this afternoon, Mr. R. S. Nesbitt, chairman of the Hikurangi Town Board, said that the present mine was established about 13 years ago, and this was the fourth occasion on which it had been seriously flooded. In his opinion, the present outlook was by far the most serious. This opinion was confirmed by old' miners.

Mr. Nesbitt said the directors of the Hikurangi Coal Company and Mr. W. Barclay, inspector of mines, would meet the executive of the co-operative party which had been working the mine on Saturday, when the whole position would be discussed. Until then no reliable opinion regarding the future of the mine could be given. The Hikurangi Coal Company's adjoining mine at Waro has not been affected so far by the flooding of the shaft mine. There are at present 60 men employed in the Waro mine. The shaft mine had an output of about 1000 tons of coal weekly, chiefly for the Railway Department, and about 160 men were employed. The position is viewed with grave concern by the business community of Hikurangi. Recently over £SOOO was spent in improving the water supply and improving the main road, # as it was considered the mining industry was improving.