SUFFOCATED BY GAS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11253, 4 July 1922, Page 5

SUFFOCATED BY GAS

TRAGIC END OF BRAVE MEN. DETAILS OF THE FATALITY. The first news of the disaster reached Wellington early yesterday morning, but it was so meagre of details that it was not known what the nature of the accident was. The conclusion come to by many citizens was apparently that a fall of earth had taken place in the tunnel and that the workmen in shift had been overwhelmed with earth. Later news was received by the Publio Works Department which gave the nature of the disaster but details were lacking. It was ascertained, however, that an accident had taken place in No. 2 tunnel, at Mangahao, and that a number of men had been suffocated by gas fumes. The tunnel in question will when completed be one mile and, a quarter in length, and will connect the Arapeti basin with the headworks of the pipeline overlooking Shannon. The work of piercing the range is being carried out by adits under several contracts; and good progress has been made. The engineer in charge of the work was Mr W. R. Miller, who, unfortunately, lost his life in tho disaster. Among the others who lost their lives were the Birss brothers, who had the No. 3 contract for this section of the tunnel, and the brothers Graham, of their party. WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. The accident occurred, at the Arapeti end of the tunnel. It is believed that Butler was looking after the oil engine, and effecting some Tunning repairs, while Maxwell was the foreman in charge at the time. Maxwell and Butler were engaged in this repair work from about 7 o’clock in the evening—an off time on a Sunday for regular tunnelling. With one man outside attending to the compressor plant these were the only men at wont at the time. The foreman, Maxwell, and the tunneller, Butler, were so long in the tunnel that the man working the plant got anxious and started to fo in, but he smelt the fumes and went ack to give the alarm. Then the assistant engineer, Miller, and the brothers Birss and the brothers Graham went in to tho rescue of Maxwell and Butler, and were themselves overcome with the fumes, and met the same fate. Further rescue work was attempted, and two other men were so gassed that they had difficulty in getting out alive. They are now reported to he recovering. ASSISTANT ENGINEER A VICTIM. One of the victims of the disaster, the late W. R. Miller was tho assist-ant-engineer to the District Engineer, Mr A. Dinnie, who has charge of the Whole construction work. He was a single man, hailing from Dunedin, and a brother of the clerk of the court at Wanganui. Mr Maxwell was a wellknown Wanganui contractor, aged 55, married, and with a family. He had been at Mangahao some twelve months. The Birss brothers were both expert tnnneilers, who had come up from Otira Tunnel to undertake a contract at Mangahao, under the new system of construction inaugurated by the Minister last year. The Grahams belonged to the same party. A DEADLY GAS Upwards of twenty years ago two men working on a face at the Jubilee Goldmine, Waitakauri lost their lives in a manner similar to that at Mangahao, and an amendment to'the Mining Act was made to provide for such cases. Exhaust fumes from a motorcar have also a suffocating effect, and there have been several instances reported of workmen when engaged in a pit repairing a car being overcome. PROVISION AT ORONGORONGO. The Orongorongq tunnel is almost twice the length of that at Mangahao, and the conditions are such that the water drains out naturally at either end of the tunnel. Air is blown in by powerful fans tlirough the waterripe 21 inches in diameter, which is being laid as trio work proceeds, and »erves the double purposes of a conduct for ventilating air and in the future tho water main from the Orongorongo river. Mr R. Semple, wiioso party last month broke the record for New Zealand for tunnelling, namely 245 feit in the month, as against some 240 feet, states that the ventilation conditions at the Orongorongo tunnel are hotter than in any tunnel ho has over worked in, and ho has a wide experience, hero and in Australia. Tho Orongorongo tunnel is now pierced for nearly half a mile out of tho total of two iuiloo.