THE SCENE AT THE MINE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10631, 28 March 1896, Page 6

THE SCENE AT THE MINE.

The Greymooth correspendentof the Lyttelton Times telegraphed a concise account of the diraater, from which we make the following extracts :-,-

The explosion took place at 9.30 a.m., and when I arrived at the mouth of the mine three bodie3 bad been recovered. The scene almost defies description. Women and children were crowding round the pit's mouth, and their distress was pitiful. The majority of the men were married, and when a body was brought out a msh would be mode, and then a burst of sobbing would teir that a wife had recognised a husband or a mother her soa. For some little time after the explosion the work of relief was carried on by ttsoae persons who, chanced to be on the spot. Presently, however, men from the Block Ball mine under the manage!, Mjt Scelt, made their -appear-. *see, and' then the speed of the operations increased to a very marked degree. .It was really magnificent, the doggsd, pertinacious manner in which the relict' parties fought ths fatal phokedamp. At first they could stay in the mrae only coma few minutes, and then many returned in the last stage of eihausiioa. Still thsir places ■ wero only too eagerly taken by other brave men, who gradually fought their way on until, at 5 p.m., au advance of about a mile and a-half had been mede. When a mile had bsen traversad- work w»« gte&tly retarded by the tram rails being torn up. Although described a3 a mine, the working is in reality a drive piercing the side pf a hiil for about a mile. This drive proceeds at a Blight incline straight into the hill, after which it turns directly to the left, and goes on a decline for a mile and a-qusrter.

During my tour of investigation I came acrsss numbers of heart-rending jcenos. One poor woman was vainly endeavouring to resuscitate her husband, who in reality had bsen doad for some hours. A wbite-hsired old man, after giving me details oE the affair, burnt into tears, and informed ma that he had a eon in the mine. A woman, who had already lost her husband, two daughters and a son, had her remaining bod, on whom she relies, entombed. Young mothers with their newlybom bsbes were standiag all day at themouth of this »hsf t, hardly realising, their loss until they came face to face with thoir dead, v Number* of families are l*ft utterly destitnte. Sixty-five men were entombed. One woman has lost her husband and three sops. A lad, whose body has not been recovered, is supposed to have been blown to pieces. A mau who is missing lust his wife 12 months ago, and leaves 12 orphans. About 50 married men havo lost their lives, and dependant on them ars not less than ZOO women sod children. Employment nt the mine has lately been intermittent, and uetrly the whole of them before this sad calamity were in needy circusnstjncfs. The causa of the explosion is unknown, and from the daily reports of the mins nothing was known of the escape of any gas or firedamp. Prior &> the men goiag to work the overseer had to examine ths workings. This was done, and the fact that some of his sous wore amongst those who have lost their lives go-ia f*r to prove that no danger was apprebeatlsd. The manager of tbe mine (Mrßishop) hsis ious been go satisfied of the safety of the worbiuga that visitors hays, frequently been shswu orar she mine with a nalred light.. The iwfmstor of mines ior the 'district (Mr Cochvane) r.x?imined the mine ahouS three weeks ago. He is a very careful officer, and if anything erra on the side of safety; yet them wa<i no inkiiug at this inspection of the slightest danger in respecS to firedamp.

Tht) geaerM indication shows, so" far as examination up to the present stage can be conducted, that the explosion took placs at what •is known as the sumpt, wbich is to the left-hand side going down Che incline to the workings. Had there been any gas in the old workings further up, aad to the left, it would have followed the usual course aud made its escape nearer the mouth of the incline. The rescue work so far as it has gone go'is to prove that the explosion must have taken plnca ia the lower workings. That being the csse, it would follow the incline and go to the upper workings. ■ ■ • : :

Immediately on information being conveyed to the Black Bill mine Mr Scott, the mausger, and tha miners proceeded to the Bruuner mine, and the work of rescue begaD. Some proof of tho heroic work in which this noble band is engaged may bo gathered from the fact th»i 20 or more bare bad to be ta!:ea to the surface overcome with the noxious choke-damp gassts, and shift a^ter shift his gone bravely to the front, and they are toiling under ciroumGtances which stamp them as men. They are working in shifts of two hours' duration, and no man can stand more than 10 minutes at the face. The oroas driyßs leading to the main drives are being bratticed to prevent foul air from entering. While ksre, the Premier suggested that the two hours' shifts of rescue men should be altered to oue hour, as four men succumbed while he was at the face, and the number of volunteers available enabled this Ito be easily douc.

HOW THE MINE IS WORKED,

Tbe Brunner mine is worked by means of a tnnnel extending for about three miles, entering the face of a hill. It is worked on the " bord and pillar" system, under which ths coal is cut away from spaces, c&Ued " bords," from 16ft to 20ft wido. Solid "pillars" of coal sbont the same width are left. When the coal i« cleared away from the "bords," which are carried as far as the seam extends, the men remove that from the " pillars," beginaing »t the oie farthest from the entrance, and working bj.ckw*rds. The excavation of the "bords" and "pillars" leaves a large chamber, which fills with explosive coal g»s. Tha iasfc chamber so left is said to be a mile i» extent. It is surmised that perhaps a fall of ro:k may have occurred in the abandoned chamber, and driven the ga» into that part of the mine where men were still at work. The meu in the Brunner mine hsvu bean accuoii-tomed to work; with nnk«d lights, the rains beiDg regarded as a particularly safe one, but is is only too easy to conjecture that fcho gas <iri»eu from the ehambar by a fill would come into contact with those lights and cxpioda. Of course there is always the possibility of some camlets man going into an accumulation of gas'wftVa light.

Mr Bishop, the mine maaager, has been in his present position for over 13 years. He is a civil engineer, and i« looked upon a? «n exceedingly careful and capabU mau.

KAITANGATA RELIEF FUND,

From Mr F. H. Morice, the district agenb for tbe Public Trust Office, we have received the following information r.s to tho present position of tho Kaitinga'a relief fund :—

At the 31st March 1895 the fund was sot forth in the baluuce sheet as follows :— Mortgage No. 1 No. 2 ... ... ■i No. 3 ... ... ii No. 4 (in default) i. No. 5 (in default) Invented ia common fund of Public Trust Office v Balance in hand

£2000 0 0 4375 0 0 550 0 0 ISOO 0 0 350 0 0

1000 0 0 85 15 7

Total ... j6951C0.'16 7 With, reference to mortgage No. 1 it should be explained that since the Hist March Ust the amount has been paid" off. The rate of interest was 7 per cent From the tiirii the money was paid off it has p-obably been earning interest at from 4to 5 per cent. No. 2 mortgage is in default,' but interest at (i* ncr cent, has been paid up to the 31st December 1895. No. 3 is au Invercsirgill mortgage at C per c*nt. No. 4, although shovrn as " in default," is bringing in a rental of £fW per annum. No. 5, also in default, has besn realised at JC27O. The iucom« from the investments for the year ending 31st March next is estimated at about £546, but, owing to the difficulty "in obtaining re-investmente for moneys and the low rates, it cannot at the present time be stated definitely. There are 21 beneficiaries receiving weekly alloiyanceSj'from the fund for themselves and their children. The allowances are in excess of the income, so that a portion of the capital will have to be used to make up the difference. The expenditure for the year ended March 31,1895, was £8-17 93 Id. and for the year ending on the 31st March next the amount of the allowances,will be somewhat higher. In the income for last year (ended 31st March 18fl5) it should be noted that . the balance from the previous year showed a credit of itfS'1, and this is included iuincome.

A Wellington telegram states (hat the Public Trnsfee all*ge3 that the capital fund is bsiug reduced at the rate of £300 per annum, tUo tot.il fund earning only about £500, Hvhile the sum paid to beneSciaires amounts to about: £800. The Public Trustee believes that on onemortgage there is likely to be a loss of something" like £2000. It is quite evident there is nothing available from the Kiitangat» fucd for requirements in connection with the Brnnnei di3aeter.

At a meeting of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Executive Committee, held )a»t evening, a resolution of sympathy with, thn Brunner sufferers was unanimously carried and the sum of £5 voted to the relief fund. The various branches throughout New Zealand were also requested to do everything possible to augment the fund.

A variety of proposuls have been made with the object of raising mocey for the relief fuud. It is nnderstood that Mrs Napier Bell has already arranged for a concert, and it id probable the drama " The Octoroon," which was so successfully acted sometime ago by amateurs, will bs revived.

There is at present on view in Mr Scott's window at the Octagon five water-colour sketches of scenes in and around Greymoutb, executed by Mr H. G. Lloyd, and a capital idea may be obtained from the works of the district in wh'ch the recent s*d accident occurred. Tha flrft view depicts the approach to Greymeuth, tlie second "Looking out from Greymouth," the third the "Re»ch," the fourth Wallsead, and the fifth a sketch of the district in which the Brunner mine is situated.

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