FOUL GAS IN MINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22718, 2 November 1935, Page 11

FOUL GAS IN MINE

FOUR MEN SUFFOCATED HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS l From Ode Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, October 24. Disasters that occur in mines almost invariably are marked by golden gleams of gallantry, and a tragedy in the Broken Hill Proprietary mine at Broken Hill last Friday night was not an exception to that rule. Albert Ernest Taylor, shift boss, played a heroic part in the tragedy, when four men including Taylor, were overcome by sewer gas in a seepage

tunnel used for the drainage of waste water and lost their lives. The full story will never be revealed, but it is certain that Taylor'met a gallant death while searching for his comrades, Richard P. Slee, manager of the mine, Joseph Giffen, chief engineer of the mine, and Harold Milligan, 23, an employee, all of whom had been overcome. Milligan's father, who remained at the mouth of the shaft while the party went down to investigate some trouble there, said his son called out that Giffen had " gone out to it." " Taylor was coming up the ladder to get assistance apparently," said Mr Milligan, " but before he had climbed many rungs my lad again called out that Giffen had recovered. I concluded that Giffen had fainted and never thought for a moment that the party was in danger. I could see Taylor working on the pump staging, and he appar-

I ently thought everything was all right. I waited about the pit, and when Taylor did not report I finally became anxious and communicated with the mine officials." Not less gallant than Taylor's Jone effort were the attempts of members of a rescue party. They risked death, breathing poisonous air and wading up to their necks in foul water, in an effort to find the men. The party comprised a Government mining inspector (Mr D. Wilson), Fire-officer Johns, and a firstaid officer of the South mine (Mr Ned Andrews). They went down about 40 feet into the shaft. There was about 4ft Gin of water in the bottom of the shaft, and the tunnel was filled to within about ISin of the top of the drive. As soon as they could see sufficiently to go in, the three men waded through water ! into the drive. Mr Wilson was in front,

with a rope tied around Iris waist, to enable him to be pulled to safety in case of emergency. After going in 30 or 40 feet he discovered the body of Taylor.' Taylor's head was below the water, and his feet were on a ledge, indicating that when he collapsed he was about to mount a ledge, but fell backwards. The body was taken back and sent to the surface. The three rescuers then went further into the drive, and, on a raised ledge above the water, found the three other men huddled together. They were about 40 feet from where Taylor was discovered. Sloe and Giffen were dead, and Milligan was unconscious. Before entering the shaft Mr Wilson had taken the precaution of sending for, gas equipment and oxygen apparatus. The oxygen apparatus was lowered, and oxygen was administered to Milligan. Dr Quinu then went down, and there was

an immediate response of volunteers to assist in the rescue work. First-aid men and miners went underground to help, and a number of mining officials and men assisted at the shaft head. News of the tragedy spread rapidly through Broken Hill, and as the bodiea were brought to the surface hundreds of people congregated on the mine lease. The shaft head, from which the victim* of the tragedy were taken, was illuminated by hastily rigged electric lights, making the grim scene clearly visible to the horrified onlookers. The seepage tunnel in which the four men were trapped was used to facilitate the flow of water from a hotel and had been operated by the mine for somo years. The failure of the system had caused foul air to penetrate into Broken Hill's main street, and the four men went into the tunnel to investigate th» cause.