COURAGEOUS ACTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26542, 18 August 1947, Page 5

COURAGEOUS ACTION

THREE MEN REACH SURFACE LITTLE HOPE OF OTHER SURVIVORS Rec. 11 p.m. LONDON, Aug. 17. Fifty-four bodies have been found in the William pit disaster. Ten men got out alive, and little hope is held that the remaining 50 men will still be alive. , ~ , Three men walked out froin the far end of the explosion area, and before collapsing from shock they said they tried to persuade a group of other trapped men to go with them to the far end of the explosion area, but they refused. The men said that they scrambled to the farthest reaches of the mine to avoid the deadly fumes, went along a back road and met the rescuers. One of the men, John Birkett. aged 46 said he and two others got out after being 21 hours entombed. He said he was an experienced man and was able to guide his companions out of the way of the gas cloud which swept through the area after the explosion. They found the air fit to breathe and husbanded their strength by taking turns to sleep At last, covering their faces with damped handkerchiefs, they walked through the gas to the main haulage road, where they met a free current of air. Birkett said: “On our way we passed the bodies of 30 or 40 men, mostly sitting and crouched at the side of the road. Lights led us to the first fall and the rescuers.’ The men saw nobody alive and Birkett thought it was unlikely that another living man would be found. An official said later that the bodies of these men had been found. One of the rescue party said: “It took great presence of mind to do what the three men did. Sheer cold courage was required to walk away from where they knew the pit-shaft lay. It is a miracle that they are live after what we have seen down the pit. Falls of the roof extend from the floor to the top of the road. The three men, apart from shock, were not hurt. They were given sedatives in hospital, where their wives and mothers, whose earlier anguished weeping turned to tears of joy, called to see them. Rescue parties scoured the mine m the hope of finding more signs of life. One member of the rescue party said: “We found one party of .20 dead miners sitting at their meal on a coal belt. They were still holding thensandwiches and looked as if they were asleep.” , , A number of the entombed men were survivors of an explosion in 1941 in the same mine when 12 were killed and 11 injured. Crowds assembled at the pithead but were kept away from the point where the bodies were being brought up. Many wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and sweethearts kept vigil throughout the night. Many stood on the surrounding hills watching the huge pitshaft wheels raise the cages with the bodies. Mr Hyndley, chairman of the Coal Board and the Bishop of Penright were among those encouraging rescuers. Their Majesties have sent a message of sympathy to the relatives of the miners: “ We are following with deep anxiety the progress of the rescue operations and pray they are successful.”