TRAGEDY AT MILLERTON

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 28

TRAGEDY AT MILLERTON

TESTING GAS MASKS. FOUR MEN SUCCUMB. BODIES RECOVERED LATER. WESTPORT, February 5. A disaster occurred at the Millerton mine to-day, four men losing their lives. It is understood that a test was being made .with gas helmets in a part of the mine that had been sealed up. The names of the men are:— William Pearson, mine manager, married, with a family. William Maher, underviewer, married, •with a family. James Cowan, married, with a family. Michael Ford, a well-known Buller representative footballer. Duffey and Smith were also in the mine but got out. Particulars are not at present available.

DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.

HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS. WESTPORT, February 6. Inquiries regarding "the tragedy at Millerton reveal that an investigation of the old fire area was being made by Mi- William Pearson, mine manager, and Mr Duffey, underviewer and demonstrator, in the use of gas masks. Equipped witfi proto breathing apparatus, they set out at 7 a.m., tnd made a thorough examina tion of the fire area. On their return to the station outside, they decided, after a conference, that Mr William Maher,, underviewer, and Mr M. Ford, deputy, equipped. with apparatus, should also make an examination of the mine and return :u half an hour. As they were not back in that time. Mr Duffey went to look for them, and, seeing their lights in the distance, concluded they were returning. Mr Pearson and Mr Duffey waited a further 10 minutes, and as Messrs Ford and Maher .did not return, Mr Duffey re-entered the fir a area, and there found the body of Maher, which he carried out. Assistance was summoned, and Mr Pearson, accompanied by the deputy, Mr Cowan, went into the mine to try and recover Ford, but they were both overcome by gas. and it was not until 9 p.m.. after numerous attempts by relays of men, that the bodies of Ford, Pearson, and Cowan were recovered. The men worked heroically to effect rescues and were ably assisted by the women who gathered on the scene with liquid and solid refreshments. The operations were conducted by the district manager, Mr J. C. Brown, and the mining manager. Mr Strongman,, who had been previously summoned from Wesport where they were attending a conference of Disputes Committees. Mr Pearson, who had been with the company eince he was a rope road boy with the exception of one year spent in the North Island, was a native of Woodstock, near Hokitika. He was 49 years of age and leaves a widow, a married daughter, a married son and a youth 16 years of age. William Maher, underviewer Qt Millerton, as a native of Bungaree, Victoria, and was 47 years of age. He joined the company at Millerton and was transferred to Denniston in 1909 and later returned to Millerton. He leaves a widow and six children, the eldest of whom is 16 years of age. James Cowan, deputy at Millerton, came from Fifeshire, Scotland, had been 16 years at Millerton. He was 45 years of age and leaves a widow and a family of two girls aged 16 and 5 years respectively, and a son 13 years of age. He was a lay- preacher in the Presbyterian Church and was to have conducted the service at Granity on Sunday evening. Mick Ford, deputy at Buller, was a Rugby representative and was a native of Solway. He was 24 years of age. He was a big-hearted, good-natured Irishman. He formerly worked on the railway line at Te Kuha and at Denniston and Millerton. He joined the Westport Coal Company at Denniston and later became deputy at Millerton. The tragedy cast a gloom over the whole community. An inquest will be opened on Tuesday. At a meeting held in the Town Hall on Saturday night at which Mr 11. E. Holland, M.P., was to have delivered an address on the Chinese question a resolution of sympathy with the relatives of the bereaved was carried, all standing, and the nicetintr adjourned for a week.