MINE DISASTERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3808, 8 March 1927, Page 29

MINE DISASTERS.

NEARLY SEVENTY LIVES LOST. I " ; HEROIC WORK BY RESCUERS. LONDON, March 1. Two simultaneous mine disasters, one at Monmouth and the other at Nottinghamshire, brought widespread tragedy to the homes of scores of mining folk. Thus far it is believed that the total death roll in both places is 75, including 61 at the Cwm colliery, Monmouth, made up as follows:—Brought up dead, 5; entombed, and presumed to be dead, 33; lying in the workings, 23. An unheralded explosion, succeeded by flames and poisonous gases, was responsible for the Cwm colliery calamity, while the Bilsthorpe pit was the scene of the Nottingham disaster, where "the water pipes in the shaft broke loose and hurled a staging, on which there were 17 men, to the bottom of the shaft. Three of the men were rescued, but the remaining 14 were killed by the fall or were drowned. Scenes of deep pathos marked the alarm of the Cwm disaster at 1 o’clock in the morning. The night shift, consisting of 150 men, had been working for two hours and a-half when a terrific explosion shook the workings. The men on the coal face were hurled in all directions. The whole town was soon awakened. Mothers, wives, and children, scantily attired, and heedles of the stormy .night, rushed to the pithead, whence smoke was issuing. The officials already gathered summoned every rescue station, ambulance, and doctor in the district. The first band of rescuers, consisting of the manager, the managing director, and others, descended and were almost immediately overcome by the poisonous gas which was sweeping the entire workings. It became necessary to organise a second rescue party to go to the aid of the first party. After eight hours' heroic endeavour 60 men had been rescued, but the others were cut off by the deep falls, and were also hemmed in by the. .flames. Meanwhile the falls were continuing and gases sweeping the workings. One miner who was rescued took a canary in order to test the air. He reached the opening of the main gallery, whose mouth -was blocked up by roughly 100 tons of coal, and saw 12 men lying in a heap. He managed to drag out two, when the canary expired. The miner staggered back and led other rescuers to the spot, and they saved the other ten. When drawn to the surface the rescuers collapsed. The canary’s death warned the party of the presence-of dangerous gas. This was one of the many brave attempts.

RECOVERY OF BODIES DEATH ROLL TOTALS FIFTY-TWO. LONDON. March 3. As a result of yesterday’s work at Cwm the rescuers broke through the “black vein’’ fall and recovered 19 bodies. The opening released poisonous gases, thvrtcning the whole pit; but the rescuers, in gas masks, crawling on their hands and knees, reached the huddled heaps of bodies, which they hope to bring to the surface early this morning. Ten men remain to be accounted for. A British official wireless message states that it was announced in the House of Commons to-day that there was no possibility of any more men being rescued alive from the Cwm mine. Exploration showed that the “black vein” seam in which 28 men were entombed was full of gas. It was feared therefore that the total death roll would be 52. MR BALDWIN VISITS SCENE. LONDON, March 2. There was an unfortunate demonstration when Mr Baldwin and Mrs Baldwin visited the Cwm pithead at midday. They had just left the mine offices, where they inquired of the progress of the rescue operations, when they met a crowd which shouted unintelligible Welsh exclamations. One voice cried excitedly: “What about the men lying at the ‘black vein’?' For a minute or two Mr Baldwin stood alone in the face of the demonstration while awaiting the car. Mrs Baldwin, considerably agitated, and on the verge of tears, clutched at Mr Baldwin’s arm when he entered the car and sank back with an expression of pained amazement. Mr Baldwin, though pale and agitated, continued smoking his pipe. There was renewed shouting as the car drove away, such as “Traitor! Get back to your pigs.” A half-hearted attempt to rush the car was frustrated. Only a section of the Cwm miners was involved in the demonstration, with which the majority, including the leaders, entirely dissociate themselves. Replying to sympathetic messages of the colliery'officials and the Labour members of the House of Commons in the district, Mr Baldwin, with a shrug of Ins shoulders, said: “It is only a few irresponsible young men. One must expect rubs of this kind.”

March 5. .Mr Tom,Edwards, the veteran secretary of the South Wales Miners’ Federation, has expressed thanks for the opening of the relief fund, and also to Mr Baldwin’s wife. “There was an incident in connection with Mr Baldwin’s visit,” he said, “that it would be cowardly to overlook. It must be remembered that this great catastrophe has overtaken us at a time when the miners, whether justified or otherwise, are sore in soul, believing that harsher conditions than there ought to be have been imposed. A little ebullition of feeling at a, time, of this kind must not be magnified. The great body

of miners in Wales feel grateful to the Prime Minister for coming and expressing his personal sympathy. PRIME MINISTER’S SYMPATHY. RUGBY, March 2. During the visit of the Prime Minister and Mrs Baldwin to the scene of the disaster, they visited several of the bereaved families. To the father of two young "men who lost their lives, one in attempting to save the other, Mr Baldwin said: “I have come to see you as man to man. I have come not as Prime Minister, but as a man who wishes to express his sympathy for you.” * COMMENT BY DAILY HERALD. LONDON. March 3. The Daily Herald, in an editorial, describes the demonstration against Mr Baldwin as a painful incident. The motives of Mr Baldwin and his wife in visiting the scene of grief were kindly and human, and their personal sorrow was manifest, but to the people of Cwm the present was linked with the past. The Prime Minister’s part in the lockout was remembered, and hence the outburst of feeling.

OUTBURST BY MR JACK JONES. LONDON, March 2. Mr Jack Jones, Labour member for Silvertown, was' cheered for saying at a London trade union meeting that Cwm had received Mr Baldwin in the proper spirit. It was an effrontery when the Prime Minister, who had engineered the miners’ eight-hour day and a reduction in wages, had visited the district in its hour of travail. The House of Commons was shedding crocodile tears. ROYAL SYMPATHY EXTENDED. RUGBY, March 2. profound sympathy has been sent by the King and Queen and the Prime Minister in connection with the disaster. COLLAPSE OF STAGING. FOURTEEN LIVES LOST. LONDON, March 1. Another pit disaster occurred at Bilsthorpe Colliery, Nottingham, when the staging on which the pit sinkers were working collapsed and fell to the bottom of the.shaft. .It is believed that 14 men were killed. TERRIBLE SCENES LN MINE. LONDON, March 3. The rescue parties at Cwm were threatened at every step with the most deadly gas fumes; but they managed to penetrate the wail of rock and located 24 of the 29 bodies: The “black vein” of the colliery is described as a veritable slaughter-house, full of maimed and mutilated bodies. In another section of the workings nine bodies were found seated in perfectly natural positions on the stone slabs, some leaning on their elbows and lolling back as though talking to each other. Their eyes were wide open, and they were so life-like that the rescuers were thrilled with hope ; but when they touched the bodies they fell. It appears that these men retreated behind a safety door at the first sound of the explosion to await rescue; but the gas came through the door.

RELIEF FUND OPENED. LONDON, March 4. Sir Roland Blades, Lord Mayor of London, has opened a Mansion House Fund for the relief of the widows, orphans, and dependents of th© Cwm and Bilsthorpe mining disasters. NEW ZEALANDER’S GENEROUS GIFT. HAMILTON, March 4. Practical sympathy with the relatives of the victims of the two coalmine disasters in England this week was expressed to-day by Mr F. W. Burley, a well-known Hamilton resident, who has instructed the bank manager to cable to the Prime Minister of England asking him to accept his sympathy and forwarding £5OO for the relatives of the men lost in the disaster. TWELVE BODIES MISSING. LONDON, March 5Twelve bodies have not been recovered from the Cwm colliery. The inquest was opened, and adjourned. The coroner paid a tribute to the heroism of the rescue parties. DONATIONS TO RELIEF FUND. KING AND QUEEN CONTRIBUTE. LONDON, March 4. The King has sent £lOO and the Queen £5O to the mine disaster fund. —A. and

At least one son of China, residing at Greymouth, promises to become a keen business man in course of time (says the Star). He is now only about five years old, but his business instincts are pretty well developed. The fire which destroyed Uddstrom’s furniture factory the other day, also caused damage to the cabbage crop in the garden at the rear of the Post Office Hotel, and ruined the vegetables. Along came smart Alec, with his soap box on wheels, entered the garden, and started in to uproot and load Hie cabbages. The owner was informed of the proceedings, and asked the young Chinese what he was going to do with the cabbages. The answer came quickly— Alee was going to take them to his' father’s shop. What for? To have a fire sale! Glasgow is to make slum clearances which will affect 14,000 dwellings and 50,000 people.