WARONUI MINE FATALITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3995, 7 October 1930, Page 65

WARONUI MINE FATALITY.

DEATHS DUE TO ASPHYXIATION.

RESCUE EFFORTS COMMENDED. The, adjourned inquest ..concerning the deaths of James Carruthers, mine manager, and Joseph Morris, miner, who were overcome by a rush of carbon dioxide gas in the Waronui coal mine on September 18 and subsequently succumbed to the fumes, was concluded at the courthouse, Milton, on Friday, Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., sitting as coroner. Mr C. J. Payne appeared for the owners of the mine (Bruce Railway and Coal Company), Mr M. Rutherford and Mr G. H. Thomson for the relatives of the deceased, Carruthers and Morris, respectively, and Sergeant Hall conducted the proceedings on behalf of the police. Mr G. Duggan, inspector of mines for Otago, represented the Mines Department. Dr N. T. Mirams stated in evidence that in response to a "message he went to the Waronui mine on September 18 arriving there about 1.45 p.m., and treated a man named Robert M’Donald for gas poisoning and severe bums. About 4.45 p.m. witness attempted restorative measures on the body of the deceased Carruthers, which had been brought to the surface, but without success. In witness’s opinion death was caused by asphyxia caused by carbondioxide, commonly known as blackdamp. When the body of Joseph Morris was brought to the surface about 5.30 p.m., witness also applied restorative measures, but life was extinct, death being due to the same cause. Witness was sure that death was not caused by earbon-monoxide, but by asphyxia, Resulting from an excess of carbon dioxide in the air. To the coroner: The deceased could not lie for any length of time in such an atmosphere. Robert Boyd, a deputy at the Waronui mine, stated that between September 13 and 15 a fall took place in the return air-course at the mine, and it was found necessary to drive a new course, this work being commenced on September 15. The dimensions of the drive were four feet by 20 inches. On September 18, at 12.30 p.m., witness accompanied by the two deceased and another employee named Henrick Hansen, went to work at the drive. Han sen and Carruthers went down, leaving witness and Morris at the top, but a few minutes later, Hansen returned to the top and Carruthers called to Morris to go down, which he did. Hansen went down later in response to another call from Carruthers to bring down some tools, returning again to the surface. From the drive, which was 26 feet in length, there was a drop of six feet on to the ceiling of the old air-course. Witness heard Carruthers call out, “ Harry, come down quick,” and Hansen again went down. When he came up again witness realised something was wrong and sent him for assistance. During Hansen’s absence witness made two attempts to get Carruthers out, but although he got him by tire hand his efforts were unsuccessful. Carruthers resisted him, and said, “ Poor Joe,” pointing downwards. Carruthers and Morris had naked carbide lights when they went into the shaft, but these were out when witness went down. Further attempts at rescue were made hy WilliamJardine and Robert M’Donald, both of whom were unsuccessful, M’Donald being pulled up unconscious after having gone down twice. There was black-damp in any mine,., but the Waronui mine had always been free from any trouble arising from it. To Mr Thomson: There had been no work in the mine between the day the occurred and tbs’ morning of the fatality. Prior to the fall, working conditions in the mine had been good. In reply to a question by Mr Payne, witness stated that on September 18 the air in the mine was pure, probably as there was a connection between the old and new air-shafts. To Mr Duggan: He had inspected the mine ■•a tho morning of the fatality, and had been able to get within 200 yards of the fall without his light being affected. He did not go further, as he suspected the presence of olack-damp. On conclnd ing his inspection, he had reported to the manager that everything was all right Henrik Hansen, u miner employed ar the Waronui mine, said that on the morn ing of the accident, it had been intended to lift the ceiling of the old shaft, bat witness’s lamp had gone out when he was inspecting :he work, and Carruthers had said that they had better wait until the afternoon. Witness had previously cut a small aole through the ceiling of the old air course. At 12.30 p.m. he went down into the drive with Carruthers, but later returned to the top, at the instruction of Carruthers. Shortly afterwards Carruthers called out to witness to com-: down as everything was all right, but Morris went down instead, and witness

followed a few minutes later with a pick and tomahawk for Carruthers. The lights of all three were then burning brightly On his return to the surface witness heard a sound of chopping in the drive Later he heard Carruthers call for help, and he went into the drive. Everything was dark, but he succeeded in catching Carruthers by the hand. Carruthers, however, pulled away from him, and witness knew nothing’ else until he reached the surface. Witness corroborated the previous witness’s evidence with regard to the attempts at rescue. To Mr Duggan, witness stated that two days prior to the accident he and the other workmen had been forbidden by Boyd to go into the mine, as the

air was not pure. A connection had beet) made k. fi twcen the old and the new shafts, and there was no doubt that on. September 18 the air was quite clear. William Carson, superintendent an<j manager of the Kaitangata mine, said that on September 18, as a result of a telephone message from Milton, he, in company with Mr Fred Carson and Mr Duggan, went to the Waronui mine, taking with them mine rescue apparatus. They arrived about 4 p.m., and witness at once tested the entrance to the drive with a light, which immediately went dull, thns proving the presence of blackdamp. Witness then donned a gas helmet, and, attached to a life *line, he went along the drive and down the 6ft drop on to the decking of the old shaft, where he found a body lying face down. This he fastened to the life line, and it was drawn to the surface, where it was found to be the body of Carruthers. Further search revealed Morris’s body, which was also taken to the top with some difficulty. In the body of the shaft there vvas an opening into an underground shaft. From the position the body was in it looked as if Morris had been overcome by gas and had fallen. Carruthers’s position seemed to indicate that he bad been overcome whilst trying to assist Morris. . . >

To Mr Thomson, witness stated that had he been in charge of the mine and had known that a man’s lamp had gone out as the witness Hansen’s had done, he would have tested the drive with an oil safety lamp before allowing any further work in it. An oil lamp was much* more sensitive to black-damp than a carbide one.

To Mr Duggan: He was quite satisfied that the gas in the drive was blackdamp, and not carbon monoxide. George Duggan, inspector of coal mines for Otago, said that he had not bem in the drive since the accident, but he had examined the air in the top of the shaft leading from the drive and had found it so heavily impregnated with carbon dioxide that the oxygen content was considerably lowered.

After reviewing the evidence, rhe coroner said it seemed that Morris, by removing a plank from the top of the old air shaft, Lad allowed a sudden rush of carbon dioxide gas into the Mive. The verdict in each case would be that death was due to asphyxia caused hy an excess of carbon dioxide gas in the air of the drive >n which the deceased were worki “ I should like,” added the coroner, “ to commend very highly the cond"ct of those who were present at the time of the accident — Messrs Jardine, M’Donald, Boyd, and Hansen—all of whom seemed to have risked their lives in an attempt to effect a rescue. The conduct of the deceased Carruthers, who evidently made every effort to save his me+e, is also deserving of the highest nraise.”