LATER NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13484, 12 September 1914, Page 2

LATER NEWS.

A HOPEFUL SIGN

w , ■■-„ AUCKLAND, this day. ; When the explosion occurred . flame, '" smoke and- dust were blown up from the main t. • 'Fortunately the workings m Ralph's mine ; extend threequdrters of a mile under the river." The mam shaft is at Huntly railway station. There is another shaft threequarters of a mile distant atTaijpiH West, where -eleven men reached : the surface. Five men were brought ti/tne. surface at the mam shaft; The ratter were working at the bottom Of the sfta^t . w,hen, the -explosion occurred ' i,- Q a h T c \ v1 ' si % n is tha > a horse, "believed, to havelteen at. the east -workings made way' to.the Taupiri West shaft, which would indicate/that S through; ventilation; is not bad. KeWef parties have gone down both 'shafts. " ' . . ■-;'■ HAMILTON, this day. Further investigations show, that only twenty.six men were working, m -the pit at the r tame of the explosion, which occurred at 7.5G Brtun|t B § i* day wSsmn "6^& A , at the™? the average number employed on this shift on prtory days bein^ih tne^cSy of one hundred. The 'regular nSrs therefore, were all off dutj, only^ruckers and general hands ! .^^4S _^he first indication that Something S^T°" g '*-u Was w^tuiusual". rumbling sound beneath, which , was . followed J\. S2? I S^^ atelv a y a, terriffc eipfi sion. Flames and smoke belched f&th the pit jflouffi V/ arid^ S obh the town; wa » enveloped m smoke. \ The shock of the explosKm threw the ' to the^top, while it smashed galvanised £on shed^and threw over aifthe nien worW m the of the *itZt "S ?L th& * m *T> out of the cage. Fortunately it did hot & age n the wind \ n k P* &* Pithead. Consequently tM\cag&' bit the surface descended as the bnFfrS X low Six nien were working immediately a^ the foofc of the whTn the explosion occurred, and though S F °^? i?^"X? ly down, several being frightfully burned^, they^.helped eacg c^her into iC a^ .s?hey surfaw mgnaj, andfascpnaedt ;Onreftch; mg the ground level M&y were at lm& removed from l^ie pit head, andH^ro local practitionels dressed tie wounds of the injured men. They ordered three of the worst to the Waikato hospital, where they were conveyed by <a goods - train-a distance of 22 miles, l ' ? The •three men .brought -A6 • nble sight,, their Jtea^d,. and Varms beine ,; a. mass of scarred flesh,, which, begrimed ghastly" mdde ifc «yen" m0 ra • How the explosion occurred has not with' SS" ned ; e^ worKleft^ lamps, which no doubt wil! hamper the work. ■ ■■ . ■_' „ .'• . -

■■■:> ! HAMILT6N, this afternoon. _te the rescuing party .were preparing fc.«J c ii.^ y --- m^ e^7«i men fioped their way without lights to the Zith n$- qx $ *^ d J? q^^er miles away, they reached .saf^y, none bairS «"■• way. These men **ati tlmt the^. roads are all blocked,. wMdh, from the Huntly side, while tSe nune^ 9n fire m, two places. On their • way out they came across a horse 'which had mad f sta _W. from^ the underground stables, , This is looked upon as a gSd

• A ' later "lessage- Stated that thirtv-siK men are entombed, which;, 'wiS eleven- who found their way iout £ safety, and six who : were injured, makes the total working m 'the' mine at tho time of the explosion fiftv-thi-ee. Amongst the thirty-six "stiJl eiitombaa X™ fT %u Gy ii^'h Hai-ryFaek-ham, John Whorskey, , John 4ejilern, Wtn. Hinscho Boppe'v, . Steelb, , an 4 Parsons. A full list i s ? not ascertainable. - \ ■

The town, is gathejied at the west end of the pit v where there are many pitiable scenes. • ; Women who hAvo their husbands, . sons, or brothers trapped -m the burning mine stand weepintr around wWe sjmnpathetic neighbors strive to .pacify them. ; ' JJusihess is at a standstill, and tha whole town is cast m glodm • Y^^^*** 0 ' this day:; Alt Alison, cha£rnian of directoiW of the ' laupiri Coal Cbmp.any y . says; 1 that-tha tnpster at Huntly is a greiaib fihocic to. hthi. The company had done Everything possible to. minimise, the risk of accidents. Both Ralph's and Extended mimes .employed men whose business, jfc was to do nothing else biii go rpund ak£& see that everything was m order. - 1 "- They never before had a serious accident m the company's mines; They had always consid ered them free front gas. : Tliena is a barrier between the two> mines of five, cliains, consistlcng of strata 7atf'd-coa]L .piirposely left so that an accident m orie mine would not affect- tihe other. .