COAL' MINE TRAGEDY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18257, 28 November 1933, Page 8

COAL' MINE TRAGEDY

THE PAPAROA EXPLOSION ORDEAL FOR MINERS ,SEVERAL LUCKY ESCAPES' (Pur Press Association.) OBEY MOUTH., last night I'll!; Paparo-x colliery, situated on the range- of that- mune, was the scene of a. <ras explosion this morning s hortly alter Tv oik began, about 830 o’clock, killing a miner, Frank McQuaid, single. 40, a native of Tyrone. Ireland, and injuring Phillip Martin, married, 40, who suffered a fractured leg. cuts and head burns, and also William Walker, single, 35, who suffered burns on the head and arms. McQuaid was at the face alone at the time of tlie explosion, which, apparently, was at a spot about 50yds distant in the roof of the main west level. The cause of the ignition of the gas has not yet been ascertained. Martin was driving a horse drawing six empty trucks, along the west, level, and is believed to have been almost under the point where the explosion began. Walker, just before the explosion, had left McQuaid at the flatsheet on the level at the entrance to the deceased's place. Walker encountered the explosion when he was reluming with a truck load of timber. Both the injured men escaped the full force of the blast, which, igniting the coal dust, travelled along into McQuaid’s jig, where tiie deceased received the full effect. IGNITION OF GAX :

There were at the time 20 men in the colliery, and nearly all felt the force of the explosion, being thrown off their feet in many instances. Falls of coal were caused in several places, while trucks were hurled about, also pieces of timber. Martin’s leg was broken probably by a truck striking him. Walker appears to have been very fortunate in escaping without worse injury.

The scene of the explosion is about a mile from flic mine entrance. Delay occurred in extricating Martin and in bringing McQuaid’s body from the col limy owing to the presence of after-damp gases. The horse Martin was driving was cut arid singed and caked with coal dust. The injured men were brought out on stretchers, but there was renewed difficulty in bringing Martin down the steep mountain track, where Dr. Hut-son attended him before his conveyance to Greymouth Hospital by ambulance. Walker was able to walk down, and. later, came to Greymouth for medical treatment-. No other miner required treatment. Among the miners flattened on their backs by the explosion were: Andrew Leitch, another named Olirno, and Martin’s 19-year-old son, who stated that the experience was terrifying and all rushed later to the rescue of tho men injured and to McQuaid’s place. Mr. Strongman, the mines inspector, confines his statement so far to the fact that the explosion was due to gas ignition, but- the cause of the ignition is as yet a- mystery.

I’nparoa mine has been worked on tribute, lines by a party to whom the company paid so much per lon. The mine was opened in 1908 by the I’aparoa Goal Company, costing £70,000. The injured men to-night were progressing favorably. An inquest and inquiry will open on Friday.