DOBSON DISASTER

Southland Times, Issue 20045, 6 December 1926, Page 7

DOBSON DISASTER

FIRE STILL RAGING DEATH ROLL INCREASED IMPRESSIVE SCENES AT FUNERAL OF VICTIMS (Per United Press Association.) Grey mouth, December 5. Following the third big explosion in the Dobson mine at 9 p.m. on Friday, the experts decided that the only recourse was to flood the mine. Accordingly the Power Board staff were engaged yesterday installing the wiring for the pumping plant, the work being hampered by the fact that the explosion at 9 p.m. on Friday brought down the wires. However, the pumping began at 3.40 -p.m. yesterday at the rate of 30,000 gallons per hour from the GreyRiver, the water entering at the exhaust on the fan outlet on the western side. It was feared a further explosion might occur, but the apprehension has not been borne out. The pumping apparatus to-day was augmented, enabling 50,000 gallons hourly to be lifted, at which rate it will require a couple or three days to extinguish the fire which is deep down in the dips where the five miners were engaged at the time of the explosion and whose bodies remain underground. Friday night’s explosion was preceded by a warning rumble, otherwise some of the workmen then engaged sealing the mine would have probably been killed. One man hurried away calling his mates to follow. They had got to a point of safety when a terrific explosion hurled the debris hundreds of yards, sending a rock of about 150 pounds in weight a distance of a quarter of a mile, near the hotel, another big stone crashing through the roof of Mr Robert’s house and falling close to a sleeping child. About ten houses were then vacated in North Dobson. The first explosion blew one block of concrete, 20 tons weight, from the entrance of the mine and last night’s explosion blew the same block a further ten feet. Friday afternoon’s explosion at 2.45 o’clock was not so severe. The death occurred yesterday afternoon at 3 o’clock at the hospital of Eric Ashton, a trucker, the fourth of the men got out on Friday morning. Thus every one of the nine men within the mine when the original explosion occurred has lost his life. Ashton regained consciousness at brief intervals and was thought to be recovering, but sank to a dying condition yesterday afternoon without giving any information as to the location of the explosion. His father and brother arrived half an hour later by express from Ashburton. The wife of Thomas Black, one of those whose bodies remain in the mine, afteiGgiving birth to twins a few days ago is reported to be in a grave condition, consequent on learning of her husband’s fate.

A crowd of between 3000 and 4000 attended to-day the funeral of the four victims at the Karoro Cemetery, viz., deputy John Richards, aged 43, single, a native of Brunner; John Lindsay, a miner, aged 40, single, a native of Lanarkshire, Scotland; Eric Ashton, trucker, aged 26, a native of Ashburton and till recently a railway employee; Robert Hunter, aged 21, single, a winch driver, son of the manager of Hunter and Hetherington’s Collieries, at Rotowaru. A train of 20 cars from Brunner to the cemetery conveyed the bodies and people from all over the Grey Valley, many more coming from the State Collieries district and other parts of the district. The Municipal Band played the “Dead March” and other appropriate music. The burial service was a combined one by. Archdeacon Carr and the Rev. Martin, a Methodist, also a Salvation Army Captain, Worshipful Master Hugh Hart, Advanced Masonic Lodge of Brunner. The Druids were also present as tßichards was a Druid. The service was impressive and deep feeling was evident on every hand. The ages of the men whose bodies remain entombed are:—Ernest Brammer, married, aged 42; Alfred Noakes, aged 40; James Marshall, aged 40; Edward Partington, aged 34. The Mayors of Greymouth, Brunner and Runanga, also Mr James O’Brien and others are moving for the organisation of a relief fund. The Mayor of St. Kilda, Dunedin, has already lent his co-operation. It is expected that Mr Walter Leitch, the original manager of the Dobson Mine, will arrive on Tuesday, and the directors, Messrs Hogarth, Challington, the chairman, and Mr Catchpole of Auckland are coming here. Many messages of condolence were received by the Mayor of Brunner. The Coroner, Mr Meldrum, S.M., holds an inquest to-morrow at noon. The inquiry will follow later. SYMPATHY FROM GOVERNORGENERAL. Wellington, December 5. The Acting-Prime Minister has received from the Governor-General a message asking him to convey to the families of those who lost their lives in the Dobson disaster, the heartfelt sympathy of her Excellency and himself in their sad loss.