Bell-Bird Mining Disaster

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 2, 4 September 1923, Page 2

Bell-Bird Mining Disaster

FUNERAL OF THE VICTIMS. FURTHER TROUBLE IN MINE, Press Association'—Copyright. Sydney, September 3. Fully twenty thousand attended the funeral of tie Bell Bird victim.;. All tlio schools and business places in the district were closed, the latter being draped in mourning. Tho bodies were collected by hearses at, tho various humes and taken to the Memorial Hall, where a service was held, after which two motorlorries conveyed tho coffins to the cemetery. The scene was the most pitiful that ha s been witnessed locally. Tho entire route to tho cemeieryj a distance of two miles, was thronged, The Government has decided to make available immediately £250 iot the relief of tho distressed. The Sun and Evening News newspapers have both started funds, whilo the lodges in the Cessnook district have deci 'el that all employees shall give cne fortnight's shift pay to tho distress fund. An explosion occurred in the mine to-day, dislodging some of the seals, which were later reinforced. Th± men had to work in relays owing to the fumes which oozed out. Further explosions are poss blc. The corrected list, of the b' dies recovered from tho mine is :—Richards, Griffiths, Mills, Locking, Hyne--, McLaughlin, Stewart, Gaber, Morgan, Hyams, Sneddon, Roberts, Kelly, Chapman. Lambert. The bodies still in the mine are: Corns, Hartley, Fone, Bailey, Moody, Brown.