RESCUE FROM MINE

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1929, Page 14

RESCUE FROM MINE

TWELVE MEN TRAPPED. RESCUERS’ HEROIC EFFORTS. Twelve men were trapped in the Jumbunna coal mine at Korumburra, Victoria, in Gippsland at about 4 o’clock on the afternoon of June 27, by a heavy fall of earth. Gangs of volunteers were soon at work to effect a rescue. Air was meanwhile pumped into the mine, ana by a few minutes after midnight all had been liberated.

The men were Australians and Italians. They were heartily welcomed by relatives and friends on emerging from the debris at the tunnel mouth. Some of the men were in an extremely weak condition when liberated. They declared Hiat had air not been pumped in most of them would have lost their lives through suffocation. The rescuers worked in shifts or six men each. They were unable to stay in the tunnel for more than 15 minutes or so owing to the presence of foul air, and I some were in a state of collapse when

they eventually broke through to their imprisoned comrades. Although the underground party were trapped at about 4 o clock their p ig was not known until 6 o’clock. Apparently after the knock-off signal was given at 4 o’clock the men were walking

to the mouth of the tunnel when they were stopped by the fall of earth about 20 chains from the tunnel mouth. An alarm was raised when some of the men did not return home, and inquiries then showed that none of the underground party had left the mine. The Jumbunna mine, which is about six miles from Korumburra, had been closed for some time owing to industrial troubles. Under the present management about 20 are employed, twelve of whom work underground. r