DEATH IN MINE

Taranaki Daily News, 16 February 1933, Page 4

DEATH IN MINE

THREE BROTHERS VICTIMS ASPHYXIATION IN AIR SHAFT PROCESSION TO THEIR FATE EACH FALLS.TO THE BOTTOM’ ■ - TRAGEDY IN PRIVATE MINE By Telegraph.—Press Association, yrhangarei, Last Night. Three brothers one by one lost their lives by asphyxiation in a small private coal mine near Hikurangi at noon today. The victims are James Ackers, aged 24, married with one - child, Jack Ackers, aged 20, and Albert Ackers, aged 18. ■ The mine Is owned by the father, william Ackers, who was working on a epam at the bottom of a sidling shaft.: By knock signals, he instructed that a descent be made of the narrow air shaft about a chain distant from the main shaft, sunk a year ago and not since used, with the object of ascer- . talning the further distance requited to reach the seam.

Albert started the descent and, , apparently fatally overcome by. black damp fumes when part of the way down, fell to the bottom. The second- brother sensed that something was amiss and entered the 'shaft to effect, a rescue, _ but he, too, became a victim to the poisonous fumes. As. though this dual horror failed to suffice, the third brother essayed the same perilous descent, and he also gave the sacrifice of his . life.. Since none of the three brothers appeared again and gave no signal, George Wilson, another employee who was on the surface, rushed to procure .assistance,’ He obtained a canvas chute from, the Waro Co-operative Mine, and after the gaseous fumes were cleared by this means the bodies of the victims, were recovered, a doctor from Hikurangi pronouncing life -extinct. Indication that the victims were asphyxiated during the descent is furnished by the fact that the head injuries sustained showed that. they fell, some disstance, the air shaft being 32Jft. deep. The full complement of the mine operatives is five, comprising the owner and his two sons and two other employees. James Acker was merely on a visit at the time.