Fire in the Jubilee Mine

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9154, 26 September 1898, Page 2

Fire in the Jubilee Mine

TWO MINERS SUFFOCATED,

[by TELEGRAPH-own correspondent.]

Paeroa, September 24. A fire broke out in the Jubilee mine at Waitokauri last night, and-it is feared that two lives have been lost.

About ten o'clock smoke was ob* served . coming from the hill which forms a portion of the Jubilee mine, and it was soon apparent that a serious fire had brokon out in the smoke stack from the Moonstone level. This level has been driven right into the side of the hill a distance | of IOUOft to intersect the Waitekauii reef at a point 600 ft in.. A chamber for an engine was cut out preparatory to sinking a shaft below this level.) In this chamber an engine was situated for the purpose of driving, pumping, and hauling machinery. The smoke stack referred to was really a timbered rise from the. Moonstone level to the surface, through which-the smoke from the engine made its exit. The distance from this level to the surfaoe was 102 ft, and it was here that the fire broke out.

; Dense volumes pfsmoke soon began, to pour from the mbiith of the rise,; and unfortunately it found its way into an intermediate level, in which two miners were at .work puttjng up i another rise.

The other miners got' out in safety, but as these two men did iiot succeed in effecting their escape. it is almost certain that they havebeen.suffocatißd, Most probably a spark: 'from the engine set fire to the timbers in the rise, and as the distance is 102 ft, there would be a good deal to be burned.

The manager, Mr .Barney, oil the alarm being given,' took prompt measures to extinguish the fire, which from the fact that the ohamber con* taining the engine is situated 500 ft in from the faee of the hill, and was the seat .of the 1 fire, was a matter. $ extreme difficulty. A large number of people, prinoipally miners, flocked, to the locality ; this morningto offer assistance.?" The. fire is reported to be tinguished, hut this lacks confirma*. tion. Anyhow, the levels are etill too full of. smoke to allow the search parties to explore! The names of the men supposed to. he suffocated in the rise are Wallace "and Graham. Wallace, is well knows here and at Waihi, while Graham was working with young MacGregorin the Jubilee shaft at the time the latter was killed, It was only a fpw dayß ; ago he was removed to,work in the rise. Later*'' Wallace and Graham were driving from a rise, which had'to be put up to the surface. The level is 62 feet "below the surface, aud the drive was in, a diss tance of 30 f«ot. " " 7;J " ' ! • Dense volumes of smoke are ascend"

iti'g from the rise, and though it is imposfible for a rescue party to descend* without smoke'jackets, it is yet thought. possible that a fierce draught up the rise will prevent the smoke going to the end of the driyo. There may be a chance therefore of finding the men alive. . All the tunnels have been: closed, and earth is being shovelled down the smokestack, The Mining Inspector passed through Paeroa to the scene of the oasualtv. ■' ' Auckland, September 24. The New Zealand'.Jubilee fmine, which is situated near the Waitekauri mine, and comprises an area of 292 acres, is being worked by an English company, under tho : general manage* ment of Mr J. Borrensen; : -The mine manager is Mr Barney, and 1 about 40 men are employed by the company,