MINE EXPLOSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6134, 22 March 1898, Page 3

MINE EXPLOSION.

-♦ FOURTEEN MEN ENTOMBED. PITEOUS SCENES. United Press Association-By Electric TelegraphCopyright. Received March 21, 8.30 a.m. SYDNEY, March 21. News has just reached Newcastle from Charleston that an explosion has occurred at the Dudley colliery, and that fourteen men are imprisoned in the mine. The explosion wrecked the main shaft, and nothing can be done in the way of rescue work until this has been repaired, Beceived March 21, iO p.m. " There is a very remote chance of rescuing the men. So great was the force of the explosion that all the machinery at the pifs mouth was destroyed. It will be some hours before the collapsed shaft can be sufficiently secured to permit of assistance being sent below. Hundreds of men, women and children have flocked to the pit mouth, and many piteous scenes are being witnessed. Those imprisoned are : — Hindmarsh, Young, Cook, Humphreys and Haddon (married men), Jones, Rudge, Hetherington, Green, Menson, Dornty, Price, Durham and Mowbray (single men). Beceived March 22,12.45 a.m. The Dudley pit is situated near Red Head, on the coast, south of Newcastle. Although, credited with being one of the most gaseous mines, it was also one of the best ventilated in the district. The shaft is 650 feet deep. Fully thr6e hundred men are 'usually employed, but owing to the slackness of trade theminers are just now taking a couple of days' holiday. Otherwise a great number of lives would have been lost. The first exploring party that managed to get below found a scene of devastation. The vent'lation was good, and they explored for about fifty yards but found no bodies. Received March 22, 9.10 a.m. SYDNEY, March 22. While the roofing and brickwoi'k of the air-shaft of the Dudley mine were lifted bodily and thrown in all directions, the machinery was not damaged. The simultaneous explosion in the main shaft sent jthe debris a quarter of a mile away, and destroyed the winding gear. The 'deputies and others who were constantly descending the pit did not notice any extraordinary smell of gas, and not the slightest danger was I apprehended. After the explosion the gas fumes poured out for some time. After the repairs to the cage and guides had been effected, the first exploring party, consisting of the senior inspector of collieries, the manager of the Dudley mine and the managers of two adjacent mines, descended. After getting down a couple of hundred feet, they had to return, owing to the after damp. Later on, when the ventilation improved, they got below and found the main workings blocked by debris. The pumping machinery at the bottom of the shaft, weighing many tons, was completely wrenched from its bearings' arid ['.'capsized 'by the force of the explosion. Ijate in the, ■afternoon the first party de i scended to •.'remove the. debris, and enV.' deavoured. to get at the entombed miners. It was found that the stoppings used for directing the current of air from the ventilating shaft had been carried away by the explosion, thus interfering seriously with the ventilation of the workings. When this state of affairs was found to exist, all hope of finding any of the men alive was abandoned. Owing to the destruction of the 'stoppings the air produced by the fan passed out without circulating through the mine. This hampers the search party, ■who have to brattice as they proceed. The anguish round the pit mouth during v yesterday afternoon and last night was intense. The women bore the trial bravely. About fifty relatives of the entombed men, with scores of sympathisers, maintained a sad watch, while the search parties worked unceasingly. About ten o'clock the body of Dorrity was discovered, two hundred yards from the bottom of the pit, the remains being much charred and mutilated. The deceased must have been in the vicinity of the explosion and carried some distance along the workings. The bones of his body were badly broken. The accumulation of foul gas must be very rapid, and due to some unknown cause. The gas which caused the explosion was carbonated hydrogen. Early .-this ..morning the exploring parties reported the mine unsafe, the roof of the drives showingsigns of caving in. Another effort was to.be made at 6. a.m. ' ; ; /deceived March .22, 12.50 p.m. .The body of Benson,* the pumpman^ has .been found near themain shaft, considerf .ably smashed about. ';' ■t'" : l | :