THE BURNING MINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6305, 27 September 1898, Page 4

THE BURNING MINE.

TWO MEN SUFFOCATED. j [Per Press Association.] 1 AUCKLAND, Sept. 26. The Jublee miners and volunteers made «de«perate efforts to penetrate the mine in search of the lost miners, but they were "driven back. Mr Barney, mine manager, was lowered down the winze by means of a rope, and was hauled up in a fainting condition. Yesterday every opening which could ad- , mit air into the mine was blocked up in order to extinguish the fire, and it is ccnsidered a week may elapse before the mine can be reopened. Messrs Coutts and Ryan, mining inspec- , : tors, were on the scone all Saturday after- ■ noon and night, »nd everything possible was to discover Wallace, but without avail. The search parties get up the second rise and into the level where the men had been working, but found it impossible to get along Christie's level towards the fire. In any case it : is probable that both men discovered the smoke long "before it was noticed by the . engineer below., and endeavoured to escape j before the alarm was given below. j The sad -fate of the two miners has cast a i gloom ovfcr Waitekauri, business being sus- : pendeti, add indeed throughout the whole > district the death of the unfortunate men is ! the sole subject of conversation. \ Thcragh all |the outlets have been closed as fast as possible, smoke still forces its way through, and will, no doubt, continue to do so for sometime. Wallace's true name is Stevens* He was [ abctafc thirty-six years of age, and hails f ; from Tasmania* He has no relations here, jj Graham was a singte man, twenty-one years / of age. A brother Tesides in Waihi, and his \ parents in Otago. Graham had been work- \ ing in the. district ior two years, and at the ij Jubilee Mine for a month. j