EXPLOSIONS IN MINE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 198, 24 August 1935, Page 11

EXPLOSIONS IN MINE

BRAVE WOMEN TEND INJURED. Alter a series of pit explusions at Hoyland, near Wombwell, Yorkshire, a uoctoi s wile and her daughter raced from their home to tire assistance oi tniee injured men. The explosions occurred is a disused shaift. Au S.O.b. was immediately sent out to all tue doctors in the town, but all were out on their rounds. bo the wife of pr. H. K. L. Allot!, c-f Eieldhead, Hoyland, and her dauguted, Miss Joy Allott, a medical stuuent hurried to the pithead. “We found three men badly burned,” related Mrs. Allott in an interview,” and my daughter and 1 set about bandaging them. One said ho could not see. lie asked mo if he were blind. 1 told him 1 did nut think he was, for 1 could net bear to tell him the truth. “Another man told me they were sitting at the pit-head, just going to begin lunch, when they were enveloped by a sheet of ilamc. ” The three injured men are Ernest Wright, aged 55, of Birdwell; James Dunning, aged 45, of Hoyland Common; and George Nutt, aged 50, of Hoy land. Horace Jagger, an ambulance officer, was badly burned about the hands and arms in his rescue efforts. Mr. Jagger described how the three men, who were trapped in a blazing cabin, rushed screaming into the open “like human torches.” They were all mad with pain and shouting “Fire!” With two other workmen he seized the men and stripped off their blazing clothes. The mine is not working, but a maintenance staff is employed. The colliery belongs to Newton Chambers and Co., Ltd. Jt was closed seven years ago, but mon are lowered down one of the shafts to a neighbouring mine. It was stated that the explosion was purely | a surface one.