MINE FATALITY.

West Coast Times, Issue 10429, 7 December 1896, Page 2

MINE FATALITY.

[Per United Press Association.].- ( Sydney, Dee. 5. Late last night a discovery .was made , that seven men had been suffocatea^ttibe,. Stockbiirn mine. Intense excitement *"' prevailed and crowds wended their way ro the pit mouth. When the return of the exploring party was not signalled the mine officials apprehended something wrong and called for a rescue party, who succeeded in rescuing seven men, who were brought up in an insensible conditipn. Those engaged in the rescue -work had a hard battle with the foul air. The following were brought up dead •.—Cockburn (surveyor), Bailey, M'Alpine, Sweeney (2), Gascoigne, Charles worth and Fitzpatrick. A ninth man named Sweddcn was brought up insensible and his recovery is regarded as hopeless. As the bodies were brought to the surface there were heartrending seepes,. manager of the pit, says when he saw four men lying down helpless he picked up one who clutched him round the waist and cried " For God's sake help me aa*e my Jjfe, jVl'Cauliffe." He was then overI come by foul air and had to drop the un- | fortunate f ellpw. IJt'Cauli^e's lamp $hen went out and he had to crawl to the bottom of the shaft. Poor Sweeney had been pne of the rescue party and had saved two lives whpn he too was overcome and met his death. Fitzpatrick was one of the rescue party. Only two of the victims were married, one was a widower with a number of children.