DUDLEY COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9395, 23 March 1898, Page 2

DUDLEY COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

Recovery of some of the Bodies.

The Mine Seriously Damaged.

(By Electric Telegraph— Copyright.) (Per United Press Association.) (Eeceived March 22, at 9.15 p.m.) Sydney, March 22. Skin, aud in some cased fle3b, was torn off the bodies of tho two men recovered fiom the Dudley Mine. The water is now becoming a serious obstacle to the relief paity, asit ip gathering ii the pit to a considerable extent. The mine is so damaged that it will take months to put it right. The oxploi ing party encounteicd smoke, showing tho mine to be on fire. One of the fires has been located, but whether any extended conflagration exists is not yot known. After damp in the Dudley Mine is proving troublesome, and the greatest care has to he exercised to prevent another explosion. Medical examination of the two bodies recovered proves that death was not instantaneous, the men having inhaled poisonous gas. A pathetic incident occurred to-day as the relief parky was about to descend to work. A worn, aged, wrinkled man unostentatiously pushed his way to the front. " You can't go down," said Jones, leader of the party, in a kindly voice, as ho recognised the old man as one of those whose sons were missing. "You had better not go down, we will do all that mortal man can do ; rest assured of that." The grief stricken father reluctantly sat down ou the ground olose by and wept silently. The body of Humphries was recovered from the Dudley Mine this evening.