AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12734, 1 April 1909, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

MINER'S FATAL PALL. Albert Birkett, a miner, 19 years, of age, met his death at Anderson's tribute workings at Dundas (Tasmania) recently, and, Cornelius Beresford had a narrow escape. The men went on shift at four p.m., and worked till seven, when they noticed, the air was Joad and went to the surface. Returning below two hours later the air was still bad, and they started ba.ck. On the way up Birkett was overcome and fell down the ladder way to the staging. Beresford also fell, but picked himself up and struggled to the surface, where he lay in a semi-conscious condition till found next morning by Birkett's ' relatives, who had gone in search. Beresford could only mutter "Shait, shaft," and directing their attention thither the searchers discovered the dead body of Birkett huddled' up on a staging about 12ft from the bottom of the sliatt, which was 100 ft. deep. Smoke was ascending from the shaft, and was found to come. from smouldering bags and rope at the bottom, of the shaft. Probably this was the cause of the bad air. Beresford was taken. to Zeehan Hospital, and has practically recovered.