WAIHI’S DAY OF THANKSGIVING

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXX, Issue 8496, 1 August 1933, Page 2

WAIHI’S DAY OF THANKSGIVING

SERVICE AT HOSPITAL ADDRESS BY THE MAYOR Sunday afternoon was a time of thanksgiving in Waihl for the remarkable escape from death of the 12 men who fell hundreds of feet in a cage in No. 2 shaft when it broke away as the party was being lowered ! to go on afternoon shift on Wednes- j day. Threatening sKies did not stop hundreds of townspeople from gathering on the Walhi hospital grounds to take part in the common rejoicing. Cheerfulness was the keynote of the occasion, and lively items were played by the Waihi Federal Band. Popular hymns of an undenominational nature were not overlooked, however. Most of the men Involved in the accident were in their cots on the verandah, and although they chowed some signs of the strain through which they had passed they were in a comparatively happy frame of mind. Eager friends and relatives besieged their beds and they received hundreds of congratulations. In fact one young man was heard to remark that he had received so many handshakes that he appreciated how the Prince of Wales felt when he was, as so often reported, obliged to “swop” hands to relieve the fatigue. WONDERFUL ESCAPE The Mayor, Mr W. M. Wallnutt, first read the message of sympathy and hope for a speedy recovery that had been received from His Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, on behalf of the Lady Bledisloe and himself. To this, said Mr Wallnutt, a reply thanking His Excellency and Her Excellency for their usual thoughtfulness and consideration'in matters affecting the welfare of their people had been sent. “We are assembled here this afternoon at the request of the management of the Waihi Company with a view to making a public expression of thanksgiving for the escape from death of our twelve fellow citizens who went down the shaft in the cage on Wednesday afternoon last,” continued His Worship. “It was not an escape from death in the ordinary way, or under ordinary conditions, but it was an escape from death under tragic and awful circumstances. When the cage broke away in the higher levels of the mine nothing but certain and inevitable death at the end of that terrible fall to the bottom of the shaft appeared to be the lot of these unfortunate men. In the history of gold-mining probably nothing has ever happened to equal what would appear to be a miraculous escape from certain death. Here is a cage with twelve men, weighing, in all, about four and a half tons, falling at, terrific speed for something over 1000 feet, and released from the action of all human control. Was there one chance in a million of anything checking that downward rush to death? COMMUNITY REJOICES “One would say, in the circumstances, that there was not; yet that one chance did occur; and it was brought about by a set of circumstances during which, without going into detail, the cage was put out of alignment, and. after cutting through nine of the 12 by 12 wallplates in the shaft, came to rest with a terrible jolt on another wall-plhte further down. The awful experience of these men caused a profound impression on the minds of the public throughout the Dominion. We take the opportunity this afternoon of expressing our sympathy with these men, and with their families, and in rejoicing with them on their escape from death. We wish them as speedy a recovery as can be hoped for ( ■ in the circumstances.

“The immunity from anything like a serious accident in the Waihi mine for many years is a silent tribute to the management and the men themselves, including the' workmen’s inspector and the inspector of mines, in adopting efficient precautionary methods. Unforeseen circumstances are bound to obtrude at times, for we know there is a limitation to human and mechanical agencies. Before concluding, I wish to refer to the splendid work accomplished by our medical men, the members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, who so nobly assisted the doctors, and those men who took part in the work of rescue under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions. All worked in a magnificent manner, and I take tho opportunity of publicly thanking them for their splendid efforts. FULL INVESTIGATION

“I am informed by the management that a full investigation into the cause of the accident is now in hand; that the shaft head is being cleared and that tests will be made of the brakes on the engine.’’

Appreciation of the work of the doctors, matron and nurses since the admission of the men to the hospital was expressed by Mr WallnuU, who also thanked the band for its attendance that afternoon.