THE MIMING FATALITY

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14756, 21 September 1921, Page 5

THE MIMING FATALITY

20 RUDIES RECOVERED

52 STILL MISSING. ALL HOPE ABANDONED. United Press Association.) Received September 20. 0..10 p.m. BRISBANE. Sept. 20. The latest report makes the number still entombed as 7-1. Tile rescue work is very slow owing |.o the general wreckage inside and the large quantities of debris and escaping gas. Work is proceeding feverishly, but there Is very lit He hope of anyone being alive. Tile explosion blew the winding plant a considerable distance, and completely dismantled the air-fans. Later. Throughout the night gangs of men laboured feverishly, clearing the thousands of tons of debris which choke the mouth of ML Mulligan mine, and by daylight seven bodies had been recovered. Their charred unrecognisable stale indicated how Ihe miners were caught. The work continued without cessation, and by the afternoon 20 bodies wore taken from the wrecked mine, nearly all being so disfigured as to make recognition impossible. It was then estimated lhat 02 arc still unaccounted for, and as the gas fumes are pouring from the wrecked workings through the excavations made by the rescuers, no hopes are entertained that the remainder of Hie entombed men will be taken out alive. MELBOURNE. Sept. 20.

The Mt. Mulligan office has received advice stating that there is no hope for further rescues. The mine is totally wrecked.

NO RELAXED EFFORT. HELP FROM OTHER CENTRES. DESPATCHED BY SPECIAL TRAINS. (I'nited Press Association.) Received September 20, 9.50 p.m.’ BRISBANE, Sept. 20. Tito rescuers have not relaxed their efforts, as their hopes of saving the buried are strengthened by the fact that O'Grady lived for three hours after being evacuated. Gas fumes have seriously handicapped tiic work, and the mine superintendent and the engineer were removed almost at the point of collapse. Frequent falls of earth are occurring, and it is feared that a fire has broken out in the air line of the workings. Apparently in Hie cases of the bodies of the men found they were killed instantly. Special trains are proceeding from Oimbulah. Mamba, Cairns and other centres with volunteer workers. A- further special with coffins has also been despatched. Mr Evan, Hie underground manager, had a wonderful escape. A piece of wood penetrated his throat, driving his collar stud into his gullet. After an operation he is improving. A further body which has been recovered has been identitied as that of Frank Gillies. SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS. WHOLE MOUNTAIN RANGE SHAKES, GREAT EMISSION OF GAS. (Australian and N.Z, Gable Assn.) Received September 20. 9.30 p.m. BRISBANE. September’2o. Details of the Mulligan disaster arc hard to obtain, as the distances and lack of communications render it extremely difficult to obtain a coherent story. It appears that at 9.30 on Monday a series of ruffled mumbling explosions , shook the whole range of mountains. ; The news spread of an explosion at ■ the mine, and a rush was made for the entrance, but the steady stream of gas drove the would-be rescuers back, ! choking them, and making rescue impossible for a time. Later, a number of miners, equipped with gas masks, arrived from Cbillagoc, and rescue work proceeded throughout the night, | the men working by moonlight as Ibe ; escaping gas made the use of artificial ! lights dangerous.