EFFORTS SUCCEED

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20919, 26 September 1939, Page 9

EFFORTS SUCCEED

district, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, arrived in Huntly to-day from Wellington to attend the funeral of the victims. They visited the scene of the disaster this morning. The Mayor of Huntly, Mr W. C. E. George intends opening a fund for the dependants of the victims in Huntly. He has received numerous letters • and telegrams expressing sympathy the relatives. Bishop Liston, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland has written offering to take any orphaned children to the homes in Takapuna or Howick.

BODIES RECOVERED HUNTLY MINE DISASTER DISCOVERY THIS AFTERNOON (Times Special Reporter) GLEN AFTON, Tuesday The bodies of Messrs Richard Ireland, William Bell and Raymond Turley, the three victims of the Glen Afton mine tragedy of Sunday who could not be found when eight of the eleven men were discovered on Sunday, were recovered at about 1.30 to-day. The bodies were brought to the surface only a few minutes before the officials and many of the miners left to attend the funeral of four of the victims at the Ngaruawahia cemetery. The bodies were discovered over 48 hours after the first alarm was given, but throughout the whole of tnat time rescue and later search parties entered the mine in an effort to find the men. All the eleven men were in the mine by 10 o’clock on Sunday morning, and it was mid-day before the | gas was discovered and the alarm I sounded. Despite the danger from the gases' and the fact that rescue parties had no idea of the extent of the fires, rescue work was instituted immediately and several parties had to undertake the dangerous task before the first body was recovered at 3.30 p.m. on Sunday. Rescue Attempts Continue As more and more volunteers came to the assistance of those already at work, and the search was narrowed down by leaders of the various parties checking off on plans the shafts they had explored, other bodies were recovered, until by 10 o’clock on Sunday night eight of the victims had been brought to the surface. Repeated attempts, however, failed to locate the bodies of three of the men. As the rescue attempts were being made from the MacDonald end of the mine, other parties were engaged at the Glen Afton end in sealing the shaft where the fire was raging, and this was completed by Monday afternoon. There was still no sign of the ether bodies but the search parties kept up their efforts. Miners from a wide area, relatives and friends of those still in the mine and of the victims who had been recovered, stayed near the scene, before and after their turn to help in the search, and jt was after mid-day when word came by telephone from deep in the mine that the bodies had been found. Two were brought out just after 1.30 p.m., and the last one just before most of those at the mine heads were leaving to attend the funeral of four of the victims. It is understood that the bodies were found farther in than those of the other eight men. Key Men Lost Interviewed at the mine, the managing director of Glen Afton Collieries, Limited, Mr C. M. Richwhite, said the disaster had cost the company a number of its key men who could not easily be replaced. The knowledge which they had would take some time to be acquired by others. It was impossible to say when the mine would resume working. Courage and Self-Sacrifice The cause of the disaster was not yet known, Mr Richwhite continued. Unfortunately, the men who received telephone messages from the original party of two electricians and two deputies later went into the mine, and were dead. The courage and self-sacrifice of the men who had entered the mine in the hope of rescuing their comrades were warmly commended by Mr Richwhite. Such a tragedy, he said, placed all concerned on one level—that of their common humanity. In reply to a question, he stated that the families of those who had lost their lives would have the benefit of accident insurance taken out by the company, and in some cases of a staff provident fund as well. FINAL TRIBUTES FUNERAL AT NGARUAWAHIA The last tributes were paid to four of the victims of the Glen Afton colliery disaster this afternoon when Messrs W, Wilcox, J. Clark, G. Hunter and J. Marshall were buried at the Ngaruawahia cemetery. Testimony to the widespread popularity of the deceased and to the sympathy that had been aroused by the tragedy was given by the large cortege, which numbered several hundred people. At 2 p.m. two hearses, carrying the bodies of Messrs J. Clark, G. I Hunter and J. Marshall left Glen | Afton and joined the funeral of the j late Mr W. Wilcox, which left the Huntly Anglican Church at 2.30 p.m. The funeral was attended, by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, and the representatives of many sporting and social organisations. FUND TO BE OPENED HAMILTON’S SYMPATHY MESSAGE FROM MAYOR Hamilton’s sympathy with the relatives of the victims of the Glen Afton Colliery tragedy has been expressed to the Mayor of Huntly, Mr W. C. E. George by the Mayor of Hamilton, Mr H. D. Caro by telegram. i The Mayor of Hamilton has also opened a fund for the relief of the dependants with a personal donai tion of £2 2s. Donations should be left with the Town Clerk or at the Waikato Times office. MINISTERS ARRIVE ATTENDANCE AT FUNERAL EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY (Special to Times) HUNTLY, Tuesday The Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb and the member tor the