MINE DISASTER

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21534, 24 September 1941, Page 6

MINE DISASTER

SECOND ANNIVERSARY TODAY I Two years ago today 11 men I walked to their death when ithey ! went into the Glen Afton coal mine j and were overcome by gas. The traj gedy, the biggest of its -kind in the district since 1914, cost the colliery company the services of many of the key men in the mine. The disaster occurred on a Sunday morning. Two mine deputies, Mr Richard Ireland and Mr Walter Cole, and two electricians, Mr Raymond Vivian Turley and Mr William Rae Bell, entered the mine at 8 a.m., the deputies to make their usual Sunday examination and the electricians to search for an electrical fault which had been causing trouble. About an hour later the mine manager, Mr Christopher Blackburn, entered the mine and shortly afterward he rang from the mine to say that the men were trapped. Upon receipt of the call six men, Messrs W. Brown, J. Clark, G. Hunter, J. Marshall, W. Wilcox and W. Peden, entered the mine to give assistance, but all lost their lives. At first no alarm was felt for the men underground, but the true condition of the mine was discovered at about 1 p.m. when two men went to take refreshments to the others. They were almost overcome but managed to reach the surface.

Rescue parties consisting of men from several mines of the district worked until late at night and recovered eight of the bodies. It was not until the Tuesday that the other three, Messrs Ireland, Turley and Bell, were brought to the surface. A Royal Commission inquired into the disaster and took considerable evidence. The sessions continued from November 28, 1939, to December 6, and from January 22, 1940, until January 24. The Commission concluded that a fire which occurred in the mine on the day before the disaster had revived and caused poisonous gases. A number of recommendations was made for greater safety.