0.—2

38

Southern Inspection District. Castle Hill Mine, Kaitangata—throughout the mine. Kaitangata No. 1 Mine, Kaitangata —throughout the mine. Kaitangata No. 2 Mine, Kaitangata—throughout the mine. Wairaki No. 1 Mine, Ohai—throughout the mine. Birchwood Mine, Ohai —throughout the mine. New Brighton No. 1. Mine, Ohai—throughout the mine. Linton No. 2 Mine, Ohai. Ohai Coal Company's Mine, Ohai. (c.) List of Mines required by Law to use Safety Lamps. The following is a list of the mines as at the Ist December, 1925, required by law to use safety lamps : — Northern Inspection District. Pukemiro Collieries, Pukemiro —Main North Heading Section (now abandoned). Rotowaro Colliery, Rotowaro —throughout No. 1 Mine. Glen Afton Colliery, Glen Afton —No. 1 Heading Section. West Coast Inspection District. State Collieries —Morgan Seam. State Collieries —Morgan Low-level Adit. State Collieries —No. 4a Mine. Hilton and Party's Mine. Hunter and Party's Mine. Manderson's and Party's Mine. Paparoa Coal Company's Mine. Millerton Mine (Westport Coal Company's). Dobson Mine (Grey Valley Collieries). Southern Inspection District. Castle Hill Mine, Kaitangata —throughout each shift. Kaitangata No. 1 Mine, Kaitangata —throughout each shift. Kaitangata No. 2 Mine, Kaitangata —throughout each shift. Wairaki No. 1 Mine, Ohai. —throughout each shift. Birchwood Mine, Ohai —-throughout each shift. New Brighton No. 1 Mine, Ohai —throughout each shift. Linton No. 2 Mine, Ohai. Ohai Coal Company's Mine, Ohai. (d.) Dangerous Occurrences reported. (Regulation 94.) < The following is a short account of the more serious of these. A full list is contained in the District Inspectors' reports. Taratu Mine. —The shaft section of the Taratu Mine had been much troubled with fires for some years back. During the Christmas and New Year holidays a large fall occurred which allowed an old fire area in the seam above to become connected with the recent workings. Fire broke through on the 2nd January, 1925, and all efforts to check it failed, with the result that the shaft workings had to be abandoned. New Brighton Mine. —On the 10th March a heating occurred near the bottom of No. 2 dip in the New Brighton Mine. No attempt was made to seal it off at the time. On the following day and on the 13th March small explosions took place, and the mine had to be shut down to allow the water in the mine to rise above the level of the fire area. The mine was reopened on the 21st April, but on the Ist May fire again broke out in the same or an adjoining area, and on the 2nd May two explosions of gas occurred. The mine was again shut down with stoppings in the intake and return and not reopened till Ist June. On the 12th September heating was again discovered, and the mine was shut down. It was reopened again on the 15tli October and worked only till the Bth November, when a further heating occurred. Stoppings were again erected, sealing off the mine. An explosion occurred behind the stoppings shortly after they were completed. On this occasion the owner was notified that no more work would be allowed in the lower levels. Without any doubt the cause of the fires in this mine was the bad method of working which was practised, and particularly the smallness of the pillars left in the first working. Linton Mine. —On the 14th July a heating was discovered in the pillar workings in the main seam. This increased, and the area had to be sealed off. The seam is very thick, and in the pillared ground the roof has broken to the surface. This prevented the fire being completely sealed off, and the black-damp continued to enter the mine from the goaf. To overcome this the ventilating-fan was changed so as to act as a blower. On the 25th November in another pillar section heating Was discovered, and the section had to be sealed off. Phoenix and Venus Mine. —On the 21st August a serious fire broke out in the upper workings of this small mine. The stoppings erected to seal it off were inefficient, and the fire broke through and spread throughout the whole of the workings, with the result that the mine was lost.