Page image

C.—2

O'Eourke's Mine, Arilci (B. E. O'Rovirke). —Work in this mine was aonfined to the driving of a main level which has now been advanCd to a distance of 220 ft. from the surface. The height of the seam averages 4 ft., and the coal is of a high standard. Production is only carried out intermittently. Westhaven Mine, Ma/ngarakcm.—Coal produced from this mine was won entirely from developing places; usually three places are worked. The main dip, which is on a very easy grade, has been advanced to a distance of 7 chains, from the mine entrance. During the year a fan was installed. Glenhope Mine, Glen-hope (Biggs and O'Brien). —Prospecting work was carried out intermittently during the year, a small quantity of coal being won from th'e vertical Beam. Mine Rescue Station. All the trained men from the various mines fulfilled the two-monthly practices. The number of trained rescue men on the station register at the end of the year was sixty. Fatal Accidents. Three fatal accidents occurred during the year, as follows: — On 13th January John Stephens, miner, Denniston Colliery, while levering a prop with his pick was struck by a piece of coal 18 in. in length, 16-in. in width, and 9 in. in thickness, which) fell from the rib side, driving the right side of his chest on to the end of the pick handle. This resulted in serious injury to the lung, from which Stephens died shortly afterwards. On 12th June Robert (lien, miner, Dobson Colliery, received fatal injuries. He was trimming a coal rib just after a shot had been fired when a stone weighing 3J cwt. fell from the roof, pinning him to the floor. On 25th July Michael Granieh, miner, Liverpool Colliery, was completely buried when approximately 2 tons of coal fell from tine rib side whilst he was in the act of preparing to set timber. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. On 13th January J. Cassidy, trucker, Wallsend Mine, sustained a broken pelvis. He was trying to push tlie full boxes in a lay-bye back clear of the main road. He was caught between the boxes and the rake of trucks coming from the level below. On 16th February 11. Wiseman, surface worker, Denniston Mine, sustained a fracture of four ribs. He was employed on the slack dump on which a scraper-loader was operating when he was pinned by thle tail-rope against the side of a trough which had been cut by the scraper. He was dragged or rolled for a distance of 20 ft. before the ha,uler was stopped. On 6th. March Henry Webster, miner, Coalbrookdale Mine, Denniston Colliery, was caught by a fall of roof coal whilst sitting on a truck buffer. His legs were pinned under the carrying-bar and he was buried under the coal. He sustained a compound fracture of both bones in the right leg" below the knee. On 25th March OK Dodds, miner, Millerton Mine, suffered a broken pelvis when he was struck by a fall of coal from the corner of a pillar. On 29th April T. Kerr, rope-road worker, Denniston Colliery, sustained a simple fracture of the heel bone. He was endeavouring to clip off an empty box, slipped, and was dragged by the box, which passed over his right heel. On 6th May Len Muir, rope-boy, Dobson Colliery, whilst coupling two boxes at the bottom of No. 1 endless rope had his fingers crushed. On 30th May T. Nimmo, shiftman, Dobson Colliery, suffered a compound fracture of the right leg and a slight cut to the. head when bratticing in White's place, No. 2 dip section. He was struck by a fall of coal from the rib side. On 7th August E. Tollan, winch-driver,. Young's Section, Ironbridge Mine, Denniston Colliery, sustained a fracture of one vertebra immediately below the base of the neck. The accident was caused by a fall of approximately 5 cwt. of coal. On Bth September D. Mclvor, shot-flrer, No. 2 south level, Strongman Mine, sustained a fracture of the left log below the knee as the result of being struck by a piece of coal weighing approximately 2 cwt. He was firing a shot in the main No. 2 south heading face and, as the result of the firing, the piece of coal was dislodged and travelled down the heading and struck Mclvor on the leg. On 19th September T. Dellaway, underviewer, Coalbrookdale Mine, Denniston Colliery, whilst assisting to relay a new road was struck by a prop which was dislodged when the trucker accidentally struck it. He sustained simple fractures of the tip of the fibula at the ankle and the tip of the tibia. On 7th October T. Burchfield, miner, Millerton Mine, was caught by a fall of roof coal, in a place where top coal was being brought back, causing injuries; to his head. On 15th October C. Heaphy, miner, Buller Gorge Mine, Eahui, received fractures of tibia and fibula. He was struck by a, piece of ioal whilst a shot was being lired. On 29th October K. Roper, horse-driver, Liverpool Colliery, sustained a fracture of the left leg below thle knee. He was struck by a piece of coal which was dislodged when a prop was knocked out by an empty truck. The empty truck was derailed when the horse jerked away without warning. On 13th November H. Dahren, miner, Millerton Mine, received a fractured right ulna, fractured right humerus, and three fractured ribs from a fall of roof coal in the Mangatini Area. Dangerous Occurrences in Coal-mines (Regulation 81, Coal-mines Regulations 1939). New Point Elizabeth Mine (Guy and Party).—On 6tli May the manager reported that the presence of carbon monoxide was suspected, adjacent to the goaf edges in the area south of the main heading. Instructionsi were issued that work in the mine must cease and no workmen be allowed to enter the mine until an inspection had been made. The area was sealed off on 12th May. Millerto-n Mine. —On 18th May the manager reported that panel "A" at ..the far end of the settlement section of old dip mine gave evidence of spontaneous combustion. The heated material was filled out and the panel sealed off. Millerton Mine. —On 21st May an outbreak of fire occurred in the sixth west Mine Creek section, and the workmen were withdrawn. Stoppings were completed, and the section resumed production on 22nd May. Millerton Mine. —On 4th June spontaneous combustion occurred in the return airway outbye "P » panel, Mine Creek area. Temporary stoppings were srected. Millerton Mine. —On Ist July there were indications of spontaneous combustion in third west section of Mine Creek area, panel " P." The miners were withdrawn and the area sealed with concrete-block stoppings. Blackball Mine. —On the evening of 13th July an inrush of water occurred in "Dunn's level" in No. 1 north section, resulting in stoppage of all work throughout the section. Coal Creek Mine. —On 31st July a fire broke out in the Lawrence section underneath a large fall of stone. The men and materials were withdrawn from the mine and. the section sealed off with four stoppings. Liverpool Colliery.—On 24th November it was reported that there were indications of heating in Nos. 1 and 2 banks, Morgan east section (Baxenda.le's level). Five stoppings were erected to seal off the area, which was almost worked out. Dobson Colliery.—On 16th December the workmen's inspector reported. that on the previous morning an accumulation of 200 cubic feet of firedamp had been found in a working-place in No. 2 dip section after the firing of a shot. The place was stopped until an. inspection could, be made. Stockton Mine. —On 31st December serious heating was found inside the new east straight jig area,, and measures were taken to d§3,l with it. An inspection of the area was carried out. Permanent stoppings were later erected.

28

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert