BRUNNERTON

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue XVI, 18 April 1896, Page 1

BRUNNERTON

En

Peace to the souls of the Dead ! Yea peace to you Men of the Mine ! We here in the sunshine divine. In the glorious light that is shed O’er the world from the fountain of life. We have heard the sad story and know— Though our eyes did not witness your strife In that moment of horror below— How ye ’scaped from the poisonous gloom To the day which no night shall obscure. From the place of your toil and your tomb To the light and the life that endure.

THE DISASTER.

THE most appalling disaster in the annals of New Zealand mining, and one of the most deplorable accidents in the history of the colony, took place at Brunnerton on the West Coast about half past nine on the morning of March 26th. Sixty-seven men lost their lives in the catastrophe, or thirty-four more than the number of the victims of the Kaitangata mining accident which happened in Otago on the 21st February, 1879. The cause of the disaster was an explosion of fire damp in the Brunner mine, a crooked tunnel driven into the hill for about a mile and a-half. At the time of the disaster men were employed removing the large pillars of coal which, in the system of working adopted, are left at intervals to support the roof while the men go on tunnelling. The method adopted in this work is for the men to begin with the pillar at the very back of the tunnel, demolish it and go on in the same way with the others, retreating to the mouth of the pit and allowing the unsupported roof to subside after them, as it sometimes does. It is conjectured that on this occasion a sudden subsidence in an abandoned chamber took place, driving the gas into that part of the mine where the men were working with uncovered lights, and that the result was a terrible explosion. But at present we can only guess the way in which the disaster occurred. Not a soul survived to tell us anything about it. The first intimation that reached the people of Brunnerton of the accident was of a kind to arouse fears for

the worst. At about ten o’clock in the morning a terrific explosion was heard, and rushing from their houses the people saw smoke issuing from the mouth of the pit. Among those connected with the mine who were at hand was Mr Bishop, the manager. He made at once for the drive, which he fearlessly entered, but before he had proceeded very far he was rendered unconscious by the choke-damp and fell to the ground. Mr Smith, the underground engineer, who was close beside him, met a similar fate. Happily by this time there were others on the scene, and although they all realized the danger they ran, there was no hanging back. A party at once followed on the track of Mr Bishop and Mr Smith, and came upon the two men in an apparently lifeless state. They quickly conveyed them to the opeu air, and medical attendance was procured. Mr Bishop, who was the more seriously affected of the two, recovered very slowly, and appeared to suffer in-

tensely from the effects of the poison. Both gentlemen were completely out of danger by the evening. While Drs. Mcßrearty and Morice (sen.) were attending to these patients, the miners had made another rush into the tunnel to reach their comrades. They returned with the body of Jas. Geoghan, a young man. No soouer did they emerge into the open than they were surrounded by a great crowd of men, women and children, whose countenances were heartrending to look on in their agony of suspense. The body of Patrick McDonald, a married man sixty yearsof age with a grown up family, was next carried out, andagain the circle of anxious faces was fixed on the corpse. The features of the dead men were very peaceful. Evidently death had come very quickly and given them no pain. As the rescuers proceeded with their work a sense of the terrible possibilities of the situation seemed to impress itself on the crowd. Although everything was done to keep alive hope, the awful thought

that the position of the entombed miners was hopeless forced itself on all. If one body had been brought to the surface alive there would have been good ground for believing that many more had escaped death ; but as life was pronounced extinct in every one as it was laid on the ground, the watchers' hearts sickened, ami their grief found vent in sobs and tears. It was piteous to stand among those women and children and hear their utterances as the day wore on and no trace of their beloved ones was forthcoming, or to witness the burst of despairing sorrow which broke forth when the awful suspense of some mourner was set at rest by the appearance of the corpse other husband, son or relative. The men laboured gallantly at the work of rescue. Owing to the overpowering nature of the gases it was impossible for the same lot to continue long in the drive. Some were so enthusiastic, however, that they kept on till they actually fell down overcome, and had to be carried to the open air. It was therefore arranged that the work should be Conti lined by shifts of men working two hours at a time, and changing their position so that no man was more than ten minutes at a stretch at the front. Each party consisted of twelve men, six labouring at the front and six behind. There was no lack of volunteers who were prepared to risk their lives in the attempt to reach the entombed men. But it was slow work, although the men laboured with all their souls —terribly slow it seemed in the eyes of the crowd waiting, hoping, and praying that all might be well with theirs. The nature of the work ami the difficulties the men had to contend with have not been well undeistood. A

general opinion prevails that they had to remove large quantities of earth and rubbish that closed up the tunnel. But as a fact there were hardly any falls of earth at all. Speaking generally the drive was clear of all visible impediments throughout its entire length. What the men had to contend with was the noxious gas which met them as they proceeded, and speedily reduced the strongest man who breathed it to a state of unconsciousness. To make any way in the face of this poison it was necessary to divide the tunnel into two passages by the erection of an air-proof wall down the centre. This is technically known as bratticing. The partition consists of tarpaulins firmly stretched between the roof and floor of the drive. Once this wall is erected and a strong current of air driven up one of the passages the foul air is confined to the other, and it is possible to advance in safety into the workings. The bratticing was erected with great difficulty, as the men had in fixing to breath the noxious gas from time to time. The afternoon wore on. The news had been read in every town of the colony, and people were awestruck at the extent of the disaster. The Premier heard of the catastrope at Hokitika, and took a special train for Brunner. Mr Scott, manager of the Blackball mine, who with his men were on the scene very shortly after the explosion, took charge of the rescue work on his arrival, and later on, at the suggestion of the Premier, who saw that the two-hours’ shift was too much for the men, had it altered to one hour’s duration. This change had a good effect, and enabled the work to be gone on with more swiftly and with less danger to the rescuers, whose ranks had been augmented by a number of men from the Blackball mine. Mr Seddon with characteristic energy offered to work a shift at the face, but his offer, though much appreciated, was declined, there being plenty of willing hands available. At half-past ten at night the scene at the pit mouth was even more impressive than that presented during the day. No more bodies had been recovered, and the rescuers were hard at work endeavouring to reach that part of the tunnel where the miners were supposed to be. The crowd was still gathered around the drive and showed no inclination to disperse. In the glare of the lights it was not easy to distinguish the faces, but the sounds of grief were unmistakable, and added to the other noises caused by machinery—the engine was being driven at top speed to t'y and force air into the mine—the erection of timber suppo.rq for the brattice work, etc., they conveyed an impression which no one who was there will easily forget. At 11.30 it was evident that the hope entertained in the afternoon of reaching the entombed men by midnight could not be realised. Mr Scott, who had twice been rendered unconscious and taken to the surface, but had always returned to the face, calculated that the relief party was within 600 feet of the lower workings where the objects of their search were, and he hoped to penetrate this distance in about six hours. He and his gallant band had, however, given up all hope of finding the unfortunate men alive. The extreme foulness of the air which the rescuers had encountered rendered any chance of the entombed miners being alive almost out of the question. At midnight the air had become so bad that the men could only work ten minutes at a time, and later on the difficulties had increased. At three o’clock in the morning the news spread abroad that all hope of getting to the victims of the disaster before the following evening must be abandoned. At four o’clock, however, the body of Thomas Heslin, a single man, was recovered in a very charred condition. Then followed the bodies of John Patterson, a married man with eight children ; of John Watchman, a single man ; of Paul Pellion, a married mar with five children ; of Chas. James, a married man with five children ; of Wm. Hunter, a married man with twelve children ; and of three others. Theiradventaroused the hopes of the watchers at the pit mouth, and some had actually to be restrained from entering in search of their beloved ones, whom it appeared the rescuers had now reached. Their hopes were cruelly crushed, for as each party bore its burden into the night air they had but the same verdict to give— l Dead !’ As the bodies were recovered and removed they were followed by their distracted relatives, and the sounds of grief which had been heard at the pit mouth were audible throughout the streets. Brom many a house came the voice of mourning that told most unmistakably that the inmates had seen their dear dead, or had given up all hopes of seeing them alive. Those who were in Brunnerton describe a walk through the place on the 27th ultimo as a heartrending experience. When morning dawned it found the crowd still at its sorrowful watch, and the rescuers at their heroic work. The faces of all looked wan and haggard, and hardly a spark of hope lighted up the countenances of the most sanguine. Mr Cochrane, Inspector of Mines, was superintending the work, as Mr Bishop was still ill, but later on the latter gentleman was sufficiently recovered to be

able to go into the mine again. Shortly before nine o'clock the Mayor of Brunnerton telegraphed to the Premier at Kumara to say that the men were getting exhausted with the rescue work, that the water was rising in the dip, and that help was urgently needed. On receipt of this Mr Seddon immediately engaged a special train, and at 11.30 between seventy and eighty miners left for Brunnerton. Some time previous to that Mr Lindop, mine manager at Denniston, had left Westport for the scene of the disaster, and twenty-five Denniston miners were on their way to the same place to aid. At 7-3° on Friday night there was a force of 500 rescuers on the ground, including men from Kumara, Hokitika, Kanieri, Rimu, Reefton, Denniston, Blackball, and the Brunnerton men. Offers of additional services came from Kumara, Hokitika, and Reefton, but they were not required. Up to this time, although the volunteers had worked like Trojans, only twenty-one bodies had been recovered, and it was not anticipated that the remainder could be got at before Saturday evening. The work of excavation had now reached a spot where the evidences of the force of the explosion were clearly visible. In the line of the tunuel the rails, trucks, and woodwork lay scattered and shattered, and the bodies of the deceased were so charred and mutilated as to be past recognition. Many of them were found in a drawn position with their hands thrown out before them as if to ward off a blow. As each corpse was carried to the open air the distressed crowd pressed round the bearers, and mourners who had been giving vent to their grief apart from the others drew near. Great discretion had to be exercised in allowing the women to approach, as the sight of the disfigured dead only intensified their agony and did little good. The bodies were extremely difficult of identification, and the only way to distinguish them was by the fragments of wearing apparel still clinging to them. At 11 o’clock on Friday evening the Premier left Brunnerton, having during the day been most assiduous in superintending the arrangements at the mouth of the pit. Mrs Seddon visited among the houses of the bereaved ones during the day, and a ladies’ committee was engagedin similar work and in looking aftertheimmediate wants of the widows and children, many of whoui are unite destitute. At 11 o’clock on the following evening (Saturday) all the bodies with the exception of one had been recovered. On Sunday the interments took place. Special trains ran to convey the mourners to Stillwater cemetery, where fifty-six bodies were buried. The procession was nearly a mile long, and among those present were : —the Premier, the Hons. J. Kerr and R. Reeves, M’s.L.C., and Messrs Guiness, McKenzie, and O’Regau M’s.H.R. Thirty-four bodies were interred in one grave, and the funeral services were conducted by Revs. York, Stewart, Spence, Dart. Father Carew, and the Captain of the Salvation Army. The scene at the grave is described as exceedingly touching, many of those in attendance, men as well as women and children, giving way to their grief, and weeping as if their hearts would break. Several women fainted, and one young lady who had lost her father was unconscious for two hours. LIST OF THK DEAD. The following is the list published of those in the mine at the time of the disaster :— M. Brislatie, married, three children. John Roberts, married, eight children. Mark Masters, married, four children. Robert Pascoe, married, five children. Humphrey Smith, married, eight children. Thomas Clark, married, two children. Joseph Mclvor, single. W. Liddle, married, six children. Henry Dettert, married, one child. John Langdon, single. Edward Kent, married, three children. Joseph Baxter, married, five children. Jas. Richards, married, five children. G. Geoglian, single. James Geoghan, single. Robert Duncan, married, six children. Jas. Worthley, married, five children. John Tuart, married, three children. Edward Collins, married, five children. T Beaman, married, two children M. McLuskey, married, five children. Robert McLuskey, married, seven children. T. Moore, senr., married, nine children. T. Moore, junr., single. William Hunter, married, ten children. Henry Dennison, married, four children. James Scott, married. Charles James, married, five children. Paul Pellion, married. W. McMinn, married, two children. George Baxter, married, five children. W. Boyd, married. John White, married, four children. Alfred Williams, married, six children. James Rowe, married, seven children.

John Dunn, single. Robert McMahon, married, five children. D. Heoley, married, two children. John Watphman, single. John Patterson, married, eight children. John W. Roberts, married, one child. Josiah Masters, married, six children. Thomas Heslan, single. William Henderson, single. R. W. Kear, married, one child. T. Mclvor, single. Janies McDonald, single. Richard O’Loughlin, single. P. Pascoe, junr., single. Joseph Scoble, junr., single. W. McKinnon, married, four children. David Roberts, single. p'rederick Franklin, single. William Cunliffe, single. Patrick McDonald, married, nine children Benjamin Hill, single. Hy. Julian, single. Chas. Baxter, single. David Henderson, single. David Hall, single. John Parsons, single. Sami. Roberts, single.

MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY AND HELP. The whole colony has been deeply moved by the news of the disaster, and the sincerest sympathy is felt for those who have lost their relatives and bread-winners. On receipt of the news on the day of the catastrophe His Excellency Lord Glasgow telegraphed to the Mayor of Brunnerton expressing the deepest regret at the disaster, and conveying his own and Lady Glasgow’s heart-felt sympathy to the families and friends of the men entombed. The Premier also sent a message, and then hastened to the spot. The Mayors of the different cities

of the colony telegraphed the sincere sorrow experienced by the citizens. These messages and many of a similar character were followed by others tendering monetary

assistance, and subscription lists, public and private, were at once opened, and it is hoped the appeal will everywhere meet with a generous response.