MINING DISASTER AT KUMARA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2306, 19 December 1889, Page 3

MINING DISASTER AT KUMARA.

«~ FIVE LIVES LOST. ___,A P^.'bs Association telegram from jdokifclka nuder date. 18th mat, and gives fall partioalars of a sad mining disaster at Kumara, by which five mon named—George Mansfield, Thomas Thorns.., David Evans, Thomas Morgan, and j&lohard ( Straight bave lost their lives. It appears that a new sludge channel was In coarse of oonstruotlou, the work being oarrled on 'Id three section*, the uppnr ones being worked by small tunnels oonueotod with No 1 channel, Into which the spoil was emptied and oarrled away. The fa'a'lty was caused through No 1 channel gluing 'Way iit a point between where tbe oross-

tunnels f«om tectum,, two and thc-a _■; i-. 3 obaoDel opeoed on It, At aboat ulm. o'olook yestezcay morning it was dis covered that a block In N<> 1 channel had occorred. Tha Blf-.c_l *.vas _n.mocUft.Jy g'ven and the nozzles diverted, co as to send down as little dirt aa possible, and the men gathered to the entrance. The water backed np with astonishing rapidity, and though 1n... 'tractions were at onoe sent to turn fit off. it had rleeu 19ft before this oould be done. At once lt was seen that ' there could be little cbanoe of recovering I the men alive- Being on the highest ' seotlon of No 3 Ohnnnel the level was 2ft oi 3ft above that of No 1, and as the chant' e was not more tban Brt high, the I whole of tho seotlon must be full of water I and the mtn drowned* It is anticipated that it will take ten hours to extricate them, and no hope la being entertained of their being fonnd alive. The victims of this terrible disaster are well known snd greatly respeoted iv the district, acd some of them leave many depending on them. Straight leaves a wife and nine ohildren j Morgan a wfe and fivo children. Evans is married, but has no family. The otbe' t~o - : re nnma-rlsd. j