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TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOTION.

BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MEN KILLED.

[By Telegraph,]

Dunedin, Feb. 21. Between 8 and 9 o'clock this morning, an explosion occurred in a coal mine at Kaitangata. Edward Dunn, the son of George Dunn, was entering a drive with a horse when both he and the horse were ••blown 50 yards clear of the pit mouth, the boy being immediately killed. Thirty-six men were inside the pit, and at 11 o'clock none had been recovered. All available efforts to get them out were resorted to immediately after the explosion. Mr Griffin, the station-maßter, despatched an engine to Dr Smith at Balclutha, who reached the scene of the accident within 25 minutes. Great excitement is prevailing. « THE LATEST. The followimg are the latest particulars up to nine o'clock to-night. Twenty-eight I ■ dead bodies have been got out of the mine, and four more were seen at that hour, and <*vould be got out as soon as the debris was taken off them. The only one how known for certain to be in the mine is *< Archie Hodge, the son of the manager, who will no doubt be dead also. There may be one or two more, but it is not known accurately how many were in the pit; the only persons who could give positive information being of course those who are dead. About 20 widows are left by the calamity, and fully 100 orphans. The scene at Kaitanga, and at the pit mouth, as may be imagined, is a truly heartrending one. Kaitahgata, Feb. 23. THE burial of the dead. At noon the special train from Dunedin arrived, having taken up at Stirling the the people who had come from Balclutha. Probably fully 300 persons were in the irain, many of the njgn being miners from Green Island. The farmers round Kait*&ngata had sent in eight drays, for use in taking the coffins to the little burial ground on the knoll behind the Presbyterian Church, how a veritable "Gods acre." Jfl them sixteen of the coffins were placed, and the Jmournful procession moved away. Behind each dray walked mourners- and intimate friends, and in the rear was a long clustering of inhabitants and visitors, all seeming to share alike in the unutterable sadness. Amongst the gentlemen who had assembled were.—Messrs Grant, General Manager of the Otago Railways ; >& W. Thompson, M.H.R. for Clutha ; J. P. Maitland, .one of the directors of the _ Mining Company; J. L. Gillies, Secretary to the Harbor Board; the Rev. Father Larkin ; Rev. J. Ronaldson,of the Episcopalian Church, Milton ; Eev. J. Chisholm, Presbyterian Church, Milton ; and the Rev. - D., Borrie, of the Presbyterian Church, Balclutha. All the morning the sun had been shining brightly, but now the sky suddenly became clouded. The rain showered down, the bell tolled out slowly, and presently 16 coffins had been placed in position over their seperate graves, the grim openings being side by side in two ilose lines. The drays returned, and l 2 more coffins were arranged in like manner. Of the remaining six bodies two had been recovered only that morning, and the others had been removed by •iiiends for burial at Dunedin. At a quarter past one all was ready. The Rev. Father Larkin intoned the Catholic service over four of the dead", the Rev. W.'Rbnaldson read the Episcopalian bifrial services, and then a succession of dull thuds marked the decent of the bread-winners to their last resting place. Until now the women had been able fairly to subdue their feelings, but that last glimpse was more than they could bear. Strong men might well be excused from being utterly unnerved by such agony of grief. Presently the Rev. W. Chiaholm stepped forward and stirred the hearts around him to new feelings, dwelling upon the uncertainty of life, the consequent need for preparation, and the all sufficiency of the Goepel. The Rev. J. Allen, of Kaitangata, offered a prayer, prayer, and the deeply impreßßive scene was ended. . '

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AMBPA18790225.2.17

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 272, 25 February 1879, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
662

TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOTION. Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 272, 25 February 1879, Page 3

TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOTION. Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 272, 25 February 1879, Page 3

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