An Underground Row.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 183, 13 May 1873, Page 7

An Underground Row.

(Ballarat Post, April 15.) An underground tussle took place last night between the workmen employed by the Parade and Blackhill South Extended Companies, under the following circumstances. The rival companies are each mining on ground abutting on the south side of Byte’s parade, about a quarter of a mile 10 the eastward of the Eastern Railway Station. The two shafts are situated within fifty yards of each other, and both parties are driving for the same reef or gutter. Some good ground was known to exist under the centre of the Parade Company’s shaft, and for this each company has been steadily driving. The Parade Company’s drives are somewhat lower than those of the rival company, and the workmen of the latter, finding the others pushing on at a good rate of speed for the disputed ground, put down a blind shaft in order to cut them off. So matters have been progressing for the past I few days. At about eight o’clock last night the Parade Company’s men broke through into the working of the Black Hill South Extended Company, and then commenced the row. The Black Hill South Extended men had the advantage of position, and flooded their rivals out with water taken from the well and let down the blind shaft spoken of. Then mullock was shot down the shaft, and the Parade men were considerably bothered while endeavouring to secure their position by blocking up the shaft. Water and mullock failing to dislodge the Parade men, it would seem 1 ‘ stinking out” was tried, although the Extended men stoutly deny having had | recourse to such means of routing their opponents. The Parade men maintain that the others used some horribly nauseous stuff, the fumes of which drove them (the Parade fellows) from the face in which they were working. During the row, a tin can, like those used for varnish and paint oils, and of about half a gallon capacity, was tumbled down the blind shaft from the Extended, workings into the Parade drives, and was brought up the shaft of the latter company. It was nearly empty at the time, and was shown to our reporter this morning. The “ stud'” contained in it seems to have been a i mixture of kerosene and turpentine, judging by the smell of the can. An hour or two after midnight, the police were communicated with by the Parade men, who stated that a I shot had been fired, and that further outrages | were threatened. The police were on the j spot, hut did not go below, as hostilities j ceased on their arrival. The Parade men | distinctly aver that one shot was fired with i the intention of dislodging them, that they l were threatened with others if they did not I clear out, that noxious chemicals wore used, j and that the water from the mains was | thrown down on them. It is but fair to state j that the Extended men simply deny these statements. They admit that buckets of water, taken from the well, wore poured down the blind shaft, but deny that the mains were touched. They state no chemicals were used, and that gunpowder was not thought of. Inspector Rvall and Sergeant Lamer were at each claim this morning, and cautioned the miners against recourse to gunpowder and suffocating fumes, pointing out the consequences. The tin can was taken possession of by the police. At the time the inspector and sergeant, together with our reporter, were on the ground, the rival managers were in town, and it was stated an appeal to the law was about to be made. The | men “ below” were quiet.