WHITEHAVEN DISASTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 931, 26 September 1910, Page 7

WHITEHAVEN DISASTER.

. ..... 4 THE MINE REOPENED. N Bjr Meyraph—Prws Association—Copyrluht. Londont September 23. The Wellington Mine at Whitehaven, which was closed down after the explosion on; May 12 last, lias been reopened. . After the mine has been ventilated, the work of recovering the bodies of the 136 men entombed will.be commenced. The appalling disaster in the Wellington Pit,' Whitehaven,.,by which 186,: men lost •: their lives . occurred on May 11 last. It. was not at first thought that, .the men.iwere boyond help,, but after arduous and -repeated efforts - to reach them the labour of : rescuo had to -bo abandoned and the burning . workings sealed up. • ■ When the men went down'the pit on Wednesday. night (May. 11) all seemed to be • iiell. -About, two hours later, howaver, a, noise was heard;at -the surface; and those who are acquainted: with the dangers of the mining industry began to entertain fears for the safety of the workers underground.. The' officials attempted to communicate 1 with the men' below, jbut failed. Rescue parties were summoned and their endeavours went, to prove , that the men were shut off—some of them; three or four miles' away—by a, wall of fire. . .At 12.30 on Thursday two men, and an Hour later two more, were carried .from the shaft's mouth-in an exhausted condition. ~ ' ' V At 2.45 on- Friday morning the rescue party returned to tho surface, and. re■ported that;, it.'was impossible to. Teach -.the burning area. . It ' was; then oonsid- ■ ered impossible that any of. the- men in the • mine could be alive. One. family named M'Alister was -reported :to :. have practically wiped: out, • the. .father,' three,eons, .three nephews, and. a son-in-law being missing, and . many other families were - bereft of more than one member. Eighty-Bight of the. miners ' were married • men.- ''' , - . , " . -J!l -