LYELL DISASTER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1574, 18 October 1912, Page 5

LYELL DISASTER.

* 42 DEAD OR MISSINGTHRILLING STORIES OF HEROISM. j ATTEMPTS TO REACH THE SHAFT. By Tclccraph—Press Assoclatlon-Cotyrfelit (Rec. October 17, 10.30 p.m.) Hobart, October 17. An apparently purposeful effort on the part of the men nnil officials to keep tbs women in the dark until it is definitely .ascertained who is dead, renders it difficult to obtain the names. So far as can bo' ascertained, the following 42 men, including thoso whoso names have already been cabled, are cither dead or missing:— Bray, Burke, Bourke, Boden, Brooke, Bennett, Bolton, Creedon, Dacey, Gays, Green, Guy, Home, Hill, Jones, Jenkins, Judd, lewis, Leeman, Moore, Maher, Mitchell, M'Carthen, M'Cullagh, M'LonghJin, M'Masters, M'Casliiing or M'Cashland, O'Dea, O'Koefe, I'ark, F. Rolfc, P. Rolfe, Reilly, Stud'well, Saunderson, Scott, Smith, Treverton, W. Tregonning, J. Tregonning, Valentine, Wright. ATTEMPTS TO REACH THE SHAFT. HOW THE MEN WERE SAVED. Hobart, Octobcr 1". Ninety-five of tho men who were entombed in the North Mount Lyell mine have been accounted for so far, as follows:—Rescued on Monday, 4; saved from the 1000 feet level on Wednesday, 50; dead, 15; unaccounted for, but feared to be dead, 20. Gormanston advises that the search party returned from the 850 ft. level at midnight. Ten bodies were found, making the total of tho dead twenty-six. There are still twenty-two men missing. Tho iron oxide gas in No. 22 stope is very bad. Investigations were interrupted through fatigue of the party. They will 1m resumed to-dny. > M'Coy, who was rescued at the 1000 ft. level, stated that when the men realised that the mine was afire, one'rushed to the air-cock and turned it on.. The air drove tho smoke back and held it at the shaft. All made towards the No. 40 stope, which they managed to reach on Saturday night. He added: "Riley tried to get to the shaft as wc were very hungry and anxious, fearing that the air which we had switched into the drive to keep the smoke back might give out. Riley only got 50 yards, when he fell dead. Later three others tried, but never came back. It must have been Sunday morning when tho gas began -to beat the air pipes and comc on to the stope, the smoke being driven away, but eddying back off the draught. Then the men, began to drop like ninepins. I came to with men dashing cold water on me. "Ryan, at a critical moment, turned the pipes 'into the stopes instead of down the drive, as wc had them, and the air, dashing against the rock, rebounded and drove the smoke. away. Just previously Ryan had addressed the men, saying: 'If there is no _hope we will die bravely.' All those who were, conscious had' sat back against the rock prepared for death; then Ryan got the idea that saved us." A SURVIVOR'S STORY,; ? ; HEROISM OF SHIFT BOSS PRAISED. Hobart, October 17. A message from Gormanston gives an interview with Albert Mitchcll, rescued from the 1000 ft. level. Mitchell says: "I lay down to die twice, but kept myself alive by wetting my head. It was copper water that came through holes bored by. a diamond drill. About fourteen men dropped in less than an hour. We douched them with water and turned compressed air on to them. Our candles burned out on Sunday, night j then in tho darkness we took turns to go to the shaft twice per shift for food. Four men went every time, for one.was sure to drop. Wc thought every minute that we would go. Wo could feel tho gas. "We had only co'ppcr water to drink, but it saved our lives. Wright, soon after the alarm, said: 'Como on, Mitch, we will walk to tho ladders.' I replied: 'No; the air is too strong.' Wright went away, and I never saw him again.' Riley went out of the stope without saying a word to anyone. Some fellows who were heartiest, and seemingly tho strongest, were the first to drop on account of the fumes. It took them all-of a sudden; their legs seemed to drop from under them." Praise is awarded to John Ryan, the shift boss,'for his fine leadership. He kept many of the men in tho shelter of tho stope when they were anxious to attempt'to reach tho surface. . THE COMPANY'S LOSSES, LITTLE HOPE FOR REMAINING MEN. Hobart, October 17. Interviewed at Gormanston, Mr. W. Jamieson, chairman of directors of the company, said ho was delighted with tho rescue work; the thing had been done as well as human endeavour could have done it. There was no trouble with the work, no danger had been shirked, and the men had behaved like' heroes. "You had only to ask for a man to wnlk straight into the mine, filled as it was with poisonous gas, and half a dozen would step forward. Everything is being done to explore the 850 ft. level thoroughly. Before wc brought up the men from the 1000 ft. level wo asked them whether we should leave them there and search the 850 ft. level before rescuing them, but they unanimously decided to bo rescued first. They felt, ts we and everyone feels, that the unfortunates in the 850 ft. level are all dead. However, there may be one or two alivo who have existed without food. Every endeavour is being mado to locate these speedily." The company's losses are estimated at .£200,000, mainly owing to the stoppage that will be necessary for some weeks. SPLENDID SELF-SACRIFICE. LITTLE HEED TAKEN OF FIRST WARNING. (Rec. Octobcr 18, 0.50 a.m.) Hobart, October 17. Further interviews with the rescued miners confirm the statement that if the men in tho 850 ft. level had treated tho warning seriously, they could all have escaped. .' Bennett stated that they treated the warning more or less as a joke, and sat down to cut their cribs. Not until they wcro again warned that tho smoke was thick did they attempt to reach the cage. Many men woro overcome after they reached it. Numerous instances of splendid selfsacrifico are recorded. Treverton, ono of ths missing, helped a sick man into the cage, and when ho wns urged himself to enter, he replied that ho was going round to seo if ho could get any more of tho boys. Cox, the foreman remaining bjlow, was helping till he was overcome. Bennett says he is sure that no one would b» able to live two minutes in the fumes. Evan, the heTo of the 1000 ft. level is

one of the worst sufferers. He deprecated his own noble efforts, but states that ho soon saw it was going to be bad, and got the mon down into the stope. He thought tho air would have failed in another 24 hours, and that would have been the end of the boys. RECOGNITION OF HEROISM. (Rec. October 17, 10.30 p.m.) Melbourne, October 17. In the House of Representatives, tho Primo Minister, Mr. Fisher, in replying to a suggestion that tho Government should recogniso tho heroism of tho Mount Lyell rescuers, said he thought the time had arrived for the Government to recognise the heroes of the first class, j TASMANIA!? ASSEMBLY ADJOURNS. (Rec. October 17, 10.30 p.m.) Hobart, October 17. When the Legislative Assembly met, the Premier and the Leader of tho Opposition agreed that in view of tho Mount Lyell disaster, they were not prepared to proceed to business, and tho House adjourned until next week. MR. ROOSEVELT. ♦ SATISFACTORY PROGRESS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Cooyrfeht New York, October 16. Mr. Roosevelt is progressing satisfactorily. His wife has arrived at Chicago; also other members of his family. No apprehension is felt regarding his recovery. Since the attack on Mr. Roosevelt, extraordinary precautions have been taken to protect President Taft everywhere he goes. The secret servicc squad has been doubled, and a large force of police waited outside the theatre when the President visited Chicago. BULLET FRACTURES A RIB. (liec. October 17, 9.15 p.m.) New York, Octobcr IG. ■Mr. 'Roosevelt's recovery is certain unless complications occur. The bullet fractured a rib. RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY DEPRECATED. (Rec. October 17, 10.30 p.m.) Melbourne, October 17. The Prime Minister, Mr. Fisher, in replying to a question in Parliament,, said he considered it Unnecessary to pass a resolution expressing horror at the attempt on Mr. Roosevelt's life when the injuries were so slight.