HUNTLY MINE DISASTER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2269, 1 October 1914, Page 7

HUNTLY MINE DISASTER

CAUSED BY A NAKED LIGHT.

(By Ansociation.)

Huntly, September 30. The inquest on the victims of the Huntly mine disaster was resumed today. when, expert evidence was taken. The opinions of Mr. Wood, manager of the Extended Mine, and Mr. Bishop, late manager of the Stato Mine, and Professor Dixon, all coincided as to the seat of the explosion being in the old workings, where tho body, of J. Martin was found, .badly burned, his clothes completely gone. All agreed that tho indications pointed dircctly to Martin having caused the explosion by carrying a naked light .where there had'been a recent fall of coal.

Professor Dixon said that the dust in Ralph's Mine would ordinarily be described as small. He would like to impress, however, that a large quantity of dust was not necessary for an explosion. With ordinary bituminous dust it was not easy to start an explosion. Concussion and intense flamo were both required. Half an ounce of coal-dust stirred up in a cubic foot of space, which was scarcely noticeable in the air, was sufficient to cause an explosion. Ho had made tests of six samples of coal-dust at Ralph's Mine, and had found them more inflammable than any he had ever tested.

The report of the analysis by tho Now Zealand Government Analyst, submitted by Mr. Bishop, showed that the Huntly coal dust is veiV inflammable; Flames ignited in this dust travel greatbr distances than the ordinary bituminous dust, 6uch as the Westport, StocktoUj and Aberdare. Such properties would render coal dust very effective in carrying on and intensifying the explosion once it was started. The inquest then adjourned. It i 9 oxpectcd to close to-morrow, when tho Government Commission on the disaster will open. MAYOR'S RELIEF FUND. £ .6. d. Amount previously, ncknowlodged 94 16 6 Bell, ,Gully,' Bell, andMyers 15 15 0 M. J. Kilgour : 2 2 0 Frank Grady ' 1 1 0 "Widow" 0 10 0 114 4 6 "THE DOMINION" RELIEF FUND. . A fund for the relief of sufferers in tho Huntly disaster la now open at The Dominion office. We have to ack-. nowledge the following donations:— £ 8. d. Previously acknowledged ... 24 1 6 Mrs. A. 'H. Miles 2 0 0 \ Total "26 • 1 • 6 LABOUR FUND. The joint-secretaries, Messrs. L. M. A. Rearden and J. Read; of the Huntly Disaster Relief Fund, acknowledge the following donations: — £ s. d. Previously acknowledged ... 524 6 9 O. Lumsden, Mastorton •... 10 0 Tramways Band (per Union) 9 5 8 Collected, E.' Kennedy '1 0 0 Employoes Haydon and Lubrinsky ; 1 16 0 , Total '. 537 8 5