MINING DISASTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 370, 20 March 1902, Page 2

MINING DISASTER.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Melbourne, March 19. A mining disaster occurred at Trunk Head, Ballarat. At the Cardigan Proprietory Mine, the water broke in suddenly. McGrath, Hogarty, and Simpson escaped, but Musfield, Hunter, O’Keefe (2), Simpson, and King are still below, with little hope of escaping drowning. Received March 20, 1.21 a.in. Details of the disaster are meagre. The last reports show that after several hours’ pumping there was 30ft of water in the workings. It is considered that there is no hope for the six men below. A great crowd has gathered at the mine, and there were pathetic scenes there. It is impossible at present to state the cause of the inrush. McGrath, on the way out, saw the bodies of Mansfield and Hunter, senior. He states that the shift mine men went on at midnight. An hour and a half later McGrath heard a noise like rolling thunder. The rush of air extinguished the light. He, Simson, and Hegarty were suddenly hurled to the ground. The deluge was waist-deep. They regained their feet half drowned, and groped their way in the dark shaft, clinging together. They succeeded in passing the cataract pouring from the top drive, where the inrush occurred. At the shaft they found King and Simson, junior, in a weak condition. They talked things over. McGrath, seeing that it was only chance for life, decide to plunge down the. man bole. He tried to porsuade the others to follow.

After a terrible experience, McGrath made his way out, and gave the alarm. Simpson, sen., and Hegarty escaped by swinging themselves down the caps of the timber. Simpson, jun., and King refused to take the risk, believing themselves to bo safe. The remaining four men were in No. 2 rise, whore the inrush is supposed to have occurred.