THE COLLIERY FIRE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1810, 17 July 1906, Page 3

THE COLLIERY FIRE.

I’RESS ASSOCIATION.

Dunedin, last night. King, boitig interviewed aftor tba rosouo, said the tiro breko out botwoon 8 and 4 o’olock on Saturday morning. Churobill wua boas of tho shift. Ho wont forward to soo to tbo pump, but found tho pit on tiro, and oamo book to the faoo, giviDg us tho alarm, yelling, "Run for your lives.” Wo nmdo for tbo shaft, and soomingly got within n fow foot, but wore drivon back by Ibo tioioo boat. Finding wo oould do nothing with tho tiro, wo barricaded oursolves eff from it, and having disconnected tho pump pipe, tried to get communication through it with tho aurfaoa, but wore unable Ho make ourselves heard. Wo dis-

tinguished kricoka on tho pipe, and replied, but could hoar no videos. Our only foura worn tho oollnpso of tbo main shaft. Wo know tho rosouing party were trying to get to ua. Ono of our pnrty took it in turns to try to find an outlet in that direction, and after wn thought tho tiro had boon subdued, wo deoidod to go together in tho direction to whioh wo expsoSed reaoue. Tiro smoko and damp woro very bad. Ivano was tho first to collapse, and we loft him with direoiioua to korp his bead done to tho water and hold on for life. Oburohill and Bruoo oollopsod in turn. I struggled on and ran against Hunter. I was just üblo to toll him tho others worn just behind I remember no moro till I caiuo to with friends all round mo. Kano adds that where tho rescuers got them was pretty woli at the bottom of tho dip, about 5.) drains down. Tho men escaped by building brnttioos serosa tho dip, to imprison on necu of good air nud also to keep the smoko and bad air out. They oxaminod these stoppings from time to timo to sen they did not look.

King was tho first tekan out, and thou Kano. By that timo tho Bannockburn minors opportunely arrived, for tho local

rasouors wero pretty well exhausted. The Bannockburn men quiakly rescued tho remaining two. Tho rosouars affected have completely recovered, ss woll as tbo four imprisonod m-:!.

Tho Minister of Minos telegraphed on Saturday to tho local Inspector of Mines, expressing distress at tbo occurrence and

authorising expenditure in soouring help to save life. Assistance was volunteered from all parts of tho district, including oo*

operators from the railway works, Chinese vising with Europeans and joining them in pick and shovel work.