Colliery Disaster

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1921, Page 3

Colliery Disaster

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LITTLE HOI’K ENTERTAINED. BRISBANE, September 20. The latest report makes the i; nuber skill entombed 7-1. Rescue work is very slow, owing to the general .vreck;igo inside the mine, large quantities of tb In is and escaping gas. AVork is proceeding feverishly, hut there is very little hope that anyone is alive. The explosion blew the winding plant a considerable distance and completely 'dismantled the air fans. TWENTY BODIES RECOVERED. iTUISBANE. September 20. Th rou ghoul the night gangs of men laboured feverishly clearing thousands of tons of debris which choked the mouth of the Alount Alulligan ’nine, and by daylight seven bodies were recovered. Their charred and unrecognisable state indicated how the miners were caught. work was continued without cessation. and hv the afternoon, 20 bodies wore taken from the wrecked mine. Nearly all were so disfigured as to make recognition impossible. Jt was then estimated that ,s<i were still unaccounted fir. and as gas fumes arc pouring from the wricked workings through excavations made by the rescuers no horn’s are entailed that the remainder of the entombed men will be taken out alive. AIEI.BOURNE, September 20. The Alount .Mulligan Aline oflii e licit has received advices stating that Ihere is no hope of any further rescues. Thimine is totally wrecked. . HOl’E STILL RETAINED. BRISBANE. September 20. The rescuers have not relaxed their, efforts at Alount Alulligan, as their hopes of saving the buried men are strengthened by the fact that the miner O’Gradv lived for three hours after lawns excavated. Gas fumes have seriously handicapped the work, and the Aline Sopcrilitendant and Engineers wore removed almost at the point of collapse. Frequent falls of earth are eivurrim'. It is also now feared that a hi” has broken out in the air line ~f the workings. Apparently in the eases of *he bodies of tile mill found, they were killed in- ! stantly. Special trains are proceeding from Oimb'dah. Alnreebn. Cairns and other centres, with volunteer worki'is. A further speci >1 train, with iiillinhn s rJso fli'spwttflarcl. Mr K-viins, tlu* liiultM'jjnmnd iiiriihad a ivoiidorfiil usenju . 1 of wood lii> collar stud into hi- «iidU*l. After an operation ho is improving. A further hotly lias lieen recovered Tt has boon hlliiuThnl as that of Frank GilbVs. FFKTHKK DETAILS. MftlSllANK. September 20. Details of the Alount Mulli&an disaster are hard to obtain, as the distances and meagre means of communication render it extremely difficult to obtain a coherent story.

It appears that at !>.30 on Monday there "’us a series of mu died numbling explosions, which shook tl>o whole range of the mountains. The • news spread of on explosion nL the mini’. Then a rush was made for the entrance but a steady stream of gas drove the woi'.ld-bc rescuers hack, choking them, making a rescue impossible for a time. Later oil a number of miners, equipped with gas masks, a wived from Cliillagoe. and rescue work proceeded throughout the night. The men were working in the moonlight, as the escaping gas made the use of artificial lights dangerous. > IS BODIES BROUGHT OUT. (Ri—eivod This Day at 10.15 a.m.) BRISBANE. Sept. 21 The Alilligan explosion blew out the mine tunnel and air shaft simultaneously. Eighteen bodies so far have been identified:—Gielis Lieu. Gillies Latimer. Taylor, Hutton, Leary, Patterson, C'amin, Long, Howes, Adams, Jockinzik, Carney, Miimguc, Vallctn. I.igcrseage and Thompson. The last named body was brought out yesterday morning, being burned black and destitute of dollies. The hardly recognisable charred remains of Carney and Fogarty were also brought up. The only article of wearing apparel not burnt on the bodies am' the hoots. Doctor Clarke says that death was instantaneous, and the victims burnt by the Haines die immediately from shock. There is a remarkable spectacle at the |lit mouth of men waiting all night knowing full well that the chances of their relatives being res ton’ll to them alive we,re hopeless. Ale'n are working in a superhuman fashion to get at the hurried miners. Those relieved are pacing up and down like caged tigers, impatient for thcii next turn. The tearfulness of tin scene defies description. Women ami children are weeping hrokeiiheartedlv. and the men are working frantically to distract their minds from the hurrm of the disaster. The most inspiring sight was that of the brave hearted women, whose dead husbands and sops were brought, endeavouring to idieei other bereaved women. They stayed throughout the night at the pit-head, making tea to refresh the men and urging them to greater efforts. •22 BODIES RECOVERED. (Received This Day at 11.30 a.m.) BRISBANE, Sept. 21 Birds in cages are being taken holnv by the leaders of relief gangs to do toot the presence of gas. II the bird’ toppled over the men are warned L retire. A number of rescuers have agreed 1 take a rest. They luivo been work'll’.’, since .Monday. Two rescuers .were brought out had The first funeral ever held at Alilli gari took place on Tuesday afternoon Three farmers’ waggons were used a hearses, each carrying several cnlhm A later message states 22 U- ' have mitv Wen recovered, the lutes idealilied being Hawes, Mclntyre am I). Hutton. The northern side of the tunnel ha been fully searched, and work is tiuin meiieing on the southern side. The searchers believe that the las batch recovered were suffocated, a they were found with their faces t the ground, suggesting they "el struggling against the lames.