TUNNEL DISASTER.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1922, Page 1

TUNNEL DISASTER.

! A DEADLY OFL ENGINE. [ni’ TELEGRAPH—-PER PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, July 3. Miller, another victim, lias a brother who is clerk of the Court here. LEVIN, July 3. Two men who wer& on shift in the Arapeti No. 2 tunno} last night were A. E. Maxwell (tumlel foreman) and li. Butler ("pump attendant.) They did not apjrear when expected, and the men on duty at the .sub-station became uneasy. Throe men; T. and J. Graham. and W. Birss, then went in to find them. They, got in a distance of 20 chains, but could get no further, owing to the presence of gas fumes, and they came out. put on gum boots, and joined Mr Millar (engineer), and Mr F. Birss. Al' five then went into the tunnel. They did not reappear. A suh-station attendant, C. Trigg, when relieved at 10.30, entered the tunnel and he found that the men had all been overcome, and were too far gone to do anything. He managed to get out and give the alarm. The, camp was then roused, and rescue parties brought the men out. the fumes being very thick. Artificial respiration was tried for 90 minutes, but failed to produce any response. LIST OF THE VICTIMS. The names of the deceased are;— W. H. Millar, Engineer, single, Dun’din. A. E. Maxwell, tunnel foreman. Wanganui, a married man with five child•en. F. Birss, tunneller, Arthur’s Pass, ■Married, four children, i W. Birss (son), tunneller, single. I P. Graham, tunneller, Arthur’s Pass, married, with four children. F. Graham, tunneller, Hastings, married, with four children. B. Butler, pump attendant, single, Shannon. I The gas in the tunnel was a mixture of carbon monoxide and dioxide, caused bv the fumes from a gas engine at the face. It was 2.30 this morning when tinlast man was got out. 1 When discovered all the men’s heads were pointing towards the entrance of the tunnel, indicating that they had ; been overcome when endeavouring to ’ make their way out. I Messrs Millar, Birss (2), and F. Graham were found 18 chains in. P. Graham was 19 chains in, and Maxwell and Butler were 23 chains in. Dinnio and Davis, engineers at the bottom cam)) eamo up immediately, ami a doctor was procured from Shannon. All work was suspended to-dav.

I Trigg anil Kinzett, who wore foremost in the rescue work, were overcome, and had to receive medical attention. TCirv'.ett was sent to Palmerston Hospital;

SCENT? OF DISASTER. LEVIN, July 3. The scene of the Mangahao disaster is in the Arapeti Valley, lying beyond the first range from Shannon. A road climbs TOOO feet up a spur of the Tarauas and then descends to the basin that will form the huge storage lake for the, hydro-electric enterprise. No. 1 tunnel is to bring the waters of the Mangahao River under Mangalino Hills into the lake. No. 2 tunnel will then take the water through the coastal range to the generating station on the Shannon side. The tragedy occurred in tin’s tunnel fXo. 2) which is being constructed by co-operative contractors. The details show that on Sunday evening, the only man on shift in No. 2 was the pump attendant, R. Butler, it being necessary to keep the pump working to clear the tunnel of the water that was making its wav through the workings.

During the evening, the tunnel foreman, A. E. Maxwell, went up to the face, apparently to see that everything was alright for the shift coming on at midnight. THE PRIMARY CAUSE.

A breakdown in the power station on the Shannon side threw the electric fails in the Arapeti tunnel out of gear, and the fumes from the oil engine working the pumps accumulated in the workings, and created deadly carbon monoxide and dioxide gasses. Tlie pumping engine is situated 27 chains from the ' entrance. The presence of the fatal gas must have been detected by both Maxwell and Butler, whose bodies were subsequently found four chains towards 1 the tunnel mouth. The men oil duty | at the sub-station at Arapeti camp liei came uneasy at tlie prolonged absence ! of their two comrades, and ‘then P. and K, Graham, and W. Birss went down to see what was wrong. They went in j2O chains, but could get no further owing to the presence of the gas. There was also a largo quantity of water in the tunnel floor, and they donned gum boots and essayed again to penetrate further. At this stage tlie little party of three were joined by \V. B. Millar (the engineer in charge at Arapeti) and E. Birss (tunneller). The five men tlion entered oil what proved to he a forlorn hope, for not a man returned alive. They struggled on for nearly 20 chains, where they were found by : the later rescuing party, being still ' about three chains away from Maxwell '■and Butler, whose bodies were recovered later.

i THE FIRST NEWS. | The first news of the tragedy was | made known by C. Trigg, who was also cm duty at the sub-station. As soon as he was relieved, about midnight, he made his way to the tunnel, and seeing no sign of his mates, entered the I tunnel mouth. He fought his way in ' until, he reached the first four of' his comrades, who were lying in the tun--1 nel. He found he could do nothing for them, and only struggled out himself ito fresh air. After recovering, he gave , tlie alarm.

i The dread news of what had occurred spread like wildfire through the I camp, and soon men were working from all entries to assist in the rescue. The fumes were now dense. It was advised that only the most, experienced men 1 were to be permitted to undertake the j rescue of the bodies. There was no lack of volunteers, however, and offers

. of workers came from all sides. ! The first body discovered was that of E Birss'. A chain further, the rescuers j found W. Millar, Birss, junior, and ■ F. Graham. The rescuers got Miller s body partly on to a truck, when they got - the fumes, and J. Quinlan, one of the rescue party, was overcome, and had to stagger out, whilst T. O’Halloran collapsed for a time, and was got out by J. Sinclair, . Another party was then got together and tliev succeeded in getting the bodies of Messrs Miller, Birss junr., and F. Graham on the truck, and rushed them out, picking up Kinzett, one of

he first rescue party on the way. He lad collapsed when apparently attempting another entry. Trigg, another • rescuer, was also found incapacitated, and carried out Both'Kinzett and Trigg were fomjd to >o in a bad way, after their heroic exertions, and had to be removed for nodical attention. At 1.45 a.m. tlie electric fail was •estarted, and at 2;10 the third party darted in. They sent out the remain:ng bodies, That of P. Graham being recovered first, and then those of Maxwell, and-Butler. The two latter were found together in the greatest distance in the tunnel. The rescuers as thcMatal fumes were■ now being-drawn out, were •ible to follow in safety, as tlie tunnel cleared.

The only man who appeared to show signs of life after the rescue was F. Birss, hut although artificial respiration was tried for an hour and a half, on all of the unfortunate men, it was unsuccessful, and the tragic fact that the disaster had claimed all seven victims, forced itself upon the unhappy assemblage.

ONE OF THE VICTIMS. DUNEDIN, July 3. William Robert Miller, one of U victims of the Mnngnhao tunnel disaster, was the youngest soil of Mrs Miller, of this city. He was dux of Eorhuary Primary School and was also a successful pupil of the Otago Boys’ High School. He left New Zealand with the Engineers in the Seventeen! 1 Reinforcements and served through a great portion of the war. He visited Canada and United States with a view to acquiring a knowledge of his profession. His elder brother. James, is Clerk of the Court at Wanganui.. Alexander is engaged in Wright, Stephenson and Company's and a younger brother is employed with the A.M.P. Society. He was about 27 years of age.