REDDING MINE' DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1923, Page 3

REDDING MINE' DISASTER

MOKK MKN RKSCFFI). A Til R I LLIN'CI STORY. AUSTRALIAN’ AND 5.7.. CAULK ASSOCIATION-. (Received this day at 12.d0 p.m.) LONDON. Octoher i. Rescues are repnrled at Redding as the restdi ol ten days' yiyantir toil in 'ti.k'ltiuz 11)roiifzlt the debris in tip. direction ol the elevation pit known as Spionkop. Ileie five men were found huddled toyether. They crawled out on all lours like Iroys. All except cne were in comparatively coed pli.v.sicii, condition. They kept themselves aliv,. with water and cheered by the sound ol blasting and boriny. Runny the last four days ioiir mor,. bodies have been reeoveied at He-ddiny. The survivors said tliev 11 it’d lo jlld.ee the | assaye of time by the (t m" 111 ol their hoards. They only had hall' a slice of bread between them. The survivors, interviewed, said their

< 'Xf)<■!' !<• 11< •< s v.ere most Iryiny, They used ell tln-ii' 11!;111• 11r>s ill the (iit two days in ,ui at t (inlll lo keep a Itylit bill-nine. V. Ilk'll wa- impossible owiny lu the hlael. il.imji. ’IIk v craw led up and down in (lie darkness tin unyhmil (lie wurkinys. and they kept inoviny to keep Harm, oeea-ioiially era" liny to tin* edye of tin' water for a drink, 'I hoy were on tlie re rye of despair "lien they heard a shot, and crawled ajpiiy the roadways iryiny to locate its dftectimi. when the shot was rc| eaten they shook hands with eiuh other, coiifitleiit of t'eseiie. They wane in tin' best. spirits. When they were reached. I heir liist request "as for fiyiirettes. Restoratives and lilauhets were rushed In the -.pot hut the survivors insisted on erawliny the lone distance In the shaft bottom. They were nimble to say whether the oilier entombed men aiy alive. They were cut oil’ from the others al the outset. The rescued men occupied themselves niidereroiind with writing farewell letters in the dsikliess. Tliev were so,-di-ed the liist day uandcmiy ahoiit wri-t a- deep in water. A liuee crowd eolleeted al the piF head when the possibility of ic.seiie.x heeniiie 'known. Desperate efFot ts were made to lilast a passaye to the entemhed whom many comrades refused t-i believe were dead. Suddenly those enyayed m (lie blastiny operations heard the murmur of distant voices. The i(’sellers, who were r< inforced. workiny feverislily broke their way thronyli the falls of coni. In reply to a question the entombed mi’ll said they were Af. They were astounded to learn that they had been nine days below, When they first heard tlie blast ini; thc.\ era" led in all directions in the darkness tryiny to locate the sound. The last food, a slice of bread, was divided on the third day. •A MOTH l-lll'S FAITH. (Received this dav al 1-T) p.mA LONDON. Oct. I. The lirst request of .Joint Miller, n youth recently, married, was to see his six week's old son. When bis wile appeared Miller, with tears cmirsiiiy down bis cheeks, murmured: "I’ll tell you all about it later, Inti lirst yivc me wee Johnny. I want to talk to him." His wife was beside herself with joy and told the onlookers: "I knew John would be spared for Johnny's sake."