GERMAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1925, Page 3

GERMAN NEWS.

XUHTJiAJLI/iN AND N.Z. L'AiSLJS, AHbOGIATIQN. TERRIBLE EXPLOSION. RERUN. February 12. The disaster at the Dortmund Aline occurred with appalling suddenness Apparently the explosion was due to a spark from a machine igniting the firedamp.

There was a terrific roar, followed by a crashing and rendering of the timbers as the shafts and galleries caved in. The air supply was almost immediately cut off. -Most of the 113 entombed men were quickly suffocated. The rescuers worked all night long, equipped with oxygen respirators and cutting tools. They laboured frantically to penetrate the obstructions.

Meanwhile, outside, the harriers were guarded by police. Frenzied women, accompanied by their children, fought in the hope of breaking through to join in the rescue work.

The directors, afraid of building up false hopes, forbade the issue of a bulletin. Thereupon the crowd took up the cry of “ Lynch them!” By daybreak the rescuers had made several apertures. Adjacent to one of these apertures they found a chalked message: “Alidiiight! All well so far. We are nine!” Later cries emanated from, another gallery, but these soon ceased. It is believed that was because the fire had extended to that quarter. Th chaos amid the galleries has handicapped the rescuers, some of whom are reported to have .succumbed to the gas poison. Others successfully penetrated to 1230 feet.

'('he 'latest reports show 'that 130 men were killed and seven were rescued. vno hundred and ten bodies have been recovered, all terribly burned and only identifiable by the tags on the lamps. The explosion burled others sixty feet. Chancellor Luther was an early visitor to the scene, and he expressed the Govern men t’s condolence.