THE HUNTLEY DISASTER

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 717, 31 October 1914, Page 5

THE HUNTLEY DISASTER

REPORT OF COMMISSION. THE MANAGEMENT CRITICISED. NEGLECT OP INSPECTOR. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PKKSS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Friday. The repei-!; of tha Royal Commission on the Huntly disaster finds that the. explosion was c»us6d by a naked light used by Martin, deceased, thereby igniting a gaseaos raisture in No. 6 bord. Safety lamps were used by tha mine officials', but naked lights bv the workmen. The ventilation of. the mine was generally efficient, "hut was defective as regards section 5 r Tha examination of the mine as a whole was satisfactory, but inspection of the old workings was inadequate and tha absence qf ladders in high bords prevented thorough examination in such places for gas. The Commission linos that there is not. to our knowledge, in the past history of the mine any occasion on which it was necesssry to withdraw workmen. Means of escape in case of accident was afford'ed by three shafts, which, in the opinion of the Commission, was adequate. The Commission criticises the management as follows: Tha management oi the mine, speaking generally, was good, but in certain respects, e.g., the prompt carrying out o£ the inspector's order's, the precautions taken against danger from gas; the ordering of safety lamps, and the examination of old workings, it was lax and unsatisfactory to Inspector of Mines. The Commission states the Inspector, of Mines is a careful, competent officer, zealous and conscientious in his wo»k, but he was remiss in not requiring prompt and strict obedience to his orders in not more frequently visiting old workings. He committed an error of judgment in not insisting on safety lamps being used in tha mine after the accident to miner Kelly. Tha inspection by workmen's inspectors was infrequent and valueless. No inspection was made of bords 4, .5, and 6 of section 5 of old workings by any person on the morning of the accident before the workmen were permitted to enter tho door at the end of bord No. 6of section 5, where it connects with the working part of the mine. The door was not locked, nor in any other way securely fastened. If there had been no neglect with respect to these matters the disaster in the mine could not have happened.