ANOTHER MINE TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3596, 8 February 1927, Page 3

ANOTHER MINE TRAGEDY.

FOUR LIVES LOST

TWO MEN OVERCOME BY GAS.

TWO WOULD-BE RESCUERS ALSO PERISH.

FATAL EXPERIMENT WITH GAS MASKS.

Westport, February 5,

A tragedy occurred at Millerton mine to-day, when four men lost their lives. The names of the dead are as follows: —•

William Pearson, mine manager, married, with a family.

William Maher, underviewer, married, with a family.

James Cowan, married, with a family. Michael Ford, the well-known Buller representative footballer. HOW! IT HAPPENED.

Inquiries regarding the tragedy reveal that an investigation of. the old fire area was being made by William Pearson (mine manager) and Duffy (underviewer). The investigation was made the occasion for a demonstration in the use of gas masks equipped with Proto breathing apparatus. Pearson and Duffy set out at 7 a.m. and made a thorough examination of the fire area. On returning to the station outside they decided, after a conference, that William Maher (underviewer) and Mick Ford (deputy), equipped with the apparatus, should also make an examination of the mine and return in half an hour. As Maher and Ford did not return in that time Duffy went to look for them, and, seeing their lights in the distance, concluded they were returning. Pearson and Duffy waited a further ten minutes, and as Ford and Maher did not return Duffy re-entered the fire area and there found the body of Maher, u'hicli he carried out.

Assistance was summoned, and Pearson, accompanied by Deputy Cowan, went into the mine to try and recover Ford, but they were both overcome by gas, and it was not until 9 p.m., after numerous attempts by relays of men, that the bodies of Ford, Pearson, and Cowan were recovered. MEN WORK HEROICALLY.

The men worked heroically to effect a rescue, and were ably assisted bv many women who gathered on the scene with refreshments.

Operations were 'conducted by the. district manager (Mr. J. C. Brown) and the mining manager (Mr. Strongman), who had been previously summoned from Westport, where they were attending a conference of disputes committees. THE VICTIMS. William Pearson, who had been with the company since he was rope-road hoy, with the exception of a year spent in mine work in the North Island, was a native of Woodstock, near Hokitika. He was 49 years of age, and leaves a. widow, a married daughter, a married son, and a youth 10 years of age. William Maher, underviewer at Millerton, was a native of Bungaree, Victoria, and was 47 years of age. He joined the company at Millerton, transferred, to Denniston in 1909, and later returned to Millerton. He leaves a. widow and six children, the eldest of whom is 10 years of age. James Cowan, deputy at Millerton, came from Fifeshire, Scotland, and had been,lo years at Millerton. He was 45 years of ago and leaves a widow and family of two sir Is (10 years and 5 yearn) and a son of 13 years. He was a lay preacher at the Presbyterian Church and was to have taken the service at Granity on Sunday night. Mick Ford, deputy, was a Buller Rugby representative footballer, and was a native of Solway. He was 35 years of age and was a bighearted, good-natured Irishman. He formerly worked on the railway line at Tekuha and at Denniston and Millerton. Ilf joined the Westport Coal Company at Denniston, and later became a deputy at Millerton. The tragedy has cast a gloom over the. whole community.