The Colliery Disaster at Lithgow.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1699, 4 May 1886, Page 3

The Colliery Disaster at Lithgow.

LATER PARTICULARS, STATEMENTS OF SURVIVORS. [Concluded.] ' While these circumstances were'happening inside the mine the men at work outside became conscious of something beins wrong. A tremendous volume of smoke and debris shot up into the air from the two furnace shafts, and simultaneously a great crowd of dust came sweeping out of the tunnel mouth. So great was the force of this outburst that it is said to have blown two individuals who were at work at one of the furnaces about 30 yards down the main heading, fully 50 yards from where it first struck them. Immediately . these thines were noticed by those outside the pit, measures were taken to ascertain what had happened inside; The manager of the mine (Mr Campbell), the overseer of the brickworks (Mr Morris), and two others went into the mine, and it was suggested that, as there were skips m ' the pit, they should be drawn out, as it | was possible the men who were known to be in 1 the liiine might have got into the skips to save themselves. Tins sug-gestion-was acted uoon, and Norwood was drawn out alive. But the drawing out of these skips was a terrible incident m connection with the poor fellows who had abandoned them for the purpose of groping their towards the pit entrance,' while they were doing the best that their failing strength would allow them to do m their strruggle to save their lives, some of them suddenly became conscious that the wire to which the skips were attached was moving under .their feet. The engine outside was commencing to haul the skips towards the daylight, and the men recognised m their agony that their greatest chance of life now lay m either getting into the skips as they were moving or grasping the rope, letting themselves be dragged along by it. William Mantle, one of the men who eventually escaped, was one 'of the first to feel the rope moving! and he.it is said, sang out hysterically, "Make for the skips! Some 'of the men made a spring m the darkness to catch the skips as they passed, and one or two succeeded m laying hoM oO them, and were dragged some distance. The others missed them altogether, and then m their desperation threw themselves/lown, m order if possible to seize the tail-rope and allow themselves to be dragged onwards m that manner. Mantle did this, and catching hold of a portion of the rope ahead of the skips, he held it fast, and., was dragged along the ground, and cut and bruised every foot of the way. Despite tlii?, however, he held on as loner as his strength lasted, and then, being obliged to let go the rope, he rolled himself outof the way of the skips, and lay on thejground until lie was rescued. The danger he and all were m from these skips was even greater than, the men imagined, for as the skips were hauled ■ along ftiey left the rails and travelled „m an 'irregular manner from side to Far more sensational than MantleV experiences when being dragged by the repe were those of John Duncan. His story is best told from his own words, and it' will be seen from his statement further on that his struggle for life was a very desperate one. He is much cut and bruised, particularly about the hands and face, for he was dragged along the : ground for a considerable distance, and the roadway along which the skips travelled is not only uneven, but it is fitted with large wooden rollers, over which the hauling rope travels. The unfortunate men who lost their lives were overcome by the suffocating air after the skips passed them. Thomas Mantle? appears,. from the statements of Duncan, to have been the first to show ■igns of giving m. Duncan, m his efforts to save his own life, did not neglect to encourage the others with some, cheering words, but there was no possibility, m the awful darkness and the choking atmosphere, of rendering any assistance to any one showing signs of weakness. Thomas Mantle was heard to say to Joseph 3uzza, "Oh, Joe, don't go and leave me; don't go away, Buzza ; 'and Buzza*imselfj destined to die m a very few minutes afterwards, was heard to reply encourasinglVj "Come away, Tom.", But Tom's trouble was nearly over. ;He. managed to struggle on a bit further- with others, and then saying, •• Oh, Tcan't go any further ; I m done, he seemed to give up further effort, and to abandon himself to his fate. Thomas Rowe gave up about the same time. Buzzar who had been heard praying (he is said -to ihave been a member of the Salvation Army,), must have succumbed a few minutes previously, Isaiah Hyde and Launcelot illison died m close proxiinitv to the others— the former near Thomas' "- Mantle; and the latter near Rowe. Those of the men^Apart from Norwood j who were rescued, were found ■'- lying on the. ground m various positions, and m a condition more or less insensible They had, been affected by the foul air they hod been breathing. In the search that was made for the imprisoned men Dr Gibbons took part. He accompanied^- the rescue party into the pit, anS was m attendance every time any one of the, missing men was found. The scene^t the.tunnel mouth- was a very painful one. The relatives of the men itfthe mine gave vent to their grief m tearl and lamentations, and the spectacle, as. the dead bodies were one Rafter another brought out of the pit, is said to have been heartrending. One poor girl, a Miss 1 Rowe, the sister of one of the men who lost their lives, and the daughter of 'one of those who were killed by the fatal occurrence m the same pit a few weeks ago, was almost frantic, and was only prevented by torce from rushin«>- into the mine m search of all that remained of her brother. The dead bodies were taken to the homes they had left m health and strength m the morning. There they now lie, with little more apparent about iheir features than the appearance of a calm sleep. One of them m somewhat burnt or bruised, as. though he had been hurled by the explosion against the side of the pit, but otherwise death seems at the last to have stolen over tne^men very quietly and peacefully. - ' . ■' ■■