Huntly Mine Explosion

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 25, 16 September 1914, Page 8

Huntly Mine Explosion

OFFICIAL DEATH ROLL.

THE LAST SAD SCENES AT THE GRAVESIDE.

Association.] v ' ■ Auckland,- September 15. 'Advices-from- l HUntly to-day state that -the rescue parties have recovered a number'of bodies. No further hopes are'-now entertained for the recovery of more miners alive. Up to the prer setot/ 32 names- appear on the official death roll at'the King's Hall. With the addition of the "twenty who-came but -alive'-on' the'day of the accident, there 'is' a total of 52 accounted for'. 'lt is uow believed that atvleast :63 miners'went-'below on Saturday morh> ing.'- Some who'Were' thought; to be off duty 'at the time have since proved to-be missing. In one or two such caSes the- bodies have actually been found. • •'

- There was a second funeral this, afternoon for eleven more victims. The following was -almost as large as yes r terday's, and the occasion was just as •Sad.' The increasing death-roll of each succeeding'day is causing the community to'realise more fully the overwhelming'nature of the calamity. There will be little rest in Huntly till the mine gives up its dead. The touching scenes'which occurred at the twentyone gravesides yesterday afternoon—each'church has'' its. group in separate portions of the cemetery—were repeated this afternoon.

"MAINLY A COAL-DUST EXPLOSION." 1 'Auckland; September. 15. ; Professor Harold Dixon, of Chester University, after a visit to the; ■mine, said that in the time .at'.his disr ■ ppsal he had naturally not-been able' to form a definite opinion as to the best. or''direct cause of i the occurrence'/ "but," he added, "'I feel that I can safely-say-that is was mainly a coahdust .'explosion. There are convincing evidences of-that in various'parts ot 'fche'BJih'e? The problem which remains is to ascertain how it was started." The visiting scientist said that aftei going to Weilintgon, where he was to •lecture on explosions,- he understood that the official inquiry would commence on the 23i-dinst.) and lie would be remaining in -JSew Zealand until October 3rd. ' If he could be of any assistance in solving the problem which involved the safety of the mine,,,he would be 'glad to do so. Meanwhile, it remained for 1 -"the' officials to seek for I'the- cause of the explosion.