MEN ENTOMBED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 337, 24 April 1928, Page 1

MEN ENTOMBED

THREE DIE IN MINE TERRIFIC EXPLOSION GALLANT RESCUE EFFORTS (United P.A. — By Telegraph — copyright) Reed. 9.5 a.m. BRISBANE, Today. Through an explosion, three men were entombed in the Redbank Colliery, near Brisbane, and perished. They were: Mr. J. P. Lestrange. managing director of the property. He leaves a widow and two children. Mr. G. Howells, deputy-manager He also leaves a widow and two children. Mr. J. Marsteller. a member of the staff. He leaves a widow and seven children. , It was a holiday at the mine, and the three men descended early in the morning on a tour of inspection. They had not been below long when a terrific explosion occurred. and pieces of the pit-head apparatus were hurled high into the air. HUNDREDS OF RESCUERS When hundreds of rescuers arrived on the scene, they found the explosion had blown up one of the cages ami wrecked the working gear of the otjier. A miners* rescue brigade, after two hours* work, improvised means of descending the shaft. Mr. Lestrange is one of the most prominent men in the West Moreton district. He has been connected with mining all his life. The rescue party reached the bottom of the shaft which was cleared, and then they commenced digging away the debris in the tunnel. They had succeeded in reaching within 100yds of the entombed men when the air gave out, the air control apparatus having been blown to pieces in the explosion. When oxygen cylinders had been received below' the rescuers continued j their efforts and recovered Mr. Lej strange’s body. Apparently he had j been filled instantaneously. The explosion was so terrific that crockery in houses a mile from the mine was thrown to the floor. - The remaining two bodies entombed at the colliery were recovered five 1 yards apart, where the explosion 1 effects were the worst. Marsteller : was severely burned. The air below* was foul, and the rescuers had to re- ; treat on a couple of occasions. It is believed the explosion was due to the presence of gas in the worfcJ ings * __________ Calf Breaks Farmer’s Ankle.— A calf | kicked Mr. A. Darragh, a Matamata 1 farmer, and broke one of his ankles. Stolen Tyre. —Frederick Douglas Stacey, charged at the Police Court to-day’ with steailng a motor-car tyre and. rim, was fined £5.