THE BULLI COLLIERY DISASTER SEVENTY MINERS ENTOMBED. ATTEMPTS AT RESCUE. Terrible Scenes. [From Pape's per s s. Mararoa]

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 197, 2 April 1887, Page 8

THE BULLI COLLIERY DISASTER SEVENTY MINERS ENTOMBED. ATTEMPTS AT RESCUE . Terrible Scenes. [From Papes per ss. Mararoa ]

A fearful catastropho has occuircci at BulH, which ia about eight miles noith of WollGiigoug. At half-past 2 o'clock in the afternoon of March 22nd a terrific explosion took place in the tunnol of the iJulli Company's roina. At tho timo seventy men wore in the workings, and it is feared that they have all been killed. The tunnel is a long one, penetrating the hill a distanco of over one mile, and nicsl of the men inside wero won king at tie inmost extremity, known as Rill End. Here it U that the cxpLfion »s pupposod to have eceurretL Tho iii.^t intimation cf the disaster to those outsiJo wag tho rush from the mouth of tho tunn&l of a blast of gaseous air, which threw a boy ramod Herbert Gopo, who had been driving horses just inside the mine, a distance of abouit a hundred j ardp. Copo was picked up inpensible, bat was found to have- no bones broken, and afterwards recovered consciousness. A Frenchman •\vorkirg out*ide was precipitated down tho embankment, but escaped serious injury. A pilo of timber props outBido the tunnel's mouth waa blown a confeideiable distance. These facts evidenco tho tremendous force of the explosion ; arid it is considered improbable that any of the unfortunate men who wora in the workings can have escaped death. It is feared that if not shattered by tho explosion, they mu?t all have been au {located by the foul gas thus freed.

RELIEF PARTIES. As soon as the mon working outside tho mine realised tho appalling fact that between sixty nnd se\enty of their mates "were in tho mino a relief party was formed. It consisted of four men, named respectively Lang, Chalmers, Scott, and Hope. Thforava fellows facsd tho dark dangers of that terrible tunnel without a moment's hesi tation. Those outtide waited in breathleBB suspense for thtir rsturn. Shortly after, the relief party ha.i disappeared in the murky darkness, the shock of two smaller explosions, evidently right in the interior of iho mine, waB felt, and add^d to the agonising anxiety of tho=e gathered round the entrance. After a period of suspense well nigh unendurable, Lang, one of the relief party, returned to tho mouth of the tunnel. Ho was completely exhausted, and could hardly crawl out, 110 said that Me companions we^o in danger. Immediately, further rescue parties wero formed, and ultimately Obalmers, Scott, ana Hope were brought out alive.

THE TUNN3EL BLOCKED. The further relkf expeditions were much hampered fcr wont of c ifety lamps. A few of these indi?pons^ib!e3 were, howover, foaad, and the work of exploration was vigorously and bravely carried on. It was discovered that the tunnel v, as completely blocked some distunca from the mouth, and, from the appearance of the fall in, it %vos evident that tons upc:i tons of solid earth separated tho inner workings from the would-be reccucra. It was at once seen that there was hudiy the faintest ground for hope that the poor fallows who had been •working within had escaped destruction. Nevertheless, although the voik was one cf despair and teniblo difficulty, the rescuers B©t to work with desperate determination,

BODIES KECOV3KED. Hy 6 pm. the dead bodies of Felix Bourne, William Bourne, sen., William Bourne, jun , Melviiie, two men of the name of Alackey, a man named Wade, and George Ralph had been brought out. The remains ■were shattered and charred in a horrible manner.

SCENE AT THE MINE'S MOUTH. Meanwhile thotcirible i.ews had spread far and wide, and a largo crowd had gathered round thu mouth of the tunnel. .Here the scene way ot a most heart-rend-ing description. Wivps and mothers, and children of tha impri-oncd miners were gathered, and then* laments were loud and piercing. They knew that there waa hardly a hope that any ono d these poor fellows xvould be brought cut alive- yet their prayer^ for the rescuo of the husband, or aon,/pr brother, ot father, were not less affaewng than their cries' of despair. The precise number of thc?e who were tit work in the mine a+ tho timo of the explosion is not known, and h variously estimated at from forty to seventy. It i 3 balieved tho total will be found to bo nearer the latter figure. Tae ccene at the mine tbi? morning- is heartrending, and pdnlul in tho extreme. Women mid children are ru&king to and fro calling the names o' tho loved onea whom they may nevar hoi»j to see again. One ■woman was in extreuie agony of grief, and went hopaleisly man, requiring restraint, I She has lost tvvo eo:i* in tbo mine. As tho d=ad bodies ai? being brought nut the scene is ah-o'uiJy indescribable. The remains are in eomj caeos burned to a cinder. The hea^s are smashed in, and the arms and legs broken, and fearful gashes appsar on tho bodies. The clothes in many c^ees are burned to a she!. The hair is singed horn the heads and facoi>, and the ftash roasted and shrivelled, on crooked, etiifened limba. tcentitication is almost impossible, though it i 3 attempted by examining the clothes of those brought to tho mouth of the mine. Five known to ba lying about a mile aad a half from tha pit's rncuth, behind what is known as the "Big Fall." McCabe, manager of the Mount Keira mine, with a strong relief parcy, U now in the mine, and doeß not intend to come out until 3 o'clock. The whole of the Hill End of the tunnel is damaeei; and: fcr a considerable part of its distance the line is blocked, in some p'acea being covered by 15 to 16ft of fallen earth. The bodies as they are recovered axe borne to the tunnel's mouth by baarerfi on eirefcehara, and taken to the blacksmith's chop thrcugh the crowd of women, who are eagerly vtaiting for some aew? of their own loved ones buried under the ruins of the mine, or lying dead in the ■workings.

NO HOPE OF SURVIVORS. There is absolutely no hope cf one peraon, man or boy, being taken out alive. But the poor creature? at the mouth remain 'lwpSng against hope, and praying fervently thit the bifcter sorrow cf their neighbours mftv pot<sorae upon them. They cannot or w|ll not believe that the husband who' went to his work yesterday morning in all the pride of strong manhood 19 dead. ©a& distracted wife (widow now) shrieked «B*DO beat her br«*3t and tore hor hair out by handfule, "He is not, ho ciwriot be

dead." They will not realise the terrible fact. They rofuse to believe it, and turn Bavagely on those who approach them with a view of offering consolation. They will nob acUnovi ledge, even to themselves, that they have given up hope. Bub, poor creature?, God help thorn, they may as well do so at once.

CAUSE OF THE E2CPLOSION. There is no cluo to the cause of tho catfi^rophe, and though an inquiry \\Vl be LoVl hi cluo cou:eo, it is bolioved nothin : Mi i bs elicited tie to tho origin, as "d?;J men tell no talos." It ia presumed that peih:*p3 one of tho lately employed "blackleg" miner* engaged near tho old woi kings had broken tluc'ugh, and with either a naked light, or through lighting a match, had caused tho explosion on the Hill End workings. Tho forco of iho concussion blew oub tho stoppings along the straight run, and the foul air and black damp woro forced into the western drive, where abcu^ eight men were working at the time of the explosion.

THE NUMBER OF MEN IN THE WORKS. Afc 2 lo p m , yeetcday it is estimated there woro fifty-ono of Iho oM hauda and I twenty blacklegs at work in the We?torn and Hill End mines. Six hoises are nho entombed, Seventeen bodies have bcBn eoen, and the majority of fheeo will probably be taken out to-day.

IN THE DEAD HOUSE. It Ua pitiful sight to eeo tlraewho so shortly before wero stionj.', muscular n:er>, l^ing blackened, bruised, and burned be3'ond rcc ignition— killed in the prime of thoir lives and in the midst of their labour. The majority of the old hands killed were married men with families. The Bowens, iatber and two sons, lie dead side by side in the rcceiving-houso Thero ore three Walkers and three Harrises among tho missing. Mra Mackey has lost htr husband ami two Bons, anu i? left with cix other comparatively young children to battle with tho world alone. Tho first to be re coveied were thepe of Ohvsy Bowen and Felix Bowen. Thoy were killed whore they had been working. Tho former bml his head cut open in various places, the latter hia left* and arm brokon and head cut. The clothing was burnt off and the eyes cut our. George Stephens was terribly mutilated ; tho others were less terribly knocked about. All wore black . s coal and ovore.l with cindera, and tho Ue3h was roasted oiT tbe bonce of tho fingere, and tho toes were curled and phrivtlled up, the limbs were stiffened and crooked, and the eyos in ?oraa cate3 burnt clean out. The sight & horrible.

IN THE MINE. The special repoiter of the " Evening Ng\v.=> " cays: "This morning, upon arriving at 4 o'clock, I at onre prccaeded to the mine, and went along tbe tunnel as tar a? I could go vith safety. In many places I had to climb for yards over fallen blocks of etono tona in weight. I had proceeded nearly a mile and a quarter, when I deemed it advi&ablo to return, con Q equent on the effect of tbo foul air. No attempt has, so far, beon made to explore the western drive. It is alleged that this is impos-iblo at prasent, owing to the proepnc© of foul air. This opening is temporarily stopped wi:h canvas to koeptho fire damp back, and direct tho courso ot the eupply of fresh air along tho straight run. In the main woikings tho very greatest caro is required in pairing through towards the plac3 where the men lio buried. A lighted torch or a caielesa hand on a prop or a cap piece, and thousands of tons of the crumbling earth and rock may be precipitated to the level of the flcor. As it is tho journey is fraught with intense danger, and the brave men v/ho are risking their livee to recover the bndies of their comrades display a true spirit of heroism.

THE AWFUL SOUND. Tho roport was heard at North Bulli, three miles away ; bub few except the old rninars and the women, who had heard that awful sound before, recognised tho note of death. The terrible news spread liko \wldfi.o, and by 4 p in. people from far and near were ga'hered at the mouth of the pit.

ASPECT OP THE TOWN. The town of Bulli to day wears a funereal a?p3Ct Men arc wandering listlessly and aimleesly about waiting for news which cannot, unless by the interposition of a miracle, be good nows. Women are rushing frantically about, prayrng, wooping, appealing to God to pity them and to men to aid them. What can be done 19 being dono, but the work of the recovery of a few oven of the bodies will extend over some day. All busines3 in the town 13 suspended.

HOW MANY WERE THERE? Mr A. Turner, tho police magistrate at Wollongong, wired to the Minister of Mines at 8 o'clock ihie morning : — " As far as can be ascertained, about 75 men are in the Bulli mine ; but there is no hope of any being alive. Six bedies havo been brought out, and five others have been Been in the mine, but have not yet been brought out. The managers oi tho other mines are rendering assistance with the relief parties."

THE BULLI MINE. It is only recently that the long strike at the Buili Colliery was terminated and the mine resumed full work. The full number of omployeoa ia about three hundred men. Bulli is sixty miles south from Sydney, and ia a raining townehip situated between the Tllawarra Mountains and the coast The Bulli Company's mine penetrates tho hill at a distance of übout two railos from the seaThe woi kings are very extensive, and ex tend for a milo and a half from the mouth of tho tunnel.