MINING ACCIDENT. FIVE MEN ENTOMBED. Greymouth, Dec. 21.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 432, 28 December 1889, Page 4

MINING ACCIDENT. FIVE MEN ENTOMBED. Greymouth, Dec. 21.

A serious accident happened at Kumara yesterday. The new tunnel being constructed bv Mansfield and party for No. 3 channel deviation caved in. Five men were entombed ; their names are : Geo. Mansfield, Thos. Thomas, Dave Evans, Thos. Morgan, and Ricbaid Straight. Air has been passed to them. It will be seven hours before they can be released. The accident was caused through No. 1 chaunel giving way at a point between where the cross tunnels from sections 2 and 3of No. 3 channel opened on it. About 9 a.m. yesterday it waa discovered that a block in No. 1 channel had occurred. The signal was at once given, and the nozzles diverted so a3 to tend as little dirt as possible, and -the men gathered to the entrance. The water backed up with astonishing rapidity, and though instructions were at once sent to turn it ott, it had risen 19 feet "" beforo this could be done. At once it was concluded there could be little chance of recovering the doomed men alive, being on the highest section of No. 3 channel. The level was two or three feet above that of No. 1, and as the channel was not more than eight feet high, the whole of the section must be full of water. The natural leakage down No. 1 channel, now, that there ■was no water coming in, was sufficient to dispose of the volume pent up, but the work of subsidence was naturally slow, and it was not until four o'clock that it had gone down enough to enable the rescue party to commence driving a tunnel to the place where the five men are entombed. It is anticipated that it will take ten hours to reach them, and no hope is entertained of their being found alive. The following telegram passed to-day from Sir Seddon, M.H.H., to the Ministers : " Relief parties worked .splendidly. All the men entombed were released without a eciatch at five o'clock this morning. No. 1 channel has- broken down for about three chains. All the parties stopped until the damage was repaired 1 . It cannot- even wash up the tail races. I would earnestly recommend sending Mr Gordon immediately."' From Minister to Mr Seddon : " Congratulate Kumara on the rescue of miners. I ask you to thank for me the men who assisted the Government. Use every exertion to repair drainage. Inspecting engineer instructed to proceed to Kumara at once. In the meantimo I am wiring the 'manager of the race to use despatch to effect the temporary repairs to enable the miners to resume work. " Duxkdin, Dec. 21. MrR, Skddox, M.H.R'., telegraph? to the Minister of Mines : "Accept on behalf of the Kuroara community its warmest thanks foryourpromptand advantageous considera- • tion. Will publicly convey your thanks to the rescuing party." The Government manager at Kumara wires :—": — " Soon •after starting a small tunnel on Wednesday night live entombed miners answered the customary signal. Nearly. loo 1 miners were in the old channel ready to relieve in half hour shifts, which "< were continued under great excitement till a quarter to five on Thursday morning, when the men were taken out in > good health. They had diiven twelve feet to meet us; the water at one .time had been ' very high in their tunnel. I have not-yet bad time to examine the seat of the cave-in in the old channel, and I fear I cannot of course, eluice any of it out till timber it restored and an opening was made through • the choked part. The miners are quite well. ,