SERIOUS MINING DISASTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue XXIV, 20 March 1902, Page 3

SERIOUS MINING DISASTER.

A MINE FLOODED. SIX MEN DESPAIRED OF. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. Received 19, 6.46 p.m. Melbourne, March 19. A serious disaster has occurred at the Trunk Head mine, Ballarat, owned by the Cardigan Proprietary Company, Water broke in suddenly, flooding a portion of tbe workings. Three men, McGrath, Hagarty, and Simpson, escaped; but six others, Mansfield, Hunter, O'ELeefe (2), W. Simpson, and King are still below, and there is little hope of their escaping drowning,

FURTHER PARTICULARS. THRILLING ACCOUNTS OF THE ESCAPED MEN. Received 20,1,21 a.m. Melbourne, March 19, Details of the disister are meagre. The latest reports show that after several hours pumping there were thirty foet of watar in tbe workings, It was cohMd ed there was no h 'pe for the six men b low. A great crowd gathered at the mine, and many p thetic sc ues were witnessed.

It is impossible at presant to sti l e [the ciuse <f the ingre-s of water, j McQrath s<■ s tint. on his way out |he svw th« uodi '8 of J Mansfi id land Hunter senior. H« i-tafces that ' the shift of nire men w. Nt on at midI night. An hour aud a half lit r MciGrath heard a noise lika rolling thunder, and a rush of air extinguished the lights. He, Simpson, Hagarty were suddenly hurled to the g- u>fi by the deluge, which was waist deep They regained their feet half diowned, and groped their way in the dark along the driv , clinging together. The men succeeded in fusing the cataract, which was pouri g from the top of the drive where U e inrush occurred.

At the shaft they found King and Sipipson junior, in a weak condition, and talked things ov<r. McGrath, seeing that it was the only chance of life, decided to plunge down the man hole, and tried to persuade the others to follow.

After a terrible experience McGrath made hia way out, and g-iva the alarm. Simpson senior and Hagar'y e-cap-d by swinging themselves d>wu the caps of the timber lini" t ( > .-haft. Simpson junior and King refused to risk the journey, believing themselves safe. The remaining four men weie in No. 12 rise, where the inrush is supposed to htve occurred.