WYALONG DISASTER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 109, 16 January 1912, Page 5

WYALONG DISASTER

HOW IT OCCURRED. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, January 15. Six are dead at West Wyalong: Their naim's are Godfrey Maguire, Robert Xa\in. John Navin, Rupert Nicholson. John Mulhall and William Cunningham. The disaster was quite unexpected, as the mine was not suspected of containing foul air. It is supposed that an explosion of raekarock released a pocket of foul' gases. The inrush must have been sudden, as most of the bodies were fpund a few feet from where the men were working.| Cunningham, with Abe Wellington, managed to crawl out of the foul zone, and was rescued with difficulty. Cunningham afterwards succumbed, and Wellington is in hospital in a serious condition. The funeral of the victims was the largest in the district. All except Cunningham left wives and young families dependent on them. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. SCENES AT THE PIT HEAD. WIVES FORCIBLY REMOVED. Received I>s, 9.10 p.m. Sydney, January 15. At the inquest it was stated that tin men were leaving work as usual, when a shot was put in. The men withdrew. Apparently old workings were broken into, causing a rush of gas. Wellington escaped the full force through being in a cross cut. An alarm was given by his brother, one of the deceased, who was working in a different part of the mine. The manager, with a relief party, went down and fWnd the boijies. Although suii'ering considerably from the effects of the foul air, the rescuers removed the bediqs to the surface. There was a sorrowful scene at thj mouth of the mine. The wives of the deceased men had to be forcibly removed to their homes.