MT. LYELL MINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 180, 17 December 1912, Page 5

MT. LYELL MINE.

THE INQUEST. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Hobart, December IG. At the Commission of 'Enquiry into the fire in the North Lyell mine,' Stone, a miner working at the 700 ft. level, testified to its not being possible for the men's clothes to catch lire when warming billies in the steel house. Witness was informed by Burns (a previous witness) that the pump-house was afire. Witness told Grant, the timekeeper, and asked him to get three doctors. Grant replied that he would telephone to Murray. Witness said. •■Never mind; Murray will get the doctors." Grant apparently telephoned to Murray reporting the outbreak and suggesting that doctors be sent. This was at 11.15 in the morning. Witness thought that if the order had been given promptly the whole shift could have been saved. If there had been a man always in attendance at the 700 ft. pump-house, the lire could have been extinguished. There was no exit from the mine other than by the shaft, Witness considered that the men engagd on the other side of the pumphouse were cut off from escape. O'Connor, driver in charge of the hoist machinery, said that when the first message stating that the pumphouse on the 700 ft. level was on Are was received, the order was given to raise the lower cage quickly. He received a message from below stating, "For God's sake keep the compressor going, or we will all be suffocated."