THE HUNTLY DISASTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 94, 16 September 1914, Page 4

THE HUNTLY DISASTER.

FURTHER BODIES RKOOV ERED. HIE DEATH ROLL INCREASES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, iawt Night. Advices from Ilitntly to-day state that tlio rescue parties liave recovered a number of bodies. No further Slopes aja now entertained lor tin recovery of more miners alive. Up to the present, 82 names appear on Mb official death roll at- the King's Hall. With the addition of till2 twenty who cajno out alive cn the day of the accidmt, there is «> total of 52 accounted for. It is now believed that at least 03 miners went below on Saturday moTnirg. Bome who were thought to be off deity at tho tinu> have since proved to be Ji.issing. In on; or two such cases the bodies hare actually been touiuf

Tin re was a second funeTal Uns afternoon for eleven more victims. The following was almost as large as yesterday's, and the occasion was just as sad. T!ie increasing death-roll of each succeeding day is causing tic community to mdise more fully the orurwhelrning nature of the calamity. There will !be little rest in Kurctly till the mine gives up its dead. The touching ■scenes which occurred at. tho twentyone gravesidcu yesterday afternoon—each church has its group in separate portions of the cemetery —were repeated tnis afteino-n.

PROFESSOR DIXON'S OPINION. PROBABLY A COAL-DUST EXPLOSION. , , Auckland, List Night. Professor Harold Dixon, of Manchester University, after a visit to the mine, said that in the time at his disposal he had naturally not been ablo to fjrni a definite opinion as to the seat, or direct cause of the occurrence, "but," he added, "I feel that I can safely say that it was mainly a coal-dust explosion. There ara convincing evidences of that in various parts of tho mine. The problem which remains is to ascertain how it was started." ( "Would even a small explosion of gas J be sufficient to set the coal dust off!" 1 the professor was asked. "Not altogether an insignificant one," he replied. "My method of doing that for purposes of experiment in to lire off about 20 ounces of gunpowder into aH iron tube containing 201b of coal-dust. That causes a shooting flame." The cxf pert added that from the illustration it would be seen that the primary cause of tho explosion must be fairly sub--1 stantial.

In reply to further questions, th# visiting scientist said that after going to 'Wellington, where he was to leeture on explosions, lie would probably retura and place his services at tho disposal of the authorities. Jlc understood that the oflicial enquiry would commence on the 23rd inst., and he would be remaining in New Zealand until Ooctober 3rd. ]f he could be of any assistance in solving the problem which involved the safety of the mine, he would be glad to do 60. Meanwhile it remained for the ofQoiald to seek for the cause of the explosion.

INTERVIEW WITH THE MINISTER I'OR 'MINES. Auckland, Last Night. Prior to leaving for Wellington tonight, the Hon. W. Eraser, Minister for Mines, in referring to the lluntly disaster, said he was satisfied that everything possible had been done and was j being done to cope with the position. I Mr Eraser said he was extremely pleased J that tho Prime Minister had been able to arrange for a visit to the Minister by (Professor Harold Dixon, the eminent ' English scientist, who was an authority ' 011 explosions. Upon his arrived from I Kotorua, Professor Dixon had conferred I with the directors aud himself before examining the mine. "I shall be very glad to have his I opinion when I return to Wellington," jMr Frascr added. After expressing deep sympathy with the sufferers, the Minisj tor said that the disaster had come as a greater shock because the mine had always been regarded as being free from I gases. "From what I have learned," j he added, "I am inclined to think that harm was done by an explosion of fioating coal dust. Even a tiny escape of gas might have caused a minor explosion, large enough to set the coal dust off. Authorities agree that an outburst of the kind would gather in momentum 33 it proceeded on its way, aud, accord- ; ing to the, statement of the survivors, this seems to have occurred on Saturday morning. However, I shall form a more definite opinion after hearing the result of Professor Dixon's observations." The Minister remarked that to 1113 knowledge the company had done its best to keep down the coal du-.t by watering and other means.