Disaster Predict

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 115, 8 October 1914, Page 4

Disaster Predict

AT HUNTLI SONtt

SENSATIONAL BTTDONOE AT ENQUIRY.

MINES DEPARTMENT INDICT®).

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland,, bast Night. The most Mnaatioiial evidenco yet submitted to the Royal Commiaj.on now sitting at Kuntly was heajd this morning, when Mr, Wilford called Frank Kecd, Inspecting Engineer of Mines and consulting engineer for State collieries In New Zealand 1 , Witness said Ihe had examined the Tabpiri mines several times daring the last eight years. It waa not until last Christmas that he had iuformauion suggesting that the mines were dangerous. During the Auckland Exhibition 'he was examining candidates for certificates in testing firedamp, and his suspicions were aroußed Jbijj the number 06 irten who came fromi tka Taupiri district. He said to one of them: "Why are so many of you men coming fro.'i Taupiri t You have no gaa in fm> mines: there." The miner replied '"Haven't we!" Another told him that there had been several cases of .burning. He wrote to ißoyd Beanie (district inspector), asking him to ascertain from the Mineiw' Union whethar case* of burning fiad occurred: Beanie repliid that the Union would give lum no information. In reply to & letter from the inspector, the manager of (Ralph's nuine, Fletcher, wrote on J&nuiary 14 giving particulars of three instances where miners had beertt burnt. Witness reported tha matter to the Under-Secre-tary of Minos.

Here witness, after examining a file of his letters, which had been called for by the Commission from the Department, stated that some of the most imporant of his letters had) not been sent. He had written sax or seven : during the early part of the year and two since the explosion. ' Mr. Maca&sey (representing the Grown Law Office) asked far dates so that he could send for the missing letters. He desired to Iceeip nothing back. Resuming, witmea said that about the end of January he wrote to the UnderecretaJtyi enclosing Bennte'a letter, stating that he regretted t« rep*rf a breach *? law by the managamentj of 'Ralph's ■i:ne, inasmtuoh {Hat gas explosions which had caused injuries to miners had been concealed by thei management. That letter stated that the elements for a eolliery disaster were all present. He received no reply to that letter, but when Parliament opened he waa repeated) by the Under-Secretary to giv« an opinio* on the Mining Act) Amendment Bill. Witaefiß, replying, nade reference to the • conditions in Ralphs mine, and stated that if action were taken and a disaster occurred as the result of inadequate law, the inspecting branch of tie Department could not be held responsible. Witaess that preference b« giVrn io the (tmemlmS s'flt, H« wrote as follows: "I fear a Holocaust at Ralph's mine," He again f rote on July 29 drawing attention to the burning accident to a miner darned Kelly in Ralph's mine. In that letter he stated. "This accident might hare been a holocaust. seriousness of these explosions at Huntly cannot foe lightly paased over. Should another: Kaitangata or Brunner disaster oeeur the piiblio would condemn us. The manager should be imade to realise the seriousness of the position." Witness continued to feel uneasy, and on August 11 ho wrote to the UnderSecretary, suggesting that a prosecution would do good #ven if it failed, owing to ai obsolete (Mining Act, for it would at least show the public that the Department was alive to the position. Witness received a jiequest fromi Mr. Blow asking for particulars of the dangerous j conditions reported Viy) Inspector Ben- ] nie in the collieries in the Auckland | district, and was also asked for Bug- j gestione as to remedies. In his rqport dated August 18 witness referred to the Taupiri mines under the following heads: "Firedamp prevalent," "Several miners burnt fby gas," ''Disastrous explosion possible." He recommended that only safety lamps be allowed. Bight days before the disaster at Huntly he come up to the Thames, bringing game sixty electri# tamps which he demonstrated to Inspector Bennie. In one of tho Thames mines subsequently he asked Bennie to take them to Fletcher and try to get him to iaata.l them in Ralph's mane, which he regarded as a dangerous mino. Witness said ho then went to Greymouth, and on the day preceding the explosion at Huntly told Mr. i. A. James, of the State colfieries, that he feared a dSsaster at Ralph's mine. On the following day the clerk came into his office and reported the news of the disaster, whereupon James remarked, '-'Why, Reed, you told me yesterday that thi# was going to happen 1" Witnow stated that msans which actuated him in "hammering fa" six or seven 1 warnings to tha DernrtMent were: (a) Tho large area of "high workings in Ralph's minfi; (b) tho diffisulty of maintaining veatilation and SttYflltjßg ignition* of gan, any one of which might have RauSSl | Sotficftttst, «04 tko amount of dratt present; (c) the weakness, of the Art; (dl) the nalked . lights and flame-proSucing explosives in use; (e) the inexperience Of tie men all round resulting fromi the lack of facilities' in New Zealand for instructing colliers in regard to the dangers' of gas.