MINE DISASTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1921, Page 5

MINE DISASTER.

NINE MEN KILLED. NO CASES OF INJURIES. FURTHER DETAILS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Sydney, March 11. The men killed in the Caffia mine number nine. Their names are: Stanley Jenkin©, Patrick McKeon, Alfred Campbell, Harry Burns, Charles Moore, Phillip Bright, John Mile©, George Christie and Richard Johnson. The majority lived in Orange. Received March LI, 11.5 p.m. Sydney, March IL The Cadia disaster was caused through the explosion of a plug of gelignite dislodging over a thousand tons of ironstone. Only nine men were buried, all of whom were killed instantaneously. Within five minute© of the explosion the first victim was dug out. He was still breathing but almost immediately expired. The accident occurred at two o’clock and within one and a quarter hours all the bodies except Christie’s had been recovered, all being frightfully crushed. In some cases the features were unrecognisable. One man was disembowelled. Christie’s body was recovered at seven o’clock. Jenkins was the first dug out. He would have escaped but when he heard and saw th© tumbling mass he attempted to save a horse which he was in charge of and was overwhelmed.

An extraordinary feature of the disas* is that not one man received minor in-? juries, the nine victims comprising the complete toll, the doctors only work being to pronounce life extinct. Mr. Dooley is leaving for the scene.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.