BLACKBALL MINE FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1922, Page 5

BLACKBALL MINE FIRE.

RENEWED ACTIVITY. WORKINGS TO BE CLOSED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Greymouth, Last Night. The fire in the Blackball mine has as-> sumed such proportions that it has been found necessary to seal off the whole of the workings, with the exception of one section. which is nearly worked out. The result is that practically the whole of the employees of the Blackball Cod Company are automatically idle. It is estimated that it will be at least six months before any attempt can be made to open the sealed-off section. Yesterday, strenuous efforts were made by a party of miners to reach the pumps in No. 9 section, which is still open, the men getting within one chain of their objective, but the party had to abandon their effort, owing to the prevalence of the dreaded black smoke. The fire was caused, it is believed, by a fall of coal fusing an electric cable. It was thought it had been got undsr control on Saturday morning, but on Sunday night it broke out with renewed activity. 200 MEN OUT OF WORK. Greymouth, Nov. 27The fire at Blackball mine took a cerious turn early this morning and all the coal-producing sections are being sealed off. The mine is being flooded. Valuable machinery ifl affected. It is now 'believed the mine will be closed for several months, causing unemployment for over 200 men on the Coast. The Christmas trade has fairly poor prospects owing to the mining stoppages and the shipping trouble.