THE BULLI DISASTER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1562, 31 March 1887, Page 3

THE BULLI DISASTER.

Papers to bund from Sydney contain long accounts of the above mining dia> aster, which occurred at 2.30 p.m. on the 22nd of March laat, Ai aoon u the men working outside realised the appalling fact a relief payty was formed, consisting of four men, named Lang, Chalmers, Scott, and Hope. These brave fellows faced the dark dangers of the terrible tunnel without a moment'a hesitation, and soon the shocks of two email ezplo* sione evidently in the interior of the mine was felt, and added to the agonising society of those gathered round the entrance, After a period of suspense, well nigh unendurable, Lang, one of the relief parly, returned to the mouth of the tunnel. He wae completsly exhausted, and could hardly crawl out. He said that bis companions were iq danger. Other rescue parties were immediately formed, and they entered the tunnel. Chalmers, Scott, and Hope were brought out alive,

It was discovered that the tunnel was completely blocked some distance from the mouth, and from the appearance of the obstruction it was evident that tons of sqlid earth separated the inner verbiage from the would-be rescuers. It was then at once seen that there was hardly

the faintest grot for b°P 9 that the poor fellows who hv) « working within tad esnoprri riesfrii* • . Nevertheless, although the wo' K « ’ ® no desp.iii tarriblo dijli ’pity, the rescuers continued their effort) with desperals determination. The scene st the mine on th« morning following the disaster wan heartrending and painful in the extreme. Women »nd children were rushing to and fro, calling the names of the loved ones whom they might never hope to see again. One woman in the extreme agony of her grief, went bopelestly mad, requiring restraint. She bad lost two of her sons in the mine. As the bodies were brought out the scene was absolutely indescribable. Ths

remains of the victims were m some eases

burned to a cinder s their beads were smashed in, their arms and legs were broken, and fearful gashes appeared on thoir bodies. Their clothes In many in* st incea were burned to ashes, their hair singed from their heads, their facet and fls»h roasted on their shrivelled and stiffened limbs. Identification was almost

impossible, though it was attempted by ex training the clothes of those brought to the mouth of the rains. Fitra bodies were known to be lying about a mile and a-lialf from the pit’s mouth, behind what is known as the “ Big Fall." The bodies as they were recovered were* borne to the tunnel’s mouth on stretchers, and were tbken to the blacksmith’s shop through a crowd of women who were eagerly waiting for some news of their own loved ones buried under the reins of

the mine or who were lying dead in the workings. There was absolutely no hope of one person, mao or boy, being taken out alive, but the poor creatures at the mouth remained hoping against hops, and praying fervently that the bitter sor* row of their neighbors might not come upon them. They could not, or would not, believe that the husband who went to his work yesterday morning in all ths pride of strong manhood was dead. One distracted wife (widow now) shrieked, as she beat her breast and tore her hair out by handfuls, "He is not, he cannot be dead.” They could not realise the ter* rible fact; they refused to believe it, and turned savagely on those who approached them with a view of offering consolation. They would not acknowledge even to themselves that they bad given up hope.

There is no clue to the cause of the catastrophe, and though an enquiry will be held in due course it is believed that nothing will be elicited as to its origin* It is presumed that perhaps one of the lately employed “ blackleg ” miners en* gaged near the old working had broken through, arid either carrying a naked light or through lighting a match bad caused the explosion. On tbs Hilleod workings the force of the concussion blew out the stoppings along the straight run, and foul air and black damp were forced into the western drive, where about eight meo were working at the time of the ex* plosion. The majority of the old hands were married men with families, Of the Bournes, the father and two sous lie dead ‘side by side in the receiving house. There are three Walkers and Harris' among the miners. Mrs Mackay has lost her husband and two sons, and is left with six other comparatively young children to battle with the world alone. The first to be recovered were Otway Bowen and Felix Bowen ; they were killed where they had been working. The former had hie bead cut open, the latter his leg and arm broken and his head cut, their cloth* ing was burnt off, and their eyes cut out. George Stephens was terribly mutilated. The others were less terribly mutilated, about. All the bodies were black as coal, covered with cinders, the flesh roasted, the toes curled and shrivelled up, and the limbs stiffened and crooked, the eyes in eome c«ses being burned clean out. The sight was b orrible.