Yesterday's Mining Accident.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3014, 12 October 1878, Page 2

Yesterday's Mining Accident.

McTCELVIE'** STATEMENT.

We were slightly in error in stating in yoslonlay's iss«ue that the man McKelvie wa3released from his five hours' imprisonment by the fall of mullock in the Queen of Beauty mine without a scratch, but such was the news that came up from below just as we were going (6 press .Nevertheless, the injuries were tiot so seribusTasi aright have been expected from the fearful posrition in which the unfortunate man. was placed, and his escape from d^atu is miraculous, and perhaps quite unprecedented. The small bone of lvitf ri^ht leg* was broken, and ho lias many severe bruises on his legs, arms, and-face. A reporter of this journal proceeded to) ,ih<e J?|)Bpital *|to' interview McKelrie to day, aWI foundhim in, good!{spirits;;! but!^apparently much shaken by the severe' ordeal through which, he piisVed';' ' In answer to questions put to him he iriade the following statement :—" At a little after ten o'clock one of my mates iivarted to run a pass from the No. 7 level, using a bar for that purpose. There wad a portion which he could riot remove with his bar from below, so I and another proceeded to • the, No. 6 level to clear it from above, I wish you to correct a statement in the Advertiser's report to the effect thaj; my mate warned me not to go down as the pass, was dangerous. I asked him this morning if he had so warned me, and -he said he had pot. Neither of . us; had any idea of there being any danger in going ( down the pass. "It appeared Jiejftectly/iaf^;.^' there d;d not;. appear to, be anything. .Wrong with the'wal! ; of igll^cic:; W^ there jiws, only a few trucks.Qf ptj'u'ff in the* ypass, and fating down an iron rail '^orun; the pass, I made a smallistanding stage,very. ; carefully, and soon made the stuff move, Immediately it; started toirun,. however, apportion of the mulloek'waU ibenejtfh >mM gave way» bringing down> the^wall.a'bot* me. The stage was carried away immediately, and X; neit found myself 'lying partly oh'iny'sidb'withf; aK&tit 20 f«»tbt stuff ptf^Op 1:;. I: fal held' aa in a vice, and' tbi' bnjy, ! could mb^was imy.' head,'"!a'^^hat. 'tgi^' jtttieJ ' : ; immense lump,was resting pti my h.jp,.and ybuican see ,by the,marJkSf-on ,my .arms how;' those were / bild./i MyjheadjWflß, i^mhied forwar,d piiiffly che^t,. qpajfpjei some time I endured feaiful, agony. .After; awhile the circulation; of theblood in the legsand* arms wasi suspended,) and that caused the abatement of the pain. After the first fall the stuff did not appear to more; jihad .plentyipfsigood *ip;,^qd cbuld see the lights. Qf ; , the '* rescuer^ and spoke,to them occasionally, directing their operations. I tried to, beep up my spirits, but I cannot express, nor no one will ever < know, - the frightful mental agony I endured' while lying at the ve'iy gate of death those long, long hours. Words cannot express my thanks to our manager (Mr Kadford) and his men; Mr Dunlop (manager of the Piako) ; Mr ' Ivey '(undemewer), aria Messrs Eonald MacUonaldand Charles Wilsoa for their perseverance.' They all worked Jike niggers, and tried to encou rage me with prpspects of my speedy release. When they had cleared my arms you cannot imagine the relief I felt, and when they came to remove the immense lump off my thigh, Tom Badford exerted his great strength, and lifted it off me> It was so bi-» that it had to be broken up, and all the pieces were as much as an ordinary "man»could, move. When/ \hej^ lifted me out I was in greatipain through tb.9 return' of circulation; but I was got out trV'y *bankful for my escape, and: here I am, and the dortor says I will t be all right in a week o.' two."