THE BREAK-EM-ALL CLAIM. (To the Editor.)

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 233, 18 July 1872, Page 6

THE BREAK-EM-ALL CLAIM. (To the Editor.)

Sir, — You seem to be as fortunate as your conteinpoYary, the "Bruce Herald," was in your choice of ,a S\vit?er§ correspondent. Your columns are made a medium in which your porrespendent displays, his ignorance, and shews that contemptible trait in a a.an's character — envyatthesuceessof others. The mining interests, qf tb js djstrict ar.e only slightly noticed, and the most- important facts, connected' with the place s.ecm. to b.e completely jgnorqd. In your correspondent's letter of July 4th, I find statements that I beg to, offer the most etnphatic denial $q. In the first place, he infonms you that he has conversed with jninexs who have been accustomed to ivot sinking, and that they pronounce the Break-em-All claim a man-trap. How, s'"r, I should like to know how f.hat brilliant correspondent and those ~?ld women, wet sinkers wham be has beon talking to arrjyed at that sensible conclusion. In the first place, Mr. Editor, no man goes into the claim with his eyes shut. Secondly, no man works in it but by his own free will. Thirdly, every man before entering it p.rofesses to be a practical underground jniner. Shp.rtly after the accident, a few skilled miners, at my solicitation, yisited the claim, a,ud the only condemnation that they offered qn the gystein of working it was the wide spread of cap timber, especially as the used was birch. After an ac^ cjdeut has qccurred in a claim, by which ]ife has been lost, and that claim ik yisited, b,y a few persons with their imaginations, excited by the report that \t was gad timbering caused it, those persons would see danger, and find fault where, uuder other cireuinstaiu;e.g, ■;hp.y would never, haye noticed it. I may be allowed;' to state that the {niner, -who, has been employed to ex trje{ite the body qf Arlcenatajl, under Very difficult circum§tancpß, had worked ii| jVie claim some nionths,' p,r,eyiqus to the ac/-i«lent; and intends doing 'so iv *fns future;

About six months ago I had the claim inspected by a skilled underground miner — a man who had gained his experience in some of the most difficult claims that have been worked in Victoria — and the only fault that he found was the wide spread of cap. In the next part of your cofrespondent's letter, he informs you tl at he has heard that sufficient energy was hot displayed at the time of the accident to extricate the unfortunate man. I suppose he derived this information also from the elderly females before alluded to. I may inform you, sir, that you have published a libel, both on the mates of Arkenstall and the inhabitants of the Winding Creek, j who, to a man, turned out of their beds and came and rendered every assistance that it' was possible for men to do under the circumstances. The accident happened on a Monday morning, about 9 o'clock, and not a man left tho ground until half-past 5 o'clock on the following morning ; it was then unanimously considered there no possibility of the man being alive, and as the ground was running at such a rate, it was dangerous and impracticable to make any further attempt until it had settled. Had your correspondent been there, or had he a knowledge of underground work, he would have seen that the way in which the ground was .comiug down would render it impossible for the most skilful miners to do anything. In conclusion, sir, I do think that it would be more consistent with charity and good tante for the correspondent of any newspaper to assure himself of the truth of every statement he makes. — j I am, &c, 11. N. Simson. Switzers, 12th July. (To the Editor.) Sir, — It is with very considerable regret tha£ I notice in your last issue of the 4ffi July, a most uncalled for attack upon Messrs. Siinson and Bastings, the owners of the Break-em-All claim, Switzers. in which the unfortunate man, Daniel Arkenstall met his death. I think, sir, that your " own correspondent " should be exceedingly-care-ful how he rushes into print upon such information as he received. He sa\s that he has cm v red with several miners of well-known experience in wot sinking, and that they state that after examining the timbering and general workmanship displa3 r ed in carrying on the under-ground operations, the claim was only a mantrap. Now, sir, I ask you is this a fair thing to say of a claim that has Been worked for eight years without any accident worth mentioning having occurred before ? Do we not read of accidents taking place frequently in the mining districts at home, where all i the appliances that art has produced are at the command of the miner, and yet without preventing fatal accidents. Then, sir, your " own correspondent " states that sufficient energy was not displayed at the time the accident occurred. Now, I happened to be on the spot at the time, and am therefore in a much better position to state what was done than your " own correspondent " can possibly be. As soon as ! the mate of Arkenstall gave the alarm that the drive had given way, notice was sent to the nearest miners, and within half an hour a dozen men were on the ground all eager to render assistance, and during the whole of the night men were at work, where the ground had run, and would have continued if it had not been found impracticable to extricate him from that \ pomt — that being the case the mates of Arkenstall thought (and in my opinion very justly), that they had a right to apply to their fellow miners for assistance, which they did, with (I am sorry to say) very little success. However, after" great difficulty the body has b^en extricated and buried, and if half the unkind and utterly uncalled for remarks that have been made on the subject could be buried too, it would be a blessing.

Tour " own correspondent " says that he will give a history of the 50acre 'section. Pray, what an earth has the history of the 50-acre section got to do with the accident, or what do Jones, Brown, or Robinson care about it ? It seems to me your " own correspondent " has the same peculiar idiosyncracy to speak ill of his neighbour, that possess*^ the inhabitants of small up-country townships generally. I have to apologise' for intruding upon your space, and should not have done so, but tor a wish to see fair play.—:! am. &c, Spectator. Switzers 12th July.'