THE MINING DISASTER

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10714, 18 October 1912, Page 5

THE MINING DISASTER

CABLE NEWS

(United Press Association — By Electri c Telegraph—Copyright.)

A" SURVIVOR'S STORY. HE LAY DOWN TWICE TO DIE. (Received October 17, 9.40 a.m.) HOB ART, October 17. A message from Gorman ston gives an interview with Albert Mitchell, rescued from the 1000 ft level. Mitchell says: "I lay down to die twice, but kept myself alive by wetting my head. It was capper water that came through holes bored by a diamond drill. About fourteen men dropped in-less than an hour. We douched them with water and turned compressed air on them. Our candles burned out on Sunday night; then in the darkness we took turns to go to the shaft .twice per shift for food. Four men ; went every time, for one--was sure to drop. We thought every minute that we would go. We could feel the gas. "We had only copper water, to drink, but it saved our lives. Wright, soon after the alarm, said : 'Come, on Mitch, we will walk to. the ladders.' I replied: 'No; the air is too strong.' Wright went, away, and I never saw him again. Riley went but of the etope without saying a word to anyone. Some fellows who. were heartiest, and seemingly the strongest, were the first to drop on account of the fumes. It took them all of a sudden; their legs seemed to drop from under them." Praise is awarded to John Ryan, the shift boss, for his fin© leadership. He kept many of the men in the. shelter of the stope. when / they were anxious to attempt to reach the surface. MT LYELL HEROES. BRAVERY SHOULD BE RECOGNISED. (Received Last Night; 10.30 o'clock.) < MELBOURNE, October-17, In the House the Hon A. Fisher, replying-to a suggestion the House, should recognise the heroism ,of the, Mt. Lyeli resellers, said he the Government should recognise heroes of the first class. ASSEMBLY ADJOURNED. (Received Last Night, 10.30 o'clock.) HOBART, October 17. After the Assembly met the Premier and Leader of the Opposition agreed that owing to the Mt Lyell disaster, they, would. not proceed to. business. The House was then adjourned till next week. . , v ANOTHER MINING DISASTER. TWO MINERS DASHED TO PIECES (Received Last Night, 10.30 o'clock.) HOBART, October 17. Two miners named Floyd and Stewart entered the cage in the Tasmanian mine, when something going wrong with the machinery, they fell 900 feet, and were dashed to pieces. THE DEATH ROLL. FORTY-TWO LIVES LOST, (Received Last Night, 10.30 o'clock.) HOBART, October it. . Owing to the apparently purposeful efforts on the part of the men and oilicials to keep the women in the dark, until it is definitely ascertained who are dead, it is difficult.to obtain the names. So far rfs is ascertained, the, following 42, in'chiding'those'already cabled, are dead or•. mis'sing—Bray-, ■ Burke, Bourke. Boden, ■ Brooke, Bennett, Bolton, Creedon, Dacey, Gays, Green, Guy, Home, Hill, Jones, Jenkins, Judd, Lewis, Lecuran, Moore, Maher, Mitchell, McCarthen, McCullough, McLoughliri, McMasters, McCashling, or McCJashland, O'Dea, O'Keefe, Park, F. Rolfe, P. Rolfe, Seill.v, Studwell, Saunders, Scott, Smith, Treverton, W.Tregonning, J.. Tregonning, Valentine and Wright. SPLENDID SELF-SACRIFICE: , (Received This Moi*ning, 12.30 o'clock) a HOBART, October 17. ' Further interviews with the rescued, confirm the opinion that if the men in the 85(T ft level had treated their warning seriously, they could all have escaped. Bennett, one of the survivors, stated that the warning was treated more or less as a joke. The miners sat down to eat at crib. Not till they were again warned that-the smoke was thick did they attempt to reach the cage. Many men were overcome after they reached the cage. Numerous instances of splendid self, sacrifice are given. Treverton, one of the missing men, helped a sick man to the cage. He was urged to himself enter, but he replied that he was going round to see if he could get any more boys. - Cox, the foreman, remained below helping till lie was overcome. Bennett is sure that no one would be able to live for two minutes in the fttmos. Ryan, the hero of the 1.000 ft level, and one of the worst sufferers, deprecated reference to his own noblo efforts. Ho said that he soon saw that things were going to he bad. He got the men down the stope, as he thought the air had failed. Another twenty-four hours, and that would have been the end of the boys.