NEWS BY CABLE

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2557, 25 March 1887, Page 2

NEWS BY CABLE

FEARFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION. Bv Electric Telegraphs-Copyright (Reuter's Telegkams.) Sydney, March' 24. The colliery explosion at Bulli occurred yesterday, afternoon, but no. news was received la : sfc night, The accounts to hand state that a sudden and terrific blast of hot air burst from the tunnel, and tho force of the explosion blocked the. mouth. The search party with difficulty penetrated, and got a distance of three quarters of a mile when they discovered six charred bodies of-adults and the diserabowelledromains of abpy.

Efforts are being made to get at the others entombed, who are said to number seventy, but their rescue is believed to be hopeless. M any of the search party have been rendered nnconscous by foul air. A profound sensation lins been caused throughout tho district, and the soene of anguish at tho tunnel month, where the wives and children of tho entombed men congregated, is indescribable.

. The'mine had been lying idle for gome time owing to the strike, but work had lately been resumed, and every precaution had been taken to ensure the safety of the mine. Sydney, March 24. It is now stated .that eighty-five miners were in the tunnels of the Bulli mine when the explosion took place. A number of bodies havo been found whiob were not disfigured by the explosion. Tliey word clasped m each other's arms, and had evidently died from suffocation, Heartrending scenos took place at the mouth of the tunnel as tho bodies were brought out and identified. Van-loads of coffins have already been conveyed to the mine, The search parties at the Bulli mine encountered considerabledifficufcliesowing to the. foul'air, and they cannot yet reaah tho place were the greater number of, the miners where when theoxplosion took place. The work of recovering the bodies' is being carried on as quickly as possible,; but no hope is entertained that any of' the entombed men may be rescued alive Steps are being taken to provide for the widows and families of the sufferers, ... Later. • The Bulli mine is situated about a miland a half from the township of Bulli. The mouth ot the mine is almost filled with women and children,' who are anxiously, watching tho operations which are bcine carried on to recover the bodies. lit is impossible at present to fully explore the workings, a3 hundreds of tons of rack have been dislodged by the explosion, Many of tho bodies of the miners have been driven aereral yards from where they were working,- their, limbs being broken and shattered. Nearly all the bodies bear evidenco of burning. A most depressing gloom has been thrown over the whole township by the accident.

Latest news from Bulli reports that so far 35 bodies have been recovered. -It is understood that the Government will give assistance to the sufferers by the explosion.