€—2

Westhaven Mine, Mangarakau, Gollingwood.—Five men continued with development on level course right and left of the crosscut dip. The seam averaged 5 ft. in thickness interspersed with 12 ft, etone band with 6 in. of dirt adjacent to the roof. Victory Mine, Glenhope.—Only 5 tons of coal was produced from this mine during the year. Rescue-station The number of fully trained men on the register at the end of the year was seventy-one. During the year five new men were trained. Three refresher courses were given the trained men in the Reefton district. The policy of keeping all rescue men familiar with the workings of district mines has been maintained by frequent visits to these mines. The Proto apparatus was worn on each visit, thus gaining experience in its use in actual underground conditions. Fatal Accidents Three fatal accidents occurred during the year, as follows : On 14th March Robert McCabe, miner, Stockton Colliery, was struck by approximately 4 cwt. to 5 cwt. of coal and was killed instantaneously. On 9th September Edward Matthew Nicholson, miner, Charming Creek Colliery, was killed instantaneously when a large rock fell on him while returning from work in an open truck on the company's loco line. On 18th October Joseph Unwin Fielding, miner, Paparoa Colliery, was killed instantaneously when a large piece of coal came down off the coal face and struck him on the head. Serious Non-fatal Accidents Twenty-nine serious accidents occurred during the year, as follows : On 18th January Colin Campbell, miner, Liverpool Colliery, aged thirty-two years, was struck by a, piece of coal and suffered a fractured pelvis. When trucking a box of coal the box struck a prop, knocking it out. Campbell returned to the place to replace the prop, when a piece of coal broke away from the lip and caught him. On 29th January E. Martin, shiftman, Wallsend Colliery, sustained an injured ankle when he slipped on a flat sheet while lifting a rail. Later it was ascertained that he had a fracture of one of the bones in the ankle. On 19th February J. Blance, miner, Wallsend Colliery, was filling some loose coal on a steep piece of floor in his place at the bottom of No. 1 Dip when a lump of coal rolled down and struck him on the right ankle. He sustained a fracture of a bone in the ankle. On 21st February J. Clark, miner, Dobson Colliery, was employed lifting bottoms in the old slant dip off No. 4 Level. This place was being worked from the bottom and operated by a jig. A large slab of stone almost the whole width of the place and between the jig prop and the place collapsed. Fortunately, it was prevented from reaching the floor by the bench of bottoms, and although Clark was under the stone only his foot was caught, and he sustained a fracture of the right heel bone and a deep flesh wound in the left leg. On 21st March V. Swallow, miner, Liverpool Colliery, received an injury to his back caused by falling stone. It was later discovered in hospital that a displacement to spine had been caused. On Bth April James Steele, rope-road worker, Denniston Colliery, sustained a fracture of a small bone in the left foot while at work. The accident occurred at Wooden Bridge when a twisted clip was being removed. An iron bar was being used as a lever, and this sprang back, striking Steele in the left instep. On Bth April Thomas Robertson, shiftman, Millerton Colliery, received a fracture of fourth left metacarpal, abrasion to right eye, and abrasions to left hand. Another miner was erecting a prop which slipped and struck Robertson, who was trucking. On 12th April Roy Washer, miner, Kaye and Party's colliery, was casting down coal to a truck when a lump of coal weighing approximately 10 cwt. which had apparently fallen from the rib struck him. He sustained a fractured and dislocated right ankle and fractured pelvis. On 24th April Walter Marshall, bins attendant, Boote and party's colliery, while lifting a heavy prop on to an empty race pinched his thumb between the prop and the end of a truck and sustained a broken thumb. On 29th April D. Stone, trucker, Wallsend Colliery, fractured his left little finger while clipping en the extension rope.

46