Disastrous Colliery Explosion.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 32, 7 August 1902, Page 19

Disastrous Colliery Explosion.

A disastrous explosion occurred last week at Mount Kembla Colliery, New South Wale?. The report wm heard several miles away, and very soon crowds of people — including wives and children of cue miners — gathered at the pit's mouth anxiously awaiting, what must have been to many of them, cad news. One hundred aid twenty of the men effected their escape, but it is believed that over ninety men have lost their lives. Although gas was never known to exist in the mine still it is conjectured that this waa the cause of the explosion. Soon after the catastrophe occurring rescue parties were formed, as it was believed that the men in the baok part of the mine had escaped the explosion, and were imprisoned by the debris, but it was impossible to enter the working in consequence of the smoke. A strange thing about the catastrophe was that whilst the report was heard several miles away those in certain parts of the mine were not aware that anything out of the common had taken place. Great bravery was shown by many of the rescue party, two of whom lost their lives in driving to aid the entombed men. Major McCabe, of the local artillery, and Mr. McMurray, deputy manager of the mine, sacrificed their lives in their "attempt to reach the imprisoned men. No greater instance of bravery was, ever shown than that displayed by Major MoCabe and Mr McMurray. The manner of their death was most tragic. Major MoCabe was at the head of a search party, when both he and Mr McMarray were overcome by gas. They were helped by two brave miners named Casaidy and Crawford, who in turn also became affected by the deadly gas. Major McCabe first begged them to let him lie down, and save themselves. Cassidy and Crawford would not do so, but struggled on with Major McCabe and McMurray until they, too. almost collapsed. " Go, for your lives, and leave m*" paid Major MoCabe. Too weak to assist them any more, and scarcely able to crawl, Caseidy and Crawford reluctantly left Major McCabe and MoMurray, and managed by superhuman effort to reach the open air. When the body of Mbjor McCabe was subsequently found by a search party he waa clasping in his arms the body of pjor McMunay. It looked, aa if the latter had stooped down to assist, when he oollapßed, Thus died two brave men. The latest report is that nearly 90 bodies bave been .recovered and more ate believed to be still in the mine. Sensational stories are being told of uome of the miners' narrow escapes and their awful wanderings in the darkness after the explo* bio a before they reached daylight. Three men. trusting to the intelligence of the pit horses used in the darkness, clung to the animal's harness and were carried oat safely. The worst feature of the death list is the number of cases in which two or more members of th i same family were killed. Out of seven brothers named Eg; Q, four were victims, while three brothers named Purcell and their uncle perished. There is no definite theory as to the cause of the accident. The consensus of opinion among mining experts and the working miners it) that the colliery was exceptionally free from gas.