DOBSON DISASTER

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 6, 4 December 1926, Page 8

DOBSON DISASTER

SHOCKING TRAGEDY. ' ONLY ONE SURVIVOR. NO HOPE OF RESCUING ENTOMBED MEN. GREYMOUTH, Dec. 3. The tragedy in the Douson mine today, when several men lost their lives, is the most shocking disaster that has occurred on the West Coast since tun l at. Brunner on March 2d, 1896. the explosions to-day killed one man almost instantaneously, two d.ed shortly arterwards, and hope has been abandoned tor live men still underground. ihe only survivor is Eric Ashton, an unmarried man 2d years ot age, who lies in a critical condition in the Grey Hospital. There are hopes that he wni recover. The rescue party found the four men Richards, Hunter, Lindsay and Ashton at the house about two chains from the bottom of the main haulage road, which is about 13u0 feet in length with a slight grade. Lindsay, Hunter and Richards were inside the cabin, which contains the electric switch. They were blackened and burned almost beyond recognition. Ashton was standing up in a semiconscious condition and kept repeating "I’m cold.” He was terrioly burned. Communication was maintained by means of ropes. The four men were found in such a pitiable condition through burns that when the rescuers picked them up the skin peeled from their hands, it was considered that the explosion originated in the lower dip level, and that the entombed men at the time of the explosion would probably be sitting in the main drive at crib time, where the air would be fresher, and if they were not instantly killed by the blast they would probably be asphyxiated by the fumes or crushed by a fall of the roof. The latter was quite possible in the lower two levels of the mine, which were of ooal, whereas the main dip was of rock. The latter ran in a north-easterly direction, while the No. 1 dip below it ran sou’-east for about twelve chains and the No. 2 dip extended in a similar direction for about 14 chains. SCENE AT MOUTH OF MINE.

Soon after 5 o’clock the body of Richards was brought to the surface followed closely by the other three men. The bath-house was converted into a temporary hospital, the stretchers being laid across planks. It was a pathetic scene at the mine mouth, where a group of weeping women and grimfaced men watched the rescuers emerge with their motionless burdens. Dr. Violet Rains had been summoned, and she, assisted by her sister, Miss Rains, and Mrs Chetwynd, of Dobson, did splendid work for the sufferers. Dr. J. \V. Mcßrearty, of Greymouth, arrived shortly afterwards. Nothing could be done for Richards and Hunter, who died a few minutes after 6 o’clock. On the arrival of the ambulance from Greymouth, Ashton and Lindsay were removed to the hospital in a critical condition. Three members of the night (or dog) watch shift, Jack Smeaton, Tom Nimmo and W. Chetwynd, had a miraculous escape from death. They were employed in transporting rails from the mine entranco to the bottom of the dip, and just at crib time were at the surface. They accordingly decided to have it in the open air instead of joining their comrades in the mine. Before they again descended the explosion occurred. The engine-driver, A. Robertson, was the only other man on duty at the surface at the time. Smeaton is president of the Grey Valley Miners’ Union. WORK OF RESCUE. About six o’clock the fan was reversed with the object of trying to clear the dip of fumes, and the spectators were warned to keep away, as another explosion was possible. Fortunately this did not occur, and preparations were made for another party to descend in charge of Mr 0. J. Davis, the newly-appointed Inspector of Mines, who this week succeeded Mr C. J. Strongman in that position. The party, which included a number of the original band of rescuers, took a frightful risk in entering the mine, but were not. daunted by it when their comrades were still there. Before trucks could be used it was necessary to lay temporarv rails across the mass of concrete that had been dislodged at the entrance. After an absence of about half an hour the gallant rescue party returned to the surface, having been driven back by fire and fumes. Plenty of volunteer helpers were available, but it was found that any further attempt at rescue work would be futile. After a conference of the various mine managers, including Messrs G. Hughes (Dobson), I. A. James (Superintendent State mines), King (State mines), W. Parsonage (Blackball), A. O’Donnell (Roa), T. Whittlestone (Wallsend) with the Inspector of Mines (Mr 0. J. Davis) and Messrs W. Balderstone and J. Smeaton, of the executive of the miners’ council, it was decided, owing to the condition revealed when ventilation was restored, that it would be unwise to make any further attempts in the meantime to recover the bodies, the unanimous opinion being that the risk was too great and that the entombed men would be dead. It was- therefore decided to seal up tho mine with temporary clay stoppings, to be followed with more permanent stoppings, with a view to extinguishing the fire. FURTHER EXPLOSIONS. A further sensational explosion occurred at 2.45 o’clock this afternoon, which blew out the stoppings placed at both entrances to the mine and caused further destruction to buildings in the direct line of the mine mouth. Fortunately * barricades had been erected to keep spectators from getting near the mine entrance, otherwise further serious consequences would probably have resulted. A police guard lias been stationed near the entrance to the mine since early this morning. After the explosion this afternoon a further conference was held, when it was decided that the only effective method of dealing with the fire was to flood the mine. Pumping apparatus for this purpose will bo railed to Dobson. A fourth explosion, more violent than that experienced this afternoon, occurred at the Dobson mine at about 9 o’clock to-night The flying debris affected some houses in the direct line ot the disturbance. Three or four families left Dobson for Greymouth, preferring to spend a night away from the danger zone. The alleged cause of the explosion was an attempt to seal the main air drive with the object of subduing the flames. The shock caused temporary fluctuation of the lights generated by the Grey Power Board’s plant at’Dobson. The previous explosions hud served to clear the accumulation of debris near the mouth of the mine,

otherwise the consequences might have been more kerious. Operations to cope with the Dobson mine fire were suspended before llp.w. It is not expected that there will be any more explosions to-night, as the mine is now open and explosive mixtures cannot be formed. The names of those killed are as follow: James Richards, deputy, of Taylorville, unmarried; Robert Hunter, winchman, Dobson, unmarried;. John Lindsay, miner, Dobson, unmarried. The men still entombed in the mine are: Thomas Black, miner, married; James Marshall, miner, married, Alfred Noakes, miner, married : Ernest Brammer, miner, married; Edward Pardington, miner, unmarried. MINISTER’S STATEMENT. FULLEST INVESTIGATION TO BE MADE. WELLINGTON, Dec. 3. The Minister of Mines (Hon. G. J. Anderson) stated to-day that he regretted the unfortunate occurrence at the Dobson mine very deeply. He was not in possession of all the facts, and therefore could not say anything at present in regard to the disaster further than that the fullest investigation would be made. Apart from the departmental investigation an inquest will be held. Shortly after the receipt of the news of the disaster by the Mines Department instructions were issued to- the officials of the State mine to do everything possible to render assistance in rescue work, etc. 1 The Under-Secretary of Mines (Mr A. H. Kimbell) sent the following urgent telegram to the superintendent of the State collieries at Greymouth: “Please render every possible assistance in rescuing the men in. the Dobson mine.” Later in the day, upon receipt of a further message from Greymouth, the following wire was despatched: “The Minister directs that no expense be spared by you in rescue work, and that if required arrange for special train or motors. Please wire me hourly results,of rescue work.” The department points out that the accident occurred during the “dug” watch, which does duty from 10 o’clock at night until 6 the next morning, when the fewest number of men are employed in the mine. Had the explosion occurred either in the course of the day shift or the afternoon shift the death toll probably would have been very much heavier as many more men would be in the mine in the daylight hours. MINE TO BE FLOODED. WELLINGTON, Dec. 3. A message received to-night by tho Minister from the superintendent of State coal mines states that a conference of inspectors and mine-managers inspected the mine and found it on lire. It was agreed that, as the entombed men must be dead and that it was dangerous to take further risks, the mine entrances should be sealed up. This was partly done when the second explosion occurred, fortunately without loss of life. It had now been decided to flood tho mine by pumping from the Grey river. The Minister stated that as long ago as April, Y 925, he gave written instructions that the -inspecting staff were to keep close-watch on operations in the mine. He was advised that these instructions had been carried out by the officers. The cause of the disaster would bo thoroughly investigated.