DOBSON DISASTER

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 7, 6 December 1926, Page 7

DOBSON DISASTER

FLOODING THE MINE

DEATH OF REMAINING VICTIM. (Per Press Association.) GREYMOUTH, Dec. 5. Following a third big explosion in the Dobson mine at 9 p.m. on Friday, experts decided that the only course was to flood the mine. Accordingly the Power Board staff was engaged yesterday installing.the wiring for the pumping plant, the work being hampered by the fact that the explosion on Friday brought down the wires. However, pumping began at 3.40 p.m.-yesterday, at the rate of 30,000 gallons per hour from the Grey rivAr, the water entering at the exhaust on the outlet on the western side. It was feared further explosions might occur, but this apprehension was not borne out.

The pumping apparatus to-day was augmented enabling 50,000 gallons hourly to be lifted, at which rate it will require a couple or three days to extinguish the fire which is deep down in the dips, where five miners were engaged at the time of the explosion and whose bodies remain underground. FURTHER EXPLOSIONS.

Friday night’s explosion was preceded by a warning rumble, otherwise some of the workmen then engaged in sealing the mine would have probably been killed. One man hurried away calling out to his mates to follow him, and they just got to a point of safety when a terrific explosion hurled debris hundreds of yards, sending a' rock about 150 pounds weight a distance of a quarter of a mile near an hotel.

Another big stone crashed through the roof of Mr Roberts’ house, falling close to a sleeping child. About ten houses were then vacated in North Dobson.

The first explosion blew one block of concrete 20 tons in weight from the entrance ot the mine, and the next explosion blew the same block a further ten feet. Friday afternoon’s explosion at 2.55 o'clock was not so severe.

The death occurred yesterday afternoon at three o’clock at the hospital of Eric Ashton, a trucker, and the fourth of the men got out on Friday morning. Thus every one of the men in the mine when the original explosion occurred lost his life. Ashton regained consciousness for a brief interval and was thought to be recovering but sank rapidly dying yesterday afternoon without giving any information as to the location ot the explosion. His father and brother • arrived kalf-an-hour later by express from Ashburton. The wife of Thomas Black—pne of the men whose bodies remain in the mine—after giving birth to twins a few days ago is reported to be in a grave condition consequent on learning of her husband’s fate. FUNERAL OF VICTIMS. A crowd of between 3000 and 4000 attended to-day the funeral of the four victims at Karoro cemetery, via: Deputy John Richards, aged 43, single, a' native of Brunner; John Lindsay, miner, 40, single, a native of Lanarkshire, Scotland; Eric Ashton, trueker, 26, a native of Ashburton, and till recently a railway employee; and Robert Hunter, aged 21, single, winch driver, son of the manage'r, Air Hunter, Hetherington’s Collieries, Uotowaro.

A train of twenty cars from Brunner to the cemetery conveyed the bodies and people from all over the Grey Valley, many more coming from the State collieries district and other parts. The municipal band played the Dead March and other appropriate items. The burial service was carried out by Archdeacon Carr, Rev. Mr Martin, Methodist, and also the Salvation Army Captain. Worshipful Master Hugh Hart represented the Masonic Lodge of Brunner. The Druids were also present, as Richards was a Druid. The services were very impressive and deep feeling was evident on every hand. The ages of the men whose bodies remain entombed are as follow: Ernest Brammer, married, 42; Alfred Noakes, 40; James Marshall, 40; Edward Partington, 34. ORGANISING RELIEF FUND. The Mayors of Greymoutli, Brunner and Runanga; also Mr James O’Brien and others, are moving for the organisation of a relief fund. The Mayor of St. Ivilda, Dunedin, has already lent co-operation. It is expected that Mr Walter.Leitch, the original manager of the Dobson mine, will arrive on Tuesday, and the directors, Messrs Hogarth and Chellington (chairman) and Catchpole (Auckland) are also coming .here. Many messages of condolence were received by the Mayor of Brunner. The coroner (Mr Meldrum, S.M.) will hold an inquest to-morrow at noon. An inquiry will follow later.

LAST YEAR’S REPORT ON MINE. In view of the Dobson disaster the report of the Minister of Mines, Hon G. J. Anderson, for the year 1925, presented to the last session of Parliament, is of more than ordinary interest. The report was 'as follows: Dobson mine (Grey Valley Collieries, Ltd.) : The coal, 15ft in thickness, was reached early in 'the year, and a return airway, to connect with a stone dip driven from the surface at a grade of 1 in 1 for a distance of 472 feet, has been completed. A Keith fan erected adjacent to the Greymouth-Reefton road will shortly be in operation. It is proposed to develop the field on the panel system; each panel to be from 3f to 5 acres in extent, with barrier pillars 2f chains wide. Four main drives, 100 ft centres, are to be driven to the dip at a grade of lin 3. This system, coupled with the extra-large-size Eillars, should give excellent results, oth as regards safety from fires and accidents, and should ensure the extraction of a larger percentage of coal than is customary under the ordinary S3'stem of bord-and-pillar work. The erection of a bin for the storage of coal, a concrete bath-house and a number of cottages for the housing of the workmen is being proceeded with. SYMPATHY FOR BEREAVED. The Acting-Prime Minister /(Hon. W. D. Stewart) has received from His Excellency the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) a message asking him to convey to the families of those who have lost their live the heartfelt sympathy of Her Excellency and himself. in their sad loss. Messages of a similar nature have been forwarded by Mr Stewart and the Minister of Mines (Hon. G. J. Anderson,

Telegraphic advice received in Wellington on Saturday stated that Mr Hughes, the mine manager, had taken ill. The manager of the colliery (Mr Leitch) has suffered a nervous breakdown about ten days before the disaster.

PREVIOUS MINING DISASTERS

THE BRUNNER AND HUNTLY EXPLOSIONS. •

There have been three previous ex-

plosions in New Zealand coal mines, followed by heavy death-rolls.

The first of these occurred at Kaitangata, Otago, on February 21, 1879, resulting in 35 miners being hilled. Subscription lists for the benefit of th.e widows and orphans were opened throughout New Zealand, a large sum being realised. Some of the beneficiaries of this fund are still drawing pensions therefrom. When the Brunner mine, at Brunner, exploded on March 26, 1896, there were 70 men working below, 67 of whom were entombed. The bodies of these men were afterwards recovered, some terribly mutilated, and it was thought that death was instantaneous with them all. While the rescue gangs were at work on the days succeeding the disaster, there were heartrending scenes outside the pit . mouth, women and children weeping wildly for their husbands, so ls and fathers. Two men had just entered the mine when the explosion occurred. They got out into the air, but expired immediately. This explosion was cauaed by fire-damp, and the disaster plunged the whole of New Zealand into mourning. On September 12, 1914, when the whole country was in the throes of a vast anxiety concerning the early operations of the Great War, there was another awful disaster, this time at Huntly, where the mines had been considered to be the safest in New Zealand. At 7.20 on the morning of September 12 the little Waikato town was startled by the rumble of a vast underground explosion, followed immediately by the belching of smoke from Ralph’s mine. Over 60 men were working below at the time, and only twenty made their escape, climbing out through one of the shafts. The mine took fire, and 43 men lost their lives. Here, too, there were heart-rending scenes as the relatives of the entombed men awaited the results of the grim search of the rescuers, hoping against hope that their men might be found alive. But none of those who were caught in the explosion and by the fire which followed survived the dreadful ordeal. The mine had been declared free from gas, and the miners had worked below with naked acetylene lights. In the supposed absence of gas, the theory was advanced that the explosion was caused by coal dust,