C.—2

Southern Inspection District. Kaitangata No. 1, Kaitangata. Linton, Ohai. Kaitangata No. 2, Kaitangata. Black Diamond, Ohai. Wairaki, Ohai. Black Lion, Ohai. Birchwood, Ohai. Star, Ohai. (c) List of Mines required by Law to use Saeety-lamps. The following is a list of the mines as at the 31st December, 1934, required by law to use safetylamps : — Northern Inspection District. Pukemiro, Pukemiro —Throughout south mine section. Rotowaro, Rotowaro —Throughout No. 1 and No. 3 Mines. Glen Afton, Glen Afton —Main headings. Renown, Waikokowai —Main headings. New Kamo, Kamo —All sections. West Coast Inspection District. Dobson, Dobson. Paparoa, Roa. Spark's, Rewanui. Wallsend, Brunnerton. State Mine (Liverpool No. 2), Rewanui. Millerton (Old Dip Section), Millerton. Old Runanga, Rewanui. Owen, Owen River. Moody Creek, Dunollie. Southern Inspection District. Kaitangata No. 1, Kaitangata. Linton, Ohai. Kaitangata No. 2, Kaitangata. Black Diamond, Ohai. Wairaki, Ohai. Black Lion, Ohai. Birchwood, Ohai. Star, Ohai. (d) Dangerous Occurrences reported. (Regulation 82.) On Friday, the sth January, 1934, at about 1.30 p.m., an explosion occurred in the East Rise Section of the Dobson Mine. In this section, about 20 acres in extent, pillars were being extracted back from the Dobson and the Buckley faults. No person had been in the section for three hours prior to the explosion. The mine was idle that day, as work had not recommenced after the New Year holidays. The only persons in the mine at the time were Deputy Dando and James Purton, the pumpman. They were coming up from the lower workings, which were not affected by the explosion. About twenty-five minutes after the first explosion a second one occurred. By that time Dando and Purton were safely past the entrance to the East Rise Section, but they were affected by the afterdamp from the first explosion. The effects of the second explosion made it impossible to decide as to the exact place where the explosions originated. There was no evidence of spontaneous combustion, and there was no electrical apparatus or safety lamp in the section, so the explosion must have been due to some natural cause. For some months prior to the explosion fire-damp had been reported on several occasions in the East Rise Section, which must have been coming from the goaf there. The ventilating current, although ample to keep the working-places clear of gas, could not remove that which was lodging in the waste area to the rise. Overlying the coal-seam is a very hard quartzitic sandstone, and heavy falls of that rock had taken place in the goaf. After a lengthy examination by the mine officials and three Inspectors of Coal-mines all agreed that the first explosion must have been caused by the movement of a large mass of the quartzitic sandstone in the goaf against other masses of the stone producing a temperature high enough to cause the ignition of fire-damp. The section where the explosions occurred and another rise section, called Ruane's, where pillars had been in process of extraction, were effectively sealed off by concrete stoppings 2 ft. thick. In future the complete extraction of pillars from the rise will not be allowed in the Dobson Mine, or in any other mine which has a similar sandstone over the coal-seam. Full accounts of the other dangerous occurrences which happened during the year are given in the reports of the District Inspectors (Annexure A). Heating was reported on twenty-two occasions in various mines, including five in the Linton Mines t and two each in the Black Diamond, Henown, and Blackball Mines. B—o. 2.

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