The Kaitangata Mine disaster was one of New Zealand's early industrial disasters and the first of its kind in New Zealand.Untitled, Otago Daily Times, Issue 5308, 22 February 1879, Page 2 Thirty-four miners lost their lives at 8am on 21 February 1879 in an underground explosion at Kaitangata in South Otago.
Kaitangata Mine
Coal was discovered in the area around near Kaitangata in the late 1840s and William Aitchinson began extracting coal near Kaitangata in 1862.To the Editor, Otago Daily Times, Issue 235, 20 September 1862, Page 6 In 1871 he leased his mine to John Thompson of Balclutha.Balclutha, Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 367, 10 May 1871, Page 6 In September 1872 Thompson and Aitchenson reached agreement to raise capital to expand their mining operation by way of a new company, the Kaitangata Coal Mining Company.Miscellaneous, Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 437, 25 September 1872, Page 2 The underground mine produced sub-bituminous coal of a high quality. In 1875, the Company merged with the recently created Kaitangata Railway Company to become the Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company Ltd. Through late 1875 and early 1876 the mine was expanded with additional shafts being driven in anticipation of the new railway.The Kaitangata Railway, Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 89, 23 March 1876, Page 6 Once the railway had been completed the company announced further expansion intentions with a desire by 1877 to bring production up to 100 tons per week.Opening of the Kaitangata Branch Railway and Coal Pits, Otago Daily Times, Issue 4471, 17 June 1876, Page 3 There were 41 men employed at the mine in mid-1877.The coal mines of Otago, West Coast Times, Issue 2661, 10 October 1877, Page 3
On 8 September 1878 there was a small explosion in the mine. The Manager Mr Thorne was burnt by the explosion while he was inspecting a minor rock fall. Two other miners suffered from minor injuries.Accidents and offences, Otago Daily Times, Issue 5181, 25 September 1878, Page 2 At that time it was thought that the coal in New Zealand was not prone to emit gas and such precautions as were considered necessary were in place.
Accident At 8am on 21 February 1879 there was an explosion at the Kaitangata mine. The force of the explosion was enough to blow Edward Dunn, who was entering the drive with a horse, 50 yards clear killing him. Terrible colliery explosion in Otago, Wanganui Herald, Volume XII, Issue 9351, 21 February 1879, Page 3 Six empty coal trucks were also projected a similar distance from the drive. A building for storing tools near the mine entrance was back several yards and partially demolished by some of the coal trucks.Fatal colliary explosion at Kaitangata, Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1091, 25 February 1879, Page 5 A second boy James Hawke, who was near the entrance, and blown a similar distance to Dunn escaped serious injury. Dense smoke was seen issuing from the mine. Initially it was thought that there were only 36 men inside the mine at the time.Fearful Mining Catastrophe at Kaitangata, Otago Daily Times, Issue 5308, 22 February 1879, Page 3
Rescue attempts Immediately after the explosion the station master, J B Griffen, sent the company's train to Balclutha to get Dr Smith. He arrived on the scene some 25 minutes later. While this was happening, men from the neighbouring mines gathered and organised a group of volunteers to either rescue the miners or recover their bodies. Fire damp initially prevented rescuers from entering the mine. Those first entering the mine were W Shore, R M Sewell, Mr Aitcheson, and some unnamed others. They found two falls in the mine, which had been caused by the explosion. Also the brattices which allowed air circulation had been destroyed and temporary canvas ones needed to be installed prior to further searching. Several of those installing the canvas ones were almost suffocated. The condition in the mine remained dangerous and those working in it had to do so in shifts because of the impact of after damp. All hope of finding the miners alive was abandoned at this point.
The Company Manager, James Davidson, Mr Watson, and the mining engineer Charles Twinning were in Dunedin when the explosion occurred and on learning of it took the 11:25am train to Stirling. On the information they had when they left Dunedin they had no idea of the scale of the disaster until the arrived at Stirling. There they were informed that some 30 or more men, including the mine Manager William Hodge were in the mine when the explosion occurred and that none were likely to be alive.
By 12pm one body and the youngest person killed, 14-year-old Charles McDonald, was recovered from the mine but he could only be identified by his clothing as he was so badly burnt. Two more, William Hay and Edward Beardsmore were recovered by 12:25pm. James Beardsmore Junior was the next one recovered. All three had been killed by the after damp. Thomas Black, George Jarvie, Thomas Frew, and Caleb Beardsmore were next, bringing the total to 8 by 1:35pm. At the same time Mr Farra, a Company Director, telegraphed the Company Secretary, Mr Horkins to get 20 Green Island miners to assist in recovery operations. Constable Warren telegraphed at 1:40pm stating that in addition to the 8 bodies recovered another 28 were still in the mine. None were expected to be alive. The scene at the mine entrance at 1:30pm was described as lamentable with weeping women and children at the scene.Frightful Mining Accident, West Coast Times, Issue 3092, 22 February 1879, Page 2
A morgue was set up at Jenkin's hotel, with Constable Warring taking charge of the bodies as they emerged. The rescuers had to take a break at 1:30pm due to the mine air being too contaminated. Constable Warren telegraphed at 1:40pm stating that in addition to the 8 bodies recovered another 28 were still in the mine. After a short time work resumed again and by 7pm another 16 bodies were removed from the mine - R Hall and his brother J Hall, David Buchanan, James Molloy and his two sons John and Edward Molloy, James Beardsmore (senior), William Whinney, Joseph Beardsmore, Joseph Morton, Barney McGee, James Clinning, William Hodge the Mine Manager, William S Wilson, and William Watson. Four other bodies were sighted.
Davidson and Twinning arrived during the afternoon and Twinning was appointed by Davidson to manage the operations. Among the rescuers Messrs Shore, Sewell, Aitcheson, William Blain, Thomas Knowles, John Gray, John McFarlane of Wangaloa, the Bissetts - a father and two sons, William Law, Joseph Robertson, and John Nelson were singled out for praise. To this list were later added J Brown, James Wilson, Robert Wilson, Charles Samson, Michael Muir, George Hunter, Messrs Hennessy and Richardson, William Wilson, Adam Harris, Alexander Cook, John Tiffen, Hugh Wilson, James McIvor, William Hodgkiss, Andrew Falkener, and Stephen Russell.
At 6:45pm Charles Samson the Mayor of Green Island and 24 miners from the Green Island mines arrived by special train to assist. Thomas Logan, a quartz miner joined the group of miners to assist. Archibald (Archie) Hodge the Deputy Mine Manager was noted to be among those not yet found. Most of the bodies had been found close to the main air intake about 300 yards from the entrance. They were thought to have suffocated. By the end of the day 30 bodies had been recovered and 4 were known to be still missing. The names of the remaining miners killed were Samuel Coulter, James Spiers, Andrew Jarvie, Thomas Smith, John Gage, John Clark, John Ferguson, Robert McMillan, and Daniel Lockhart. Andrew Jarvie was the only one of this group killed by the blast. The rest died of asphyxiation.
The Presbyterian and Anglican Ministers Reverends Allan and Carr, had arrived in the afternoon to assist the grieving families and Police Commissioner Thomas Weldon, Inspector Moore, and a number of officers arrived to assist Constable Warren. Reverends Ronaldson and Chisholm from Milton also arrived to assist the grieving. Allan, Ronaldson, Chisholm and the Roman Catholic Priest Father Larkins officiate at the funeral the following day.The funeral, Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1091, 25 February 1879, Page 5
Twenty of the miners were married and several were new arrivals, having arrived the day before on the steamer Wellington. On the day of the explosion, 47 men were employed at the mine. One miner who had overslept, C Hunter, escaped death.
The location and cause of the explosion Those who had signs of physical injury were at the mine entrance or in its vicinity. The remainder of those killed had been working in the new working and had no apparent physical injuries. Because of this a conclusion was reached that seat of the explosion had been in the area near the mines entrance and most probably in the area of the old workings. Conclusive evidence for this theory had been found when Archibald Hodge's mangled body had been found within the old workings. The old workings were locked off by a door from the main mine. Hodge had, for some reason opened the door and entered this area. Fire damp was probably present and because Hodge was using a naked flame to light his path, ignited it and caused the catastrophic explosion. There were two suggested reasons for Hodge entering this dangerous area. One was that he wanted to remove some disused rails lying in the old workings and the other was he was eccentric and considered the old working as an area where there was some mystery to be unraveled.
Coroners Court
A Coroners Court was convened at the Bridge Hotel Kaitangata at 12:20pm on Saturday 22 February to determine the cause of the deaths under Edgar Hall Carew RM of Milton, Coroner. A jury of 16 had been selected. They were Alexander Mitchell, David Dunn - the jury foreman, John Walker, William Bissett, William Carson, George Kidd, Hugh McFarlane, John Gordon, Allan Blackie, Charles Smaill, Andrew Smaill, Joseph Robertson, Alexander Bissett, P F Stoddart, James Muir, and Malcolm Morrison. Police Commissioner Weldon and Inspector Moore were also in attendance.
The court began with the identification of the bodies by Thomas Knowles - Pit Headman, Joseph Robertson, David Dunn, and John McDonald. Only Archie Hodge and Jarvie remained unidentified at the end of the day. The hearing recommenced on the Monday at 11am when the remaining bodies identified. Charles Edward Twining, a qualified colliary manager and the mining surveyor with the Company was called to give evidence. He advised that in his opinion the mine should have had a second outlet and had recommended it. He stated that in England there was a requirement that there should be two outlets as a minimum, the air vent did not count as an outlet. There should also have been a barometer in the mine and outside to determine the presence of bad air. Locked lamps or safety lamps were required when fire damp was suspected as being present. William Hodge and Beardsmore had advised Twining about 2 weeks before the explosion of fire damp being present in the new working. Twining checked but found none. An inspection of the mine was carried out on 1 February by Mr Cox, the Government Assistant Geologist and Mr Binnes the Government Coal Inspector. Binnes drew out plans for the Mine Manager on how best to work the mine.The Inquest, Southland Times, Issue 3333, 25 February 1879, Page 2The Kaitangata catastrophe, Otago Daily Times, Issue 5311, 26 February 1879, Page 5