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Bits & Pieces - Humour

Remembrance Day

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Arthur Henry (Hoppy) SHRUBSOLE

b 7 Apr 1926

d 13 Oct 1954

THE COLLINSVILLE MINE DISASTER 1954



Copied from the Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954), Friday 15 October 1954, page 1




COLLINSVILLE MINE DISASTER


TOWN IN DEEP MOURNING,


HEART RENDING SCENES AT GRAVESIDES



BRISBANE, October 14.- A mass funeral was conducted this afternoon for the seven men who lost their lives in yesterday's mine disaster at Collinsville. Throughout the day the little town, with a population of 2300, was in deep mourning for the dead men. All business houses were closed for the day and the schools were closed at lunchtime.


Five nearby coal mines did not work today out of sympathy for the families of those killed in the disaster. The mines were Bowen Consolidated, New Ebbwvale, Haighmoor Extended, Mount Mulligan and Ogmore.


WATERSIDE WORKERS at Bowen also did not work today as a mark of respect for the seven victims who lost their lives during the inrush of black damp as they worked underground mine from the tunnel entrance.


The men were buried in separate graves side by side in the Collinsville cemetery after a mass service in the Anzac Hall.


More than 2000 people attended the funeral, which was more than a mile long. Six hundred cars and trucks were     used to carry the mourners and 35 miners and 150 other unionists marched with the   funeral for half of the mile and a half journey to the cemetery. They rode the rest of the way on trucks.  


Because only one grave digger is employed in Collinsville it was necessary for the work- mates of the dead men to dig the graves.


There were heart-rending scenes at the gravesides. The seven caskets were lowered into their graves simultaneously. So pitiful were the cries and moans of the relatives of the dead, men that many men

who had never seen the victims during their life- time openly wept.


Throughout today telegrams from all over Australia went into Collinsville.


Brisbane waterside workers stood in silence at the pick-up centre this morning as a mark of respect before the funeral.



RESCUED MEN'S STORIES

One of the two miners rescued from the tunnel, Robert Conrad Munro, told reporters: "I was working about 100 yards   from the other men when I saw gas coming towards me and ran from it. All I could see was a white fog as the gas rolled towards me. After I got clear I knew I had got some of the gas, but I tried to get back to the other men by another route. That was the last I remember until I woke up in hospital."



The second rescued man, Alexander Ross Baker, said: "I heard the men calling out 'run, run' and I ran from the mine. I do not remember very clearly what happened, but some of my mates helped me to the

surface."


Miner's Union officials claimed tonight that the proto breathing equipment  at Collinsville State mine had so deteriorated that it could not be used in the rescue operations.



WANT SAFETY MEASURES

The secretary of the Collinsville branch of the Miners' Union (Mr Jim Nesbitt) said that the miners would not return to the mine until the Government had made a full investigation into the disaster and ensured that safety measures were taken to guard against a repetition of the disaster.

Mr Nesbitt said:  "We told the State Government over the last few months that we were dissatisfied with the conditions of mechanisation. We told the Government we were not satisfied with the health conditions in the   mine, particularly with reference to dust. We warned it that we would strike a fault in which noxious gases would be found. That this was likely has been proven over a number of years."  

"Rescue equipment has been   here for a number of years and we have tried to train a rescue squad with it, but only last week an expert examined it and it was found to be in such a bad state of repair that it was useless."


NO RESUSCITATOR

Mr Nesbitt said that no resuscitator was available in the mine when the men were gassed last night. A resuscitator was available on the surface, but nobody was present to direct its use.

"We are demanding a full inquiry into the health and safety of our members in the mine and we will not return to work until we are satisfied that adequate safety measures are taken," Mr Nesbitt said.

The manager of the mine (Mr A. Winstanley) said today that he believed the men were killed when a pocket of carbon monoxide gas within the coal seam was liberated and asphyxiated them.

He said that the disaster occurred in the deepest part of the mine about a mile from the entrance. Rescuers entered the mine within minutes of the disaster, but were unable to save any of the men trapped in the gas.


SYMPATHY STOPPAGES

IPSWICH, October 14.

Sympathy stoppages occurred at three mines today as a result of the Collinsville disaster. The idle mines reported to the Queensland Collieries Employees' Union were New Ebbwvale, Haighmoor and Mt Mulligan.

Union officials who flew north this morning to assist in the investigation into the tragedy were Messrs Q. Williams (general president of the Miners' Federation), T. M Millar (State vice-president) P. Conway and J. Pocock (check inspectors).

The State secretary (Mr C Tucker) said today that the general secretary of the Federation (Mr G. Nielly) will also fly to Collinsville tomorrow   morning to assist. Mr Tucker also revealed that he applied to the Minister for Mines for permission to allow the Northern New South Wales check inspector (Mr Barrett) to ac- company Mr Neilly.

The union had requested that Mr Barrett be allowed to inspect the Collinsville mine earlier this year, but the re- quest was rejected.


NO PRECEDENT FOR INRUSH OF GAS, SAYS CHIEF MINES INSPECTOR

BRISBANE, October 14. - A report on the reason for the tragedy at the Collinsville State coal mine states that apparently an in- rush of gas-natural C02, free nitrogen, possibly with some H2S (hydrogen sulphide)-from a fault line had followed the blasting of the coal face.


THE report has been made by the Chief Inspector of Mines (Mr T. Platt), who also report- ed that the inrush had been so great and of such pressure as to foul the air in several working places. By the use of brattice and auxiliary fans the noxious gases should be soon cleared. Such an inrush of noxious gas would be unexpected.  

In Platt's knowledge there had been no such precedent on the coalfield.

The report was released by the Premier (Mr Gair) in Parliament today.

Mr Gair said that the manager of the mine (Mr Winstanley) confirmed the point that a blow of gas from the faulted face had been responsible, and an inquiry would be   held at the earliest possible moment.

Mr Gair also announced in Parliament that he had sent telegrams to the next of kin of the seven men who lost their lives and two to the miners who were in hospital.


The telegram to the next of kin stated:

"Deeply grieved to learn your very sad loss and, on behalf of myself and Cabinet colleagues, desire to convey our profound sympathy. At this sorrowful time we hope your grief will by some extent be alleviated by the comfort of your friends and sympathy of the public in general."


The Premier said he had instructed the Stipendiary Magistrate, at Bowen to represent the Government at the funerals of the victims. If simultaneous funerals were held the Stipendiary Magistrate would be assisted by the Clerks of Petty Sessions at Bowen and Collinsville and by Mr Platt, Chief Inspector of Coal Mines. Members of Parliament today stood with bowed heads as a mark of sympathy for the relatives of those killed in the disaster and those injured. They were carrying a motion of deepest sympathy moved by the Premier and seconded by the Opposition Leader (Mr Nicklin).


FEDERAL SYMPATHY

CANBERRA, October 14.-

Sympathy of the Federal Parliament will be conveyed by the Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) to relatives of the seven miners who lost their lives at the Collinsville colliery in Queensland, yesterday.

Mr Menzies told the House of Representatives that he would do what any Government would do in the circumstances.

Mr Riordan (Lab., Q.) said  that Mr Davidson (CP., Q.) joined with him in asking Mr Menzies to convey the deepest sympathies of Parliament to the bereaved relatives.

Sadly Arthur died in the Collinsville Mine Disaster of Wednesday 13th October 1954
Queensland, Australia.

In the evening of October 13, 1954 an outburst occurred in the deepest part of the Collinsville State Mine about one and a half kilometres from the entrance of the No 1 tunnel.  Seven men were killed when 900 tonnes of coal and stone was dislodged and blown 30 metres up the heading.


The accident claimed the lives of 7 people:  Alex Parkinson, Arthur Shrubsole, Frederick Ernest Walker, Henry Peterson, Herbert Ruff, James Reid Logan & Peter Miller.


Arthur (Hoppy) Shrubsole was the second son of Frederick William John Shrubsole & Mathilde Prohaska, a husband and a father & only 28 years old.   How his family must have mourned & missed him.