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M
t K e m b l a C o l l i e r y G a s E x p l o s i o n - 1 9 0 2
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The hundreds of rescuers were headed by former Keira Mine manager and ex-mayor of Wollongong, Major Henry MacCabe who had played a vital part in rescue efforts at the Bulli Mine disaster in 1887 which killed 81 miners. MacCabe and Nightshift Deputy, William McMurray were to lose their own lives during the rescue effort to the effect of "overpowering fumes", adding 2 more deaths to the 94 miners.
During the inquiry that followed, several theories as to the cause of the disaster were submitted, seemingly to protect the mine's reputation as a "safe, non-gassy" pit. When speculation arose that dangerous gas levels may have been involved, a series of denials by influential persons was forthcoming. The MP for Wickham and former Minister for Mines, John Fegan, stated that Mt. Kembla had never been regarded as a 'fiery' or any way dangerous mine and was backed up by fellow MP for Shoalhaven, Mark Morton. The Mine Manager, William Rogers, stated that the mine was "absolutely without danger from gases", the Illawarra Mercury reported that "gas had never been known to exist in the mine before" and the Sydney Morning Herald recorded "one of the best ventilated mines in the State". 'In the nineteen years that the mine had operated, statistics show that its safety record was but average, ten men having died and thirty eight seriously injured.' A group of mine managers examined the mine on August 7th and concluded that the explosion was not gas initiated but the result of a 'windblast' created by a goaf fall, raising a coal dust cloud that was ignited by the naked lights of the miners. However, evidence did emerge that gas did exist in potentially dangerous quantities and that mine officials had been fully aware of this fact. Brothers William and Henry Meurant and William Nelson had been chosen to be the focus of the Inquiry, the coroner stating that by extension the verdict would be a finding of the cause of death of all the victims.
A Royal Commission into the disaster held in March, April and May of 1903, confirmed the gas and coal-dust theory accepted by the earlier coroners jury. Rather than holding any individual official of the Mt. Kembla Company responsible, the Commission stated that only the substitution of safety lamps for naked lights could have saved the lives of the ninety-six victims.
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An explosion at 2pm on July 31,
1902, at Mt. Kembla colliery killed 96 men and boys. The sound of the explosion
could be heard in Wollongong, some 7 miles away. At the end of the day 33 women
were widows and 120 children were fatherless.
The
Mine Manager,
List
of Deceased
Mt. Kembla Colliery
- 1902
Aitken, Henry Aitken, John Annesley, Prosper Bellis, Richard Best, Thomas Blackett, Albert W. Blackett, Robert Brasher, William Bray, William Brennan, Micky Bryson, John Carter, Arthur Church, Charles Dixon, George H. Doherty, William Dungey, Frank Dunning, Thomas R. Dunning, Joseph Dunning, Fred Egan, Thomas Egan, Dan Egan, Michael Egan, Edward Filby, William
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Gallagher, Michael Gallaher, Edward Gallaher, Daniel Gleeson, Stephen Gill, Edward Hartley, George O. Head, James Healey, Daniel Hewlett, Alfred Hewlett, William Hitchins, John Howell, Thomas Hughes, Thomas Hume, Reynold Hunt, William Hunt, Percy Alex Hunt Percy S. James, John H. James, Henry Jeffrey, John Jones, Robert Kindred, Thomas Lane, Richard Lane, Richard C.
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MacCabe, H. O. McCann, P. McDill, J. McLister, H. McLister, James McMurray, William Meurant, Henry Meurant, William Morrison, Henry Morrison, Alexander Morris, George Morriss, Thomas P. Morriss, Walter Muir, John Muir, Peter Murphy, John Nees, John Nelson, William Nelson, Jacob Nixon, William Peace, Matthew Price, William J. Purcell, James senior Purcell, James junior
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Purcell, John Purcell, Patrick Purcell, Thomas Rich, Henry Rich, James Henry Robson, Edward Russell, George Ryan, John Scott, Daniel Silcock, William Skilling, Albert Smith, Frederick Stafford, William Stafford, Kembla Stafford, Claude Stewart, Francis Thomas, Richard Tost, Thomas Walker, Richard Walker, William Walker, John Wilkinson, Joseph Woodruff, Charles Youngman, George
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