Extracts from Sand & Stone – Moran Family History By Kevin Moran
“Fatal Accident at the Bohemia’
Friday the 10th January 1936 was bringing to an end the full workday week. The miners only worked a half day on Saturdays. The week had been hot and overcast with the threat of rain. The folk of the Bohemia mine (near Marvel Loch) had been hoping it would rain to take away the oppressive humidity and clear the air for the weekend.
Jack Moran aged 18yrs
Jack (Moran) had finished his breakfast and young Jack (son) had departed on his motorcycle for his work at Mount Palmer. The girls had been roused by Edie (Jacks wife) and were in the process of getting up. It was only 6.50am and the thump of firing in the mine could be heard. Jack automatically counted them. Seventeen charges had been fired by the nightshift workers, Hugh Blum and Carnalzola Menotti. Both were good miners and could be relied upon to break the dirt into a good workable size.
Wedding of Jack Moran to Edith (Edie) nee Kimberley Married 1st May 1920, Wesley Church Perth
Jack was now employed as the underground foreman, having been replaced by the new company man, Latham Watson as manager. Jack wouldn’t tolerate miners who blasted out large stone that required those removing the dirt to the surface, to have to break the stone by use of sledge hammers to be able to handle it. Nor would he tolerate workers who did not conform to safety regulations and demanded a high degree of responsibility in this regard.
Blum and Menotti were on the surface when Jack commenced his shift at 7.30am. He said good morning, went to the office and then returned to speak to them. He found Menotti had again descended the shaft at 7.45am. He had forgotten to turn the air on and had returned to do so. Jack always cautious as to men being underground in these circumstances went and checked the time. He waited and it was with some relief Menotti returned to the surface after a quarter of an hour.
Gilbert Stewart Lang who was 49 years of age and W. Finkelstein, 31 years were to descend and work the day shift. Menotti told Lang, “The firing was good although the right hand back hole has not come out. It will need to be refired. The air was not good due to the smoke and I couldn’t stay very long. Wait three quarters of an hour before you go in.”
Lang and Finkelstein descended the shaft together in the cage. Jack instructed the brace-man Frederick Finkelstein, brother of W. Finkelstein, to tell him when the cage returned, as he also wanted to go down the mine.
Lang and Finkelstein alighted from the number 4 level and waited for a period before going a further 50 feet to the bottom of the mine, where the blasting had taken place for a new drive.
Lang followed Finkelstein down to the bottom of the shaft by ladder, where the blasting had taken place. In the smoke laden air he heard Finkelstein say, “Go back. Get out. The smoke.”
The Bohemia Mine near Marvel Loch
Lang knew already the air was bad and had turned to return up the ladder. He fell face down upon his lamp. There was blackness and then no more.
Finkelstein tripped and as he attempted to rise fell upon his companion and lapsed into an unconscious state. The smell of fired explosives was joined by the smell of burning flesh as the carbide light burnt deep into the chest of Lang.
On the surface Jack demanded why he hadn’t he been told of the cage’s return as he had instructed. Fred Finkelstein replied, “There has been no signal for it to return.”
“Give the signal,” Jack ordered. Fred gave the knocking signal. There was no reply
Jack immediately turned off the air hoses into the shaft and instructed his brace man, “Pull the signal wire. They may not have been able to hear over the air.” There again was no reply.
Jack turned the air on and instructed, “Bring up that bloody cage now.” Fred replied, “I can not do that, regulations do not allow it to be moved without a signal.”
Jack ordered, “That’s the chance I will take. Bring it up now. I’ll take responsibility. Do it.”
Fred lifted the cage to the surface and Jack quickly jumped in and was lowered to level 4, where he alighted and quickly descended, on the ladder, to the bottom. “He found the men lying insensible there. Lang’s head was turned to the right and a lamp was burning between his shoulder and breast. He put the light out, examined the clothes and considered Lang was badly burnt. Finkelstein was lying with his feet to the south wall of the shaft. He signalled for the cage to be lowered and gave the danger signal.” Jack lapsed into a twilight state.
On the surface, Hugh Blum with his mate Menotti was still present as Blum’s bicycle required attention before he could ride it. They heard the twelve bell signal and raced to the mine shaft. “He and his mate descended in the shaft to number 4 level and smelled something burning. He saw the foreman struggling with the air pipe and trying to put a skid in position. The air pipe was not then turned full on. He assisted to get the men raised to the surface. Mr Rowles took one of the men to the surface and Mr O’Connor the other.”
The Bohemia Mine
Jack came to the surface where he returned to a conscious state and could remember nothing from the time of giving the signal until coming awake on the surface. His struggle with the air hose, trying to put a skid in place to bring the cage all the way down and the subsequent rescue was not remembered by him.
In a cluster near the shaft were the wives and children of the miners and the other men working on the other shifts. The houses in the Bohemia settlement were not far removed from the mine and the sound of the signal bells could be heard. The dreaded twelve bells had brought them running to the mine this morning.
The brother and wife of Finkelstein went to his side as they waited for the doctor to arrive.
Edie went to the side of Jack who was recovering in the office. Although coughing, he was getting better by the minute. She went to their two girls standing quietly in the doorway, to tell them their father was going to be alright.
The call to the Southern Cross Hospital brought Doctor Shanahan to the mine with oxygen. “After examination of the injured men they were conveyed to hospital. Lang was found to be in a very low condition. Finkelstein was suffering from mental strain as a result of shock to the system.”
Jack Moran
The wife of Lang was residing at Wiluna and contact with her was not possible by telegram or phone. The ABC radio was told of the circumstances and they broadcast the message advising Mrs Lang of the accident and that her husband’s condition was serious. The message got through and Mrs Lang arrived on Tuesday morning by aeroplane, after a three hour flight from Wiluna. Her husband had already died.
On Wednesday the funeral for Gilbert Stewart Lang was held with a large procession of motor vehicles following the Southern Cross Hospital to the cemetery. Funeral Directors J.W. Purslowe and Sons of Merredin conducted the arrangements and the Reverend G.A. Jenkins, Methodist Minister, the Service.
The problems with mining accidents continued to plague the industry and the Southern Cross Times on January 18th reported that for the six months from July 1935 there had been 900 accidents on Western Australian mines. Five hundred had been serious accidents. Fifteen miners had been killed.
At the Court House Southern Cross, on Thursday 23rd January 1936 the Inquest for Gilbert Stewart Lang was held before Deputy Coroner Mr J.E. Worthington. Mr E.J. Tuckey was the foreman of the three man jury. Sergeant Robinson assisted the Coroner and the Mines Department was represented by Mines Inspector Mr A. Winzar and Mr Lancaster of the Australian Worker’s Union.
After hearing evidence from witnesses, with a medical certificate excluding W. Finkelstein, as not in a fit state to give evidence, the jury concluded, “The deceased died from the effects of the injuries as described in the medical evidence and no blame was attachable to anybody.”
Inquest Report
Moya Sharp
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