The Ralph Mine Disaster 1914
On 12 September 1914 in Ralph’s Mine situated in Huntly’s Main Street, forty-three men died in a coal mining disaster; the second highest death toll in New Zealand’s mining history.
At approximately twenty minutes past seven on Saturday morning, a terrific explosion occurred. The ground shook and quivered and the roar was heard for miles away. Over the mine shaft in the centre of Huntly, a great column of smoke and dust shot into the air, interspersed for a few minutes with sheets of flickering flame. Men near the east ventilation shaft heard two dull, heavy sounds, moments apart, then came belching dust, smoke and flame and a hissing noise.
There were two cages in each shaft. One cage weighing a tonne was resting on the top of the eastward shaft when it was shot upwards and wrecked against the pit head. Smoke and dust rose hundreds of feet above.
Men were trapped below and rescue work was hurriedly arranged,. The first rescue party was ready to descend within half an hour of the disaster, but was forced back by dense smoke and overpowering fumes. The second rescue party faced a similar problem - rescue work seemed impossible. Experts were needed to extinguish the fire and work without adequate air. Rescue work continued throughout Sunday and later that day eighteen bodies had been recovered and were placed in the King’s
Hall, Main Street, Huntly.
By nightfall another eight bodies had been recovered, but these were not brought up the shaft until the women had departed. A number of wives and mothers had waited for hours hoping that their loved ones would be found alive. Monday 14 September was declared a day of mourning and was called “Huntly’s darkest hour”.
Two weeks passed before the last body was found - forty-three men had died in the disaster. Had this been a weekday
there would have been approximately 200 men in the shaft and the casualties probably greater.
A Royal Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate the disaster, which found the cause to be an explosion of accumulated firedamp, which ignited on contact with the naked flame of a miner’s lamp.
At approximately twenty minutes past seven on Saturday morning, a terrific explosion occurred. The ground shook and quivered and the roar was heard for miles away. Over the mine shaft in the centre of Huntly, a great column of smoke and dust shot into the air, interspersed for a few minutes with sheets of flickering flame. Men near the east ventilation shaft heard two dull, heavy sounds, moments apart, then came belching dust, smoke and flame and a hissing noise.
There were two cages in each shaft. One cage weighing a tonne was resting on the top of the eastward shaft when it was shot upwards and wrecked against the pit head. Smoke and dust rose hundreds of feet above.
Men were trapped below and rescue work was hurriedly arranged,. The first rescue party was ready to descend within half an hour of the disaster, but was forced back by dense smoke and overpowering fumes. The second rescue party faced a similar problem - rescue work seemed impossible. Experts were needed to extinguish the fire and work without adequate air. Rescue work continued throughout Sunday and later that day eighteen bodies had been recovered and were placed in the King’s
Hall, Main Street, Huntly.
By nightfall another eight bodies had been recovered, but these were not brought up the shaft until the women had departed. A number of wives and mothers had waited for hours hoping that their loved ones would be found alive. Monday 14 September was declared a day of mourning and was called “Huntly’s darkest hour”.
Two weeks passed before the last body was found - forty-three men had died in the disaster. Had this been a weekday
there would have been approximately 200 men in the shaft and the casualties probably greater.
A Royal Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate the disaster, which found the cause to be an explosion of accumulated firedamp, which ignited on contact with the naked flame of a miner’s lamp.
The Huntly Community
Various Clubs and Community Members came together to see the disaster and the impact on Huntly remembered. A Model Poppet Head was unveiled in the Main Street along with a head stone bearing all 43 names of the men that perished. Below is the pamphlet from the service and a map showing where you can visit the site.
Front Page of the Service Pamphlet
Inside of the Service Pamphlet
Back Page of the Service Pamphlet
Location
The Model Poppet Head is located down Shand Lane, off Main Street. The Red marker is where the BNZ Bank is situated, right next to the Model.