Physical description

Handwritten notes from a Bendigo Advertiser report, Thursday June 16th 1910. Management had for some time been apprehensive that the flooding in the deep mines to the south would affect them. Lansell's 180 took the precaution of baling. On the Tuesday night the men at the Victoria Quartz had a sensational experience. The storage dam at 3324 ft level receives the overflow from the flooded mines to the south. The level connects with the 3310 level at the Big 180. The water flows uninterrupted into thestorage dam which has a capacity of about 270 tanks. The dam had been emptied on Tuesday morning and work continued until 10 pm that night. The platman noticed that the water was coming down the shaft in a regular torrent. They didn't take much notice as they thought it was a leakinig outlet valve on the ascending tank. At 11 pm the releiving shift came down the shaft and said that the dam at 3,324 ft must be overflowing. The velocity of the water pouring down the shaft increased and the men made a hurried exit from the bottom of the shaft which is down 310 ft from the 4.254 ft plat (a total depth of 4,564 ft). An inspection of the dam at the 3324 ft level found it to be overflowing. By morning (Wednesday) the shaft had filled, and the water rose to 7 ft in the plat at 4254 feet. Mining inspector hgave orders that men were not to go below the 3324 ft level. Baling continued without cessation at the Big 180 all day and could not lower the water. Drilling machines etc and a powerful air winch at the 4254 ft plat are under water. An inspection made of the 3100 ft level at the 180 mine where the workings are connected with the New Chum & Victoria showed that water was running strongly from that mine proving that the inrush was due to flooded water from the southern deep mines to the south.
Document from Albert Richardson Collection of mining history.
Document from Albert Richardson Collection of mining history.