My great-great grandmother's brother, Andrew JARVIE was one of those killed in the mine. He had been over from Scotland for only three years, and had a wife and eight children. His grave stands in the Kaitangata Cemetery.
Twenty years after losing her brother in this mine explosion, Isabella JARVIE lost her eldest son - Alexander NICOL, at the age of thirty, in the mine at Coalbrookdale, Denniston.
The following surnames are contained in the report from the Christchurch Press, and the descriptions are reproduced below.
James BEARDSMORE leaves a large family, five of whom are growing up and unmarried, and three of whom are little children.
Joseph BEARDSMORE, brother of the last named, acting foreman of the mine, leaves a wife, grown-up daughter and two sons.
Edward BEARDSMORE, a young married man, son of James BEARDSMORE, leaves a wife and two children.
Caleb BEARDSMORE, son-in-law of James BEARDSMORE leaves a wife, and three young children.
James BEARDSMORE, jnr, son of James BEARDSMORE, already mentioned, young and unmarried.
One old man and a boy, a son of Joseph BEARDSMORE, are the only grown-up of the family now remaining alive. The old man is the late Caleb BEARDSMORE's father. In all five breadwinners of the BEARDSMORE's families are among the dead.
Thos. BLACK, elderly single man of about fifty-five years; no relatives in the district. He once had a lease of a coal quarry at Lovel's Flat.
David BUCHANAN, about twenty-seven, leaves a wife and two young children. He was a son-in-law of COULTER, and a new arrival.
CLARKE, late of Green Island, was a roadsman in the mine. His wife, sons and daughter, came up by the afternoon train.
Samuel COULTER, leaves five children, one a boy of thirteen able to work, a girl in Dunedin about twelve, all the rest young. He is an aged man, and arrived lately from Scotland in the ship Taranaki.
James CRINING leaves a wife and three children. He was a young man of about twenty-five.
Edward DUNNE, who is supposed to have been just outside the entrance of the mine, was blown a distance of about 150 feet. He lived for almost five minutes, but was never sensible.
Edward DUNN, son of George DUNN, a hawker, who is well-known in up-country districts, was a boy of about fifteen years.
John FERGUSON leaves a wife and five young children, the oldest about seven years of age.
Thomas FREW, was a middle-aged man. He leaves a wife and five children residing in Dunedin. Two of them are grown-up daughters, who, I hear, are working in a factory there.
John GAZE has a wife and three of a family, all young children.
Two Welshmen newly arrived from Home whose names I cannot ascertain. (later) I have just found out that HALL is the name of the two men whose names I could not previously ascertain. They have wives and large families of young children, and had only newly arrived. They were English, not Welsh.
William HAY, a young man, unmarried, has no relatives in Kaitangata, but has a sister and brother in the colony.
HUNTER was to have been at work today, but overslept himself and did not go in the mine until after the explosion.
Andrew JARVIE, an elderly man, leaves eight children, three grown up girls at service.
Geo. JARVIE, wife and two young children.
Spiers JARVIE and Arch. HODGE the last named of whom is deputy manager, are still in the mine. Arch. HODGE is unmarried. His brother Wm. HODGE general manager, aged about thirty-five, a single man, is among the dead.
Daniel LOCKHEART, a young man unmarried, brother-in-law to HUNTER another workman in the mine.
Chas. McDONALD, son of John McDONALD, pony driver, aged about fourteen.
Barney McGEE, a married man, about forty, with a wife and three children, unable to work.
John McMILLAN, a young married man, leaves a wife and four children, the oldest of whom is about six years old. Mrs. McMILLAN's only relative in the colony is a brother at Green Island, who came to Kaitangata this evening.
James MOLLOY, and elderly man, and his two sons, John, aged eighteen, and Edward, aged sixteen. Mrs MOLLOY, who is a woman of about sixty, has thus lost her husband and sons, and has not a relative here.
Joseph MOULTON, who leaves a wife and child.
Thos. SMITH, between thirty and forty, has a wife and five children, all young and unable to work.
James SPIERS leaves eight children, the oldest ten years and the youngest four months.
William WATSON, about forty, leaves his father-in-law who is a very old man, and four children, the oldest of whom is about nine years.
Wm. WHINNEY, a young man, leaves a wife and two children.
William WILSON, late of Green Island, leaves a wife and four children, all young.
Several of the dead miner's wives have not only young children, but are also near their confinement.
