Show Explosion I Cancels Texas Gulf PIns for 1963 J Prospective customers of Texas Gulf Sulphur company were told this week that plans for limited production startIng startIng startIng start- start Ing this month at the potash mine and mill have been cancelled by the August 27 explosion and there will willbe willbe be no production from the potash complex until 1964 Bryan W. W Guess manager of sales for issued the announcement It further stated stated stated sta sta- sta- sta ted that a new plan would to reach full output output output out out- put earlier in 1964 than previously prevIously previously pre pre- anticipated Plans had called for limited limited limit limit- ed production using temporary ary hoisting equipment employed employed employed em em- In Underground work by the contractor Harrison- Harrison International The plant and nd mine would have then shut shutdown shutdown shutdown down in April 1964 so that permanent hoisting and other equipment could be installed Full production was expected under that plan in July Subject to the orders of Investigating investigating investigating in in- agencies the State Industrial Commission and the tho Bureau of Mines due to be announced this week the present present pre pre- sent schedule Is to complete both entries and certain development development development de de- de- de work In the ore bed and to Install the permanent perma- perma ment nent system and the two permanent 24 ton ore skips With the large skips In place Mr Guess said full output will be r reached ached earlIer earlier ear car lier her in 1964 Meanwhile during the continuing continuing con con- tinning Investigation permission permission permission sion has been given to the contractor by the Investigators ors to clean up and repair equipment and machinery and to do certain work in the mine Before any more underground underground underground under under- ground development takes place further safety orders will wUl be issued by the Industrial Industrial industrial indus Indus- trial commission and Bureau of Mines The on site phase of the investigation investigation investigation in in- by the governmental governmental governmental govern govern- mental agencies was largely completed Sept 6 at which time It was announced by the two agencies above and the U. U S. S Geological Survey that The Immediate cause of the explosion cannot now be de de- determined determined with certainty Each agency is continuing that investigation and will In Individually Ins In report Mr James Westfield B Bureau reau of Mines official indicated Sunday that his report would be released this week The federal and state authorities authorities authorities au au- au- au are investigating with the full cooperation of International Harrison a and n 11 d Texas Gulf Sulphur had hadnot hadnot not yet taken over custody of the mine so developmental work was still under jurisdIction jurisdiction jurisdiction tion of the contractor A summary of the explosion explosion sion slon that took 18 lives j and spared seven men caught un un- was issued in the letter to customers It i Vas Was learn learned d from the men rescued and the in investigation investigation in- in that the explosion occurred about twenty minutes minutes min min- utes after a normal blasting operation at the face of one of the entries The report added the information that in investigating investigating in- in teams had pinpointed pin pin- pointed jointed the center of the explosion ex ex- explosion as having occurred In inthe inthe the he center of the temporary underground workshop area about feet from the bottom bottom bottom bot bot- tom of the shaft and more than 2000 feet from the site of the nea nearest st entry face The confirmed that progress had been such that a party had been scheduled scheduled sched to celebrate the reaching reaching reach reach- ing of the ore are body State community and company offIcials officials officials of of- were to have met on Sept 29 One entry had reach reach- reached ed cd the ve very y edge of the deposit deposit deposit de de- de- de posit when the tr tragic explosIon explosion explosion sion of Sept 27 occurred occurred Mr AIr Guess concluded We share sharo the universal sorrow at the loss of the contractors contractor's men and trust that knowledge knowledg gained from the analysis of the tragedy will make possible possible pos pos- sible even stronger safeguards safeguards safe safe- guards of human life in all mines In the future |