The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-17 00:00:00

WONDERFUL PRESERVATION.

[From the Barkingfiernshire ehraulde.l
Inoue last paper we stated the afflicting accident which happened
on the morning of the preceding Thursday, in the neighbourhood
of Amersham. to two men who were sinking anti staining ashaft for
a chalic.pit. They had worked die shaft to the depth of nearly 40
feet, of which about 36 feet were supposed secure, having passed
through a stratum of clay about 10 feet deep, and nearly 20 feet of
tine red surd, and had thus reached the chalk, when the earth,
with a large qusntity of bricks lying nt-ar the mouth of the pit for
ateining, suddenly gave way, and filled up the pit to within IC feet
of the surface.
It is not easy to describe the sympathy this event occasioned in the
neighbourhood; but so great was the hazard considered in attempt.
ing to drag them out, that none would make the trial, until a man
named Abraham Andrews was sent for from a distance of seven
miles. Andrews had had much experience in the working of pits,
and about six and twenty years ago had witnessed a twin brother
engulphed, in a similar manner, in rpit near Beaconsfield. He had
lost no time in obeying the call, bringing with him a man named
Carter, of the name occupation as himself. On their arrival they
instantly began their preparations for clearing the pit ; though when
night came on they had made but little progress. Little or ro hope
Was entertained at that time of extricating the bodies of either
of the sufferers alive ; and it was at this stage of their proceed.
ings that we obtained the statement inaerted in our former paper.
With the return of day-light, Andrews and his companion re.l
sumed their labours, and continued their efforts until between one
and two in the afternoon. They then were proposing to take re.
freslinteni, when their attention was suddenly excited by noises
which they imagined were the groans of a person below. Every
power of exertion was, without delay, called forth; and in about
half an hour they had the satisfaction of ascertaining that one of
the men who had been overwhelmed was living, and of being able
to hold a conversation with him. It is impossible to describe the
in tense interest which this intelligence communicated to the multi-
tude assembled round the pit; and that interest received a still more
affecting tone, when it was ascertained from the poor man that he
was on the floor of the pit, and that his fellow-sufferer was dead,
and lay above him, nearer the surface. The names of these poor
men were John Penn and John Blackwell ; and about six o'clock,
it was discovered that it was l'enn who was the survivor. After the
lapse of another hour, the body th. Blackwell was brought up from
a depth of 33 feet from the surface. The body was found in a po-
sition nearly upright, and, according to the opinion of a medical
gentleman who was in attendance, the deceased had been for many
hours dead, and died of st:ffifeation. In an hour mnre the exca.
swots reached the spot where Penn wag lying prostrate. His head
was speedily uncovered, and he was found with his face downwards
on the chalky side of the nit. The left arm was immovably fixed
in an acutely bent position, cronyd against his breast ; the right
arm was extended ; the legs were straight.
The difficulties which ensued, to disentangle Penn's body from
the load which pressed against it, appeared insurmountable. Such
was the nature of the soil, that after Andrews had uncovered him
to his breast, the earth made another slip, and covered him up, and
Andrews was with difficulty drawn up the shaft. All hopes of
saving the poor fellow now seemed to be at an end. The feeling
that pervaded the several parties at this awful crisis was indescrits.
able; but such was the hutnanity and persevering courage of
Andrews, that he determined to make another effort, declaring,
before he went down, he expected to perish in the attempt; when,
after the greatest exertions until ten o'clock at night, he succeeded
in fastening a rope round the body of the sufferer, and they were
both drawn up together.
It was thirty-eight hours since the accident at the pit occurred.
It is therefore wonderful that Penn, when brought out, was per.
reedy sensible, and had no difficul,y in speaking, though he spoke
in a low tone of voice ; but numerous though not serious effects
were produced by this extraordinary inhumation, which, to such
as are attentive to animal economy, must be highly interesting. It
was not until Tuesday morning that his pulse regained its natural
force, and even now, he still suffers pain in one of his legs and
arms, and has not recovered their reef:et me.
The account the poor fellow gives of the accident is extremely
affecting; but for this we have not room. It appears, that whe- he
and his companion fell, Blackwell's feet rested near the head of
Penn. They were enabled to talk together. Blackwell, it ap-
pears, made great exertions to extricate himself, and told Penn
that, if he had a little help, he thought he could get out, and then
he would help Penn. He had actually raised himself above two
feet in the pit. In half an hour afterwards, however, Blackwell
ceased to speak, and Penn concluded he was dead. The sen-
sations of Penn must be indescribable. For some time after the
pit fell in, he says, he lost his recollection, and again for a little
during the night. Ile was quite aware of the working in the pit,
and of its discontinuances, and the intervals of the cessations were
as horrible as could be conceived. Ile complains of suffering, not
from want of air, but want of room to expand the chest. He did
not feel cold or hungry, but wished for drink.
Penn is a young man, about 33 years of age, and has a wife and
one child. Blackwell was about 25 years of age. His poor widow
became a mother on the very day of his being brought out, and he
had one other child.
To relieve the widow of the unfortunate Blackwell and his two
children, to assist poor Penn under his disability, and to remu.
berate the meritorious services of the intrepid fellows by whom the
life of Penn has been preserved, a subscription has been success.
fully comiaenced in the neighbourhood of Amersham. To pro-
mote these objects, and to make known the mode by which a fellow.
creature has, in this instance, and may, in others. be brought
almost from death to life, a narrative is now in the press, which
gives a full detail of the circumstances we have sketched ; and
should any advantage result from the publication and sale, it will
be applied in aid of the subscription.