The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-08-01
THE REPUBLIC.
From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
InundatiOn OF q Coal Pit In BelgiuI

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From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
Inundati0n Of Coal Pit In Belgium.
On the 20th of February, 1912, about half-past
ten in the morning, one hundred and twenty seven
men and boys were at work in the Mnrias seam OF
the Beauonc Collery, which is situated about mile
and quarter from the city Of Liege, on the west
ern side. A seam Of coal, it is scarcely necessary
to say, is of those thin layers, alternating re-
gularly with LAYERS of sandstone, into which all
coal-beds are arranged. As usual the access to
the Marias seam, or rather to the Beaujonc coal
pit generally, was by large rounded shaft OF
bure-pit, resembling an oblong we'll, and one hum
dred and eighty yards in depth from the surface or
open air. This pit having been long wrought,
there were great number OF excavated seams, or
those from which coal had been taken, leading of
from the shaft at various depths above the Marias
one Of these excavated seams, called the Petsay
seam, CHANGED to have, at part Of it distant more
than one hundred yards from the shaft, a COM
munication with the seam of neighboring coal
pit, where there was large collection of water,
kept from breaking out by frame-dam or wood
en- dixie.
This was the condition of things on the morn
ing mentioned, when the workers, one hundred
and twenty seven in number, were in the Marias
seam. Unhappily, the water alluded to then
broke out, and flowed into the Petsay seam, by
which it found direct passage into the shaft OF
the Beaujonc pit. at the bottom Of which was the
Marias seam The latter seam being eighty tive
yards lower in the shaft than the Petsay seam the
water accordingly had fall of that extent.
When it first broke into the shaft, the corr, or
strong square box in which the coal and workmen
are carried up and down, and which was moved
by means of chains---by ten horses working above
ground-was Just drawn up. The man who filled
the corf first observed the influx, and believed
did several other workmen, that something had
gone wrong with the pipes of the steam-pump.
The overseer, Hubert Coffin, was Immediately
called to the spot and, soon as he arrived, per-
ceved some dangerous mischance to have taken
place from the quantity of the falling water. AL
most all the men then IN the Marlas seam were
speedily assembled at the bottom of the shaft,
when the corr, after being emptied from above,
again came down. Of course oil were eager to
save themselves by entering it; and the overseer,
Coffin, whose son, a boy of twelve years, was
with him, had also put his foot into the cort to
ascend, when he again withdrew it, exclaiming-
eff ascend, my workmen will be lost; am
determined to leave this place the last-to save
them all, or perish with them!' He then put
blind man into his place, and the corf went up
with about a dozen men in 1.-THE number it could
carry Being suspended by only two of its four
chains it FELL in its ascent, to one side, and some
of the men tumbled out Of it into the rapidly
lecting water, from which they were extricated by
Coffin and his son. When the corf came down
again, the men rushed to it in crowd, but the
force of the falling water threw a part of them
down, some of whom only were saved. Filled
with men, the corf again went up, and by the
time it came down again the water stood breast
high at the bottom of the shaft. AS the people
above were whipping the horses rapidly round,
there was but moment g time to lay hold of the
corr but the men chung to it in spite OF Coffin s
warning, and, in consequence, the most OF those
who tried to ascend on this third occasion fell in
their ascent, and persisted in the pit This was
the last time that the corr carried up any of the
workmen There were ladders standing in the
shaft for the use of the ire-engine, and some of
the men attempted to attain safety BY means OF
them, but the violence of the waterfall speedily
struck down these unfortunates.
Escape by the pit now became impracticable,
the water having nearly reached the roof of the
undergraduates. Not moment was to be lost by
those below in taking up position OF temporary
safety Hubert Coffin remained collected. He
had ordered one of the men with him to make an
opening in the air-shaft--a narrow bore rising to
the open air with a long chimney upon its top
through which opening they could gain the rise
boards or galleries on the ascending part OF the
strata from the pit, every other way OF escaping
death being impossible. Accordingly, all the as
sembled workmen, only thirty Of whom hae
been saved by the corf, were led by Coffin to on
of these galleries, with the exception OF few
men who, deaf to the overseer's entreaties, re
manned in the filling place, near the shaft, in tn
hopes of reaching the corf, and PerIshcd. Inc
| corr descended, indeed, but no man could reach
| it. The men and boys, drawn together In the
gallery around Coffin, were in deplorabie con-
diton-buried in the bowels of the earth at the
depth of one hundred and eighty-fve yards
grouped together in narrow space, deprived OF
food and almost of vital air, with little hope OF
relief, and fearing to be drowned in the water
which they saw increasing The boys, crying
bitterly, crowded about Coffin, exclaiming:
"Dear MASTER how shall we escape"
We hope the reader understands the position
in which this unhappy band was placed: They
had got through the Marias seam, out OF the shaft
altogether, and had risen into certain galleries,
which placed them above the water. The intre-
pid overseer encouraged the men repeatedly, say
ing: "Lambert Colson lone of the chief proprie-
torsl will not abandon us; if we cannot escape by
our own shaft, we shall by Manchester. Ma
monster pit was one close by that OF Beaulonc
and Coffin iudiciously concluded that, as it wa:
impossible to remove the water-which rose
twenty eight yards in the shaft-in time to save
them, the people above would try to make way
from tho Mamonstcr pit, tho mouth OF which was
about 100 yards from the Bcaujone shaft. Under
this impression, Coffin resolved to do something
to aid in the liberation of his. comrades and him
self Guessing the proper direction, he set some
of the workmen to commence drifts in the four
rise boards or galeries-called the 4th, 9Th, 9th
and 7th--with which he had communication by
what is termed a Roadway The stoutest men he
set to work in the It'll, which he thought the most
hopeful. Two men could only work at time,
but they constantly relieved each other and others
carried away tho cxcavatcd matters After
toiling more than two long days-from Friday
| to Sunday cvening-by the light of candles
and without food, and with only dirty water
to drink, in the drift of the 7th rise-board, the
picks began to return sound which told the eX-
perienced listeners that ON excavation was nigh.
| On this the work went on with fresh vigor; but
when they did break through sad disapPont-
ment awaited them. gust of infammable air
came through the opening with a horrible noise,
indicating the cavity beyond to be an old disused
pit Had not Coffin instantly stopped the hole,
they would all have been destroyed by the foul air
This disappointment seemed to take away all
chance of relief and despair began to seize on the
men They uttered the saddest cries, declaring
death to beinevitable underwriting the fate oftheii