Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-06-28
THE LOCALITY

vi Tue accluent Is on Ine west Slue Oh Ine
Muskingum, in Blue Rock Township, half a
mile above what is called Coal Run. The
bank is owned by Mr.. Guthrie. The mouth
Of the bank is but few feet from
the river, and some. twelve feet above
the ordinary stage of the river The bank
opens into hill that is some three hundred
feet high; and when the bank gave way, the
caying extended into the hill about the same
distance; so that when the work of rescue
began the men were q hundred yards from
the sun in every directionl
THE CAUSE OF GAZING
was the unskllful manner in which the bank
was worked. Instead Of working the vein,
which was four and half feet vein-to the
ordinary width of about twelve feet, and
leaving at short intervals pillars of ten
feet square to support the superintendent
mass of rock and earth-there were large
rooms made and few pillars left, and those
small; so that when the crash came, which it
did with report that sounded to the men
like thunder, it fairly pulversed the pillars
and crushed into fragments the rocks above
1 Upon the top of the hill were found Gre
/ vices wide enough for mans leg; and per-
ccptibly extending twenty or thirty feet
down. Perhaps these crevices supplied the
men with pure air--and thus enabled them to
support themselves with comparative ease
Again, the caving began at the mouth and
ran inwards shutting in, perhaps compress
ing the air There was considerable room
for the men to exercise in, notwithstanding
the extent of the eaving.
TIE PERSONS
/ 4 A III i.
Savage, Pearson and Getwood Pearson is
an old man and Savage boy about l8 years
old. The old man suffered most; the boy
least from exhaustion Edgin and Pearson
had families; who were constantly present
under an almost insane state of mind
The work of rescue was herculean work
but bravey undertaken and heroically con-
summated 1t was the more difficult as but
about eight men could work at time.
There were about eighty men constantly la
boring day and night relieving each other in
gangs. The progress was slow, and become
slower the further they went into the bank;
SO that since Sabbath last not more than
foot an hour has been realized. And this
progress was interrupted by the rock falling
in, and by the impure air, which put out the
lights.
THE RESCUE.
Let it be known that these heroic work
men were in constant peril of their lives in
all the fortnight's work OF course they had
propped up with timber as they worked in;
but at times the timber bent like a reed under
the immense pressure, and at times, gave
way The fragmentary condition of the
rock prevented the workmen from making
themselves secure They could not work
without light, and when, on Sunday, they
had cut in 236 feet, aud were about to des-
pair, owing to the bad atmosphere, and the
counsels of some who thought it too late to
save the men-they took new vigor and new
hope, and still pressed Oh until Friday, when
the attention of the workmen was arrested
by knocking Within. They paused, and
hallooed Again and again hallooed! when
the voices of the entombed was heard family
in responsive Hurrah!
The crowd without, on the river bank.
soon caugh the cheering news; and "Hurrrh!
HURRAH ! I" rent the air with such Joy as
never awoke the echoes of that beautiful
valley before. The scene just past was most
thrilling How differently it affects different
men, this rapture Of joy. Some laughed
wildly as lunatics Some whooped like Alb
originesl Some capered and cavorted like
dancing Dervishes in their inspiration! 1t
was a rare scene and not discreditable to our
fallen human nature.
The next thing in order was to hold con-
versation with the entombed The first in
teIlgent question propounded by the insiders
was:
WAS anybody killed by the caving?"
None" said the workmen.
Hurrahl hurrahl" was heard from with
in. The jubilee of the entombed was re-
ported outside to the crowd, who respon-
ded to it by spontaneous hurrah of their
own.
1t seemed that the men had picked their
way some twenty feet within the rocky fssure
and were ENABLED to converse pretty freely.
The workmen warned them to retire within,
as they were in imminent danger Edgin
said he wouldn't bulge till they told him what
was the day and hour, and how long they had
been shut in The workmen told him that
he had only been in week; that it was Fri
ay-deceiving him, as they supposed, for
his own good, and that of his companions
Edgin then told them to say to their families
and friends, that if they didn't get out, they
were ready to die happily, having made their
piece with God Edgin then retired, excaim-
ing to the workmen most cheerfully:
"We'll go inl Work ON boys May
God bless youw
This dialogue gave new hope to the work
men; and they labored on until the bad air
put out the lights again, when the work was
suspended for four hours, until they sent to
GAINESVILLE for some hose, q bellows. and some