Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-06-10

18th the recent entombment OF four miners
at Blue Rock, near GAINESVILLE, in the State o
Ohio, by the falling of the coal bank in which
they were working, our readers are already
familiar. Their confinement in that dreary
tomb continued for fourteen days and thirteen
hours, with only food which was intended fol
dinner for two men, and with drinking moth
ing except water impregnated with copperas
Robert II. Gilmore, esq, editor of the Zanes
vile Gazette, has issued in book form very
interesting narrative of the thrilling affair from
the outset to the rescue. We make few ex-
tracts from t.-Nat. Intel:
One of the miners, who heard the bank
growing and breaking, attempted to make his
escape, but he became completely lost, and
knew not where to go. The falling mass had
crowded him up against pillar. His right
arm was caught and held tightly against it.
He sought to get it free, pulling until it almost
left the socket, but it would not come. He
wrenched it again, but it seemed immovable.
In his despair he threw all his strength into
one effort more. He was free. In the sudden
movement his left hand struck car. He
knew it must be upon the track. Blind, bleed
ihS, ohu nIuHACuj HBHliHS LIS way tuIOuSu Inc
falling mine, he at last stood upon the plat
form. A cash six inches long was cut in his
back, another on his head, and his shoulders
were bruised all over. When he reached us
he was all gore of blood.
The greatest excitement prevailed during
the excavations, and upwards of one thousand
people were frequently on the ground.
The workmen have burrowed through about
four hundred feet of earth and rock. The men
were rescued at point seven hundred feet
distant from the mine.
Poor fellows! No sons of Ethiopia ever
wore blacker faces. How pinched and starved
they look! How wild and prominent are their
great white eyes AS you look upon them
you can see but little else. But what are those
white burrows down their checksY Tears?
One of the entombed men, Gatewood, gives
an extended account of their emotions and
occupations during the fourteen days they spent
under the earth. He says, speaking of the
time when they were first buried;
We found we were completely shut in. We
at once saw there was no escape. We gave
up all hope. Pearson spoke first and said !:
"Boys, let us go back and make our bed
whereon to die" We went into some of the
other miners rooms, where we found shovels
which had been used by them; then going to
the head of the entry, in a small room, we
shovelled together quantity of dry loose dirt
for our bed. The room which we had chosen,
like the other parts of the mine, was only four
feet high. To stand up straight in it was of
course impossible. Miners, when at work, al
ways sit down or kneel.
In our search we had found two dinners
which had been left by the hands. We carried
them to our bed, where we sat down, and all
took piece. We thought we might as well
eat all we wanted at once, but after we got
through there was about half of it left
All the unfortunate men complained of being
very cold, and said they never suffered as much
from that cause in the coldest winter they ever
experienced. After they had been in the mine
few hours their lamps went out.
They kept burning more and more family.
We trimmed them, and kept lifting up the
wick, but it was all of no avail. They at
last went out, and left us in total darkness
There was not the least glimmer of light left
for our eyes. No midnight was ever so dark
Gatwood says he placed bis hand before his
eyes in the hope that he might be able to see
II, but it was impossible to discover anything
in the slightest degree.
At first the pangs of horror were terrible to
bear, but the knawings became less and less
frequent, and delirium came on, accompanied
by singular hallucinations. The following ac-
count is much like that of some of the other
sufferers.
/ also saw splendid dinners standing beside
me. seemed to recollect all the good meals
| had ever eaten. Once | seemed to be at
home sitting at the table, in front of my
mother, in the position always occupied. She
passed me the bread, / thought; | took it,
brought it to my lips, and was aroused to find
that i had filled my mouth with bits Of coal
and dust. At another time l thought my
father came into the bank, bearing in his
hand plate containing several pieces Of
freshly baked short cake. could see the yel.
low butter running melted down the edge of
it. Father said to me, james, are you starv-
ing2" and, having handed me the bread,
turned round and passed out again without
another word. / took the bread and brought it
to my mouth, but was again awakened to find
myself biting one side of my hand. At
another time | heard Edgell eating something,
and having asked him what It was, discovered
that he was munching coal.
We did not make use of the oil as food
Edgell says that after they had been in about
week or thereabout he took one swallow Of it.
He found it very pleasant, resembling chicken
gravy as much as anything else he can think
of. He did not taste it aferward, nor did he
tell the other boys, but threw the can into one
of the empty rooms. He says, 81 thought
that death was certain at all events, and using
the oil would only have prolonged our suffer.
ings. did not wish to be the last to die"
We had been entombed in the mountain
fourteen days and thirteen hours. When we
went in, there was not bud upon the trees !;
the morning after we we're rescued we looked
from our windows and beheld the forest clothed
in green. We never before knew what beau.
tiful earth it was.