The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-04-24

had scarcely uttered this self-conceited re-
candle, which he had been poking all
about, and scorching fame passed over
and almost blinded them. They instantly
fell down aat, as is usually the ssiest plan
( in cases of fire, and he, initiating their ex
ample, did the same. 1t was well they
did so, for almost in an instant a loud ex.
! plosion fairly shook the ground blowing
the air-door, close TO them, into fragments
over their heads. The fame, they said,
must have passed through a crevice close
10 the door, and igni;ed large quantity of
! inhammable gas in the old disnsed road
Fortunately, they escaped without any very
serious injury, though the learned theorists
| practical experience was of painiul char
acter, such as he would not wish repeated,
for his eyebrows and whiskers were singed
of, and his clothes bore sure testimony
that the smell of the fire had passed over
ihem.'
The introduction OF fat chains into the
colliers, though combaied against by the
men at first, as most new things are, has
| been The means of saving much loss of
| life. Ii was not very uncommon thing,
before, 10 hea. of a hempen rope breaking,
| and dropping whole band-full OF men,
| Such an accident seldom or never occurs
| where good three-Ink chains are used, for
as OF the chains is able to bear more is
generally trusted to all three, and as they
are all joined fast together al every alter
nate link by wooden key, driven tightly
! in, and held there by stout little nails called
| stubbs, it is possible that all three chains
may be broken in separate places, and the
weight still be sustained, by the interven-
| lion OF many keys between the broken parts.
| An old charter r-masleT-who contracts for
raising the coal at so much per ton--told
us how terribly frightened he had been once
| by two links breaking together He was
coming up the pit on the top OF loaded
coal skip or basket, and when near the
top he hard something snap, and looking
mp saw that one OF the links had broken,
and OF the two remaining links, one appear
ed rather slack. By ana by, he could
| plainly see that the one link which appered
10 bear all the weight, was parting in Two.
| 1t was an old engine, which wound up
slowly, and the short time taken in being
/ pulled up, the last few yards seemed, he
said, like an age. As the link parted and
stretched little, of course the other chain
| tighiened up, and had come 10 lis bearing
before actual severance had taken place.
/ 1t was impossible, he said, to describe
the intensity of his feelings for the few re-
naming seconds as his eyes gared at :he
single whole link left, on which his .liie de-
pended. He wasn't praying man then,
he said, but his heart offered up an earnest
ejaculatory petition, almost without his
knowing il, and his companions stared with
aslonishment as he fell on his kneos upon
of the pit, and returned hearty thanks for
his safe deliversnce as soon as he was
safely landed and out of peril.
CoIiers are rather inclined 10 be super
stlious, perhaps owing to their work being
so frequently done in The dark, or with
such light as only makes darkness visible.
They are generally too willing to believe
in a special Providence averiing danger
and death. Where there are so many ac-
cidents, instances of what appear TO be
miraculous escapes are not IN common
Several cases have occurred Of persons fall
ing down shafts come forty or fifty yards
deep, and sustaining no serious injury
and though science may assert that the
parachutical initiation of The mans stiff fan
mel shirt, or the womau's voluminous skirts
broke their fall the collier finds j, easier
and pleasanter TO bellows that Providence
inlerferred in direct manner. 1t is an old
assertion OF the pitmen, that The roads fall
in more when all is quiet, at night, than
during the daytime, when men and horses
are continually employed in them and
+ they often have TO clear away in the morn
! ing large masses of rock which could not
have fallen during working hours without
/ causing loss OF life.
The sexegenarian here recounted some
! of The narrow escapes he had undergone, of
which can only remember one or Two
! He had finished earlier than usual one day,
and was coming up the shaft in company
with another man clandeshnely, as employ
! ers, object 10 one or two coming up by
| themselves, and expect 10 wait until the
customary number (eight or nine) are all
ready together. He was sure whether
| they shouted TO the banksman or not when
near the top, for him 10 signal TO the en-
| gmeman that men were coming up but
F.! either accidentally or otherwise, he pulled
them about yard too high, and they came
in contact with the pulley, just as the tack
ing was being pulled over pit. His COM
panion fell out, and dropped on the very
edge of the tacking overhanging the pit,
escaping wonderfully with only few brui-