The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-08-21
SIX DAYS in an Inundated Eoal Pit.

"a the tG.h, a coal lit at Kslv'ns!de, L .ar
glasgow, was inundated. Several persons
were drowned out on the 21et, three Of the
oollisrs-John Johnson, Thomas Cairney, and
Michael Daley-wsre rescued alive. The flas-
gov Herald givea the following account OF the
marvellous circums tances under which these
men escaped death:
Tha three men had not been n ore than fys
minutes in the pit when the @c-iue-t occurred,
Dct taey diu not discover It for several hours
They then proceeded down the slipping side to
the edge of the water which was now, how
ever, forcing its way ip.o the upper working
They re!reated, and proceeded along the pas
sage till they had again reached the level part
OF its course, and went down the opposite
slope. The water was forcing its way up that
side, also-not purs water but putlid, stink
ing food, that made them almost recoii.
The poor fellows found themselves thus
walled In between the Two hoods forty faith
oIns below the surface of the earth. When
they had recovered from thbir first shock of
CONSERVATION, they be an to watch the water
whirh they were ALE % do for abe IT ~
days by tie aid Of. their two lamps. They
had about TWO days' oil with them, and thus
managed in some measure To compute the
time. At first they thought that they could
not exist beyond few hours, but still be
lieYeo they might calculate on few hours
They kneeled down, and in the anticipation of
certain death, commended themselves to their
Maker. For ths two days during which their
oil las ted they watched the water closely and
eagerly onward came the putrid mass with
awful certainty and rapidity. The three slices
OF bToad which DAILY bad taken down with
him had been div ded among ihem, ard lit
tls we'll o. pure water. which was for tn
ns trly in the workings, furnished The means
Of ruep ching their thirst.
Inc progress Of tn" water, which seemed
for two days to have been marching steadily
or 10 snguiph than, became g ADJ ally slower
at last tbs God paused. With n new excite
han fh-A
seemed TO be re firing, and they thew from
that time that exertons we're being made 90
save them, They did not hear the operations
until what they understood to he Saturday
morning. X hen their light failed them the
men placed a stone at the edge of the water.
and, after watching the rate At which the
water was diminishing, tor, rs they thought,
severai hour, calculated that they would be
relieved on Sunday morning. The water
seemed to them to fall a. the rate Of a FOO I
per hour The AIR was for some time close
and sufocating, but as the operations pro-
crossed the movement of the water caused
by the Immense pumping apparatus, produced
8 continuous undulaLion, which made the air
much moro agreeable
The men had never felt the pangs Of hunse r
but they became very weak and were op.
pressed, ali me time, with an unquenchable
thirst, which had not yet left them They
were In the habit of sitting side by side to keep
Themselves warm, and when the one in the
mi idle had reached higher temperature than
the others ne gave way for his right or lief:
hand neighbor. who in due time would make
way for the third. They slept also close to-
eether upon logs OF wood, and covered them
selves with piece OF oilcloth which had been
found in the working. 1t appears that the
water had been reduced below the doorheads
some time before the descent was male for
Johnston called up the shaft three hours, As
he calculated, bsfore they were found, but
could not make himself heard. They went
back into the working TO wait until relief
came bat the three, overcome with their
anxiey and watching, fell asleep, and were
found so by the men who had been sent down
10 scare for them. The men, though still
weak, are doirg we'll but some Of them are
now beginning to suffer a tile pain from their
lcns abstinence from food There is no doubt
that few DAYS careful treatment will rs-
store then. 10 their wontad strength