The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1861-01-25
THE HERO OF THE MINE.

mine.
Grim visaged and dusky, moving about by
the dull red light OF their safety-ainps, they
might have been mistaken for the demons OF .he
mountain, once supposed by the peasants lo
dwell in ITS caves. Their work was hard, and
surrounded by dangers but their wives and
chlldFen were IN The hamlet above and long
habit makes them forget their perls. So they
milht be contented, and even happy.
Tie creaking windlaSs raised and lowered a
huge bucket through the deep and narrow shaft
from morning till night, carrying men and tools
TO and tro, this was their onlv doorway.
! 1t was noonday, and the sun shone down one
SIDE OF tbe shaft and brought gIimmer of day
| lIstt to part Of the niue. Hubert Coffin, the
master miner, took his place IN the great kb-
| BILE, and was let down to the niue many feet
! below. When he reached The bottom he com
menced banding some tools and stores to Victor,
0iiud miner who was there. Victor had left
sick chid in one Of the cottages, and 1t was
! to inquire after him that he stood waiting at
! the bottom of the shaft.
The bucket was soon emptIed, and Hubert
was just stepping out, when bark What sound
! was that which made his cheek pale - 1t was
/ the rushing and trickling Of water.-The next
moment he caught sight of stream forcing it.
/ self through 6ssure in the mountain close 10
| the shaft Hubert's long experience instant
| Iy showed hun their fearful danger. 1t was
not feeble, oozIn5 stream but mighty pres
sure OF water that had found its outlet. They
would be overwhelmed--Iosl.
One f. o; was yet IN the bucket-a Jerk at
/ the rope would save hlm. But. though death
stared him in the face, he could not sacrifice o.
thers 10 save himself Quickly jumping out, he
seized blind Victor and placed tim IN the buck
| ct, saying quickly, as be jerked the rope;
! "IelI them the water has burst in and we
are probably lost, but Wen seek refuge at toe
father end OF the gallery. Say farewell to our
! poor frends.' In moment be was gone, and
witt him HuoeFt's only certainty Of escape hom
! a terrible death.
| The mine consisted OF long, narrow passages,
and on all sides deep coves from which the coal
had been dug. The men were al at the far
ther end Of the mine, hewing out the solid
mountain, unconscious OF danger. Rqbprt
! quickly made his way along The dark pd@ag+,
followed by The swIfl-Spreading ater, and soon
! reached his fellow workmen with the dreadful
intelligence. 1t was moment of panic. whea
/ eaca would have rushed to certain death ia
vain ehorr to save himself Bot looking firm
{ . I'd
! hsw courageous sentences --444aA.
'Foilo~ my words, lads, and b, quick-our
picks may save US :"
Then came few steady, quick commands
TO hollow new chamber above Ihs level which
ihe water would probably reach. The men o.
! beyed IN silence though each knew not bpi hat
! he might BE- digging his own grave. A hun
dred pair of hands soon finished the work, aud
/ Iute the cave a hundred men crowded to wait
Tor death, or an almost impossible chance OF re-
/ lei The water gradually filled all the ave-
nues and Chambers, aud then seemed stayed
| Never was d situation more dreadful. Not more
! than a days provisions bad been saved, aud al
ready two or three OF their rum5sr had been
| killed by the falling rocks while hastily dig
| ging the new chamber. The long dismal hours,
with no change to mark them, brought the ad
| vance of almost certain death.
Courage, brave Hubert God, who saw thy
noble sacrifice, will help thee
| The terrified friends and town2nen, on hear
ing Vctor's dreadful news, ran wildly about in
hopeless panic. But some guided by the
| message Hubert had sent they commenced
working pew shaft as near as possible to the
spot where the helpless men might be. Five
days they toiIed, digging deeper into the solid
side Of the mountain.
| It's vain :ask, said the men, bu: the
wAmen cried. Do not cease God will
| help us
! a. length on the morning OF the sixth day,
! the mut-d sound OF blows from within met the
ears Of the woTkmen on the shaft A signal
ran along the rope, and told the news to the
waiting multitude above, who rent the air with
! Joyful shouts. Soon a communication was
| i
saved
Who can imagine the feelings of the un-
! fortunate men, buried for five days and nights
without food, when first me day CLEANED IN
upon them, revealing human face
OF the hundred who had been imprisoned,
only seventy survived, and with them Hubert.
Without him, indeed, probably no one would
have been spared to tell the news.
This noble act done IN at place and at a,mo-
ment when no praise OF meE could have been
looked for, echoed throughout Europe, and
obtained the praise and gratitude of the world.
The ten thousand miners Of Leige hailed their
fellow aborers with delight and pride. NaPo-
leon heard and admired in his palace at Paris,
| and sent a reward to the peasant nubleman.-
He sent him his Cross of Honor, the mark
which all high and great coveted, and, better
still, offered him a pension which raised him
, ABOVE want for the rest of his lfe.
HiGH ''Julius, why didn't you
oblong your stay at de seaside 2"
''Kase, tell you Mr.. Snow, dey charge too
much.p
"How 500
"Why, de landlord charged dis colored in-
dividual wild stealing de great big silver
spoons"