The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-02-21

ii yht dead IN my teeth while the way
in which the snnR cIt into yonr eyes
was snmnihinr terrible But | iou2h'
my Hay ON, setting up IN opposition
whistle 20 the wind aid thiukrng about
the warm freside at home, with tho
snug supper table; and then | thought
of what blessing it was in Il hard WIN
ter to be close to the pits mouth, and get |
plenty of coal for next to nothing. We
could afford a good fire there, such as
would cheer the heart of some OF the
London poor, while wages were not SO
bad.
Every now and then I had to stop
and kick the snow off my boot soles, Tor
it collected in hard balls, 50 as to make
walking harder; then, not having the
town lights to guide me, found L
wandered bit out of the track, so that
the ground grew rougher and rougher,
and more than once stumbled. The
wind beat worse than ever; the snow
blinded 50, that | could not look out ior
the lights of the village; and at last |
began to think that had done a foolish
thing in trying to make short cut. But
then one is always slow about owning to
being in the wrong 50 | blundered and
stumb ed on but at last, after walking
for some time, | was obliged to own to
myself that | was lost in the snow.
"Stuff and nonsense :" l says the
next minute, and then [ has look
round to try and make out where l was,
for knew every foot Of it almost; but
, nothing could | see but snow falling al
most like in a sheet all round me, 50 that
+ [ could see a few feet each way, while
/ the snow where | stood was nearly up
! to my knees. ! listened, but there was
nothing to be beard out the whistling ct
!, the wind ! shouted, but the cry sound
ed muhled and close just as if had
q been in cupboard then | walked lit.
+ tie one way, and then turaed and went
+ another; and at last, to my horror.
= found that was regularly confused, and
could not make cut in which direction
lay town or village, while the snow GOV
~ cred in every foot mark in very few
, minutes.
5. Now. | did not feel alarmed. nHl,
Z. bothered, confused ior | ielt sue that
= il kept on walking, | must come :,
some place or rnoiher which ! knew
4 unless | walked right ont QUITO thu
X great waste, where ! might - ,nr uilc.
. and miles without finding a hoa." nu
lc ! was hardly likely to ct there aui tn
n, thing | most care I tr W. my i'rr =
IS at home getting upset about u". an,
k thinking th,t I'd stopped ia th' town
lt drinking with some matrs briu. rhr'St
ut mas eve, whcn IA prnpj~"i ""r ov.
ct aud over again most tulrutulN rhr /,
~ always have my drop Of beer ~ home
T. "Thcre'- 10 danger. that's "re com
,t fort" | Sid "uuirzs lun bon. ipt' til
cS canal; aud even then >hl! knuw wler
/ | am.' | says. 30 that won't ho sp.n
II. very scrou~ matter = and then ! tri'
* again to make out where was, but ia
II SNOW came down more than ever; an
or at last, feeling worried aud cross, sta
- ted off afrpSh a. hard ~ cpu3 -
ut wheD all at once let 90 OF my stick (,
it | felt one foot slipping, and, as felt
cG ~, II iCdiIhI lh'h4'i 'd'h' "N'''' w
N mind With an agnn'zng cry, THE
rk, to recover myself but, from leaning 70
as ward to face the wind, this was impo
at sibe, and then shricklng OUT
re, d" My God, its the old pit" Iwi
Us, falling and rolling downtown into Il
ger black darkness.
! 1t was like being in some horrib
'as dream, and for a moment tancied
nat might be; bus no, there 81 was fallir
my faster and faster and faster for lengt
ng of time that seemed without end, as
sh waited for the coming crash when
h. reached the bottom-to be found atte
er wards a mutilated corpse
sad I thought all this, and much more,
ng | fell down the slopiug shaft of the 0
at pit and then came tremendous spa
as was plunged down beneath the il
wn water which roared and Numbered
ct my ears,
on | had been down pit after pit in Il
2st time, working in the shafts at the wo
ork casing, making new or repairing the o.
md perhaps halfway down. hanging in
ats cage or had been working at the ira
l and doors in the most dangerous par
}ut where you might hear the gas hissi
em- through between the seems of black 81
ed, ty shale; but | never before knew
ing hldeOus a sense of fear as came over IL
AXE when, rising to the surface Of the wat
to | struck out, as if by instinct, for +
the side, and then, clinging to the roughc
cry ed wall with one hand, and with the OF
hts, er thrust into a sort of hole. rema
rm, ed for few seconds painting and ha
lts. mad, up to my neck in cold water, VIII
md the darkness is terrible.
ork 1t is impossible to describe the hor
was bic tho't that came hurrying through |
lgh mind rs If to Hnuerve me--thoughts
1eo foul choking gases, of fearful thin
fter swimming about in the black w1ter
ODs ! of hOTrid monsters mrkiug IN its ter