The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-04-04
and ] did not turn away without dashing MY
hand over my eyes.

nand over my eyes.
was walking on, when suddenly The 4
rang with crash that shook the ground.
knew what 1t signifed such sounds denol
but one result in the black country, an
throwing down my coat, darted OF to th
PIT, with the feelings that animate every nj
ner on such occasions.
1t didn't seem minute before I came [
the dust-h APPS, round the pits mouth, bu
some were there before me. and the off-me
and the women came rushing up from th
village in a stream.
The smell from the pit almost Knocked IN
down as came up, and had to get m,
breath little, when three or four Of u
crept TO the mouth and looked down. Th,
explosion had destroyed the cage, not lsav
Ing stick Of it; but it hadn't injured th.
signal rope; hence means OF fcommunicatioI
remained for any one Immediately below
As soon as saw this, set TO work to rig q
cross-bar, and presently had il ready.
just lower me gently" l said 70 two
banksmen. 81 may pick up one or two, 4
there's any near"
"You can't 60 down yet !" cried the view.
er. slow many are there 10 the Dit 2"
"llAlf an hour ago there were fifty," re-
Phed the tilre-keeper "but am happy 10
say they all came uo but ten,
And they are all lost" said the viewer.
Tor there will be another explosion d.
rectly."
"In 60 dowr anyhow" l said, doggedy,
'and Il no one viii lower me, l will jump
down.
And good many we're on the heaps now
-men and women-some Of the women cry
ing ana some praying; but when spoke out
thSt way, there was dead silence. Then
two or three called out "Good-bye, CIV
ley; God bless you, brave lad"
1he banksmen lowered me down, and 4
sank through the pits mouth. A Davy lamp
was tied around my waist, and held rope
IN my hand, so that | might be signaled TO
be heisted up If the air became too foul.
But had no intention or going back ill. 4
had searched the pit, and seen If there were
any alive. One :hing-I didn't care about
my life; and another-I would have been
ashamed to face the people above without
doin, something, so felt impatient that they
/! lowered me at such q snaiPs pace, and kept
looking up and down to see the G;stsEce vet
| to be traYersed. The shaft nad never SEEM
ed so deep to me before. ! strained my ewes
in the darkness below, and saw no bsttom
| | glanced up, aud the CLEAN OF light grew
smaller and fainter. | scanned the walls of
the shaft, and marked only their black
bound. But my progress was notified by
the increasing density of the air, which be-
gan to affect my breathing, and as went on
/ had 70 shift my face from side TO side, TO
make little current. At last my feet touch
ed ground.
looked round, as l jumped off the
straddle, and saw the furnace was out,
which put stop to the ventilation OF the
mine, as far as it depended on the brattices,
and no air entered but by the shaft. The
stencil was overpowering, and from this and
the silence, guessed tho worst. IL was
plain that the explosion had killed the
horses, for not sound came from the sta
bles. which we're close to the shaft, and wat
hope could there be for human beings in
distant part Of the pit! You may be sure
| didn't stand to make these reflections as
they fiosted across me, andd was working
forward before they had got through my
mind. | knew the old mine bindfoided
but what with the foul smell and what with
the gloom and my shortness Of breath, was
some minutes scrarAbling to the top Of shA
incline, keeping my arms stretched out, as |
went along, to tee for anything in the way
And it was lucFy | did, or | should have
dashed myself against some empty trucks,
and in the state | was in, that would hare
finished me. Thus | reached the first gal
iery, which you could enter stooping.
pushed open the trap, and went on few
sGe1s, though my Davy lamp wae what pit
men call t'afre"-tbe fame being all blue
and | knew the atmosphere was 50 much
guDp0wder. But | stumbled along: If
wasn't to save anyone, it didn't matter what
became Of myself, and pleased myself wish
the tho1ght that Nelly would hear that
died IN the attempt. And then all at once,
It came into my head what she had said
about her brother Jack being ia the pit
I This gave my heart such turn that quite
| staggered, and the perspiration Pcured
from my forehead like water. | rushed for
ward as if was mad my foot struck some
| thing / bent down over what seemsd
corpse, and the CLEAN of the lamp fell on
its face. Ii was Jack Glover9 didn't know
know whether he was alive or dead, but |
caught him in my arms, and with the
strength Of giant and the speed of deer
hardly conscious, hardly breathing-I
mado dash for the ehaft.
IL was easier work going back, when you
we're once ia the horse or main road, for
now the shaft was before you, instead Of be-
hind and, though you wouldn't think 1t,
this made a wonderful difference in the
light. Dark as pitch it still was, though
NOS to pitman's eyes, and | mad found out
that Jack breathed wher reached the
shaft. The discovery neryed me afresh, and
| kept all my senses at work without NV
seeming to know it. J only felt that thwe
would soon be another explosion Sc I
placed Jack on the straddle, and taking my
cord from my Davy lamp, tied him hand
AID foot then pulled the signal rope, and
as the people above hauled the tackle aud
lifted the straddle from the ground, hung
on By my arms thus we began to mount the
shaft.
1t wasn't till we had got twenty feet up
that felt the strain Of standing ol nothing,
but from that moment 1t became Just terri
! bic. Ny hands seemed ready to snap the
ache in nv arms spread through every mus
Gle my head spun round and my feet kicked
about in agony. | watched the mouth Of
the pi. till my eyes swan, and | reckoned
the space between, while my strength waned
and my misery deeLened. thought must
drop before reached the top. Thea they
began to hoist faster. ] mustered all my
strength; tightened my grip of the strad-
die, though my fingers were growing numb !;
steadied my feet, and hardly trusted my
self to breathe. | could see the walls Of the
shaft; 1 could feel the pure air; heard
voices, aud presently tho tackle swung !
strong arms caught me round, and was
| landed on the bank. -
They had Jack Glover of the straddls, be-
fore you could look round, and be was car
/ ried away, while they raised my hesd and
, poured little brandy in my mouth. called
ou: for the viewer.
"What is it, Charley Batson !" hs asked
( bending over ms.
everybody away from the pit, sir"
! said. =
! "You are right be answered, "it VII
| come In minute or ty0.n
OIL They got me to the top Of the bank, whs'
Z heard scream, and there was Nelly, try
r ing to throw herself on her brother Jack, bu
: kept back BY the other women folk. She nev
o er glanced At me Twlshed then that l ha
n -