The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-11-06

OH Iuesudy tNtuluSs luO AVeH
1869, ten men and three boys went down luto
No 29 Pit. Walows Coiliery, LOckslane'
Brierely Hill Stafiordshire, -,..
They had often gone down the yawnin9
gulf before, and no doubt "ere fearless as 70
any danger being near them. For 40 yardS
they sunk into the bowels OF the earth, and
then each went to his appointed TASK o. new,
ing out coal, SO that the steam eng ne shoul1
be supplied, that the social hearth should ne
cheered, and the many wants OF elVlllzed lie
shoul1 be SUI Piled
AT halt-past ten O'clock as usual, they drew
10 one spot to have their supper in company;
no danger then threatened, but each wa, JOY
Gus 10 his own peculiar way, aud the laush
went round till the time came tor them to
separate again for work. At / o'clock on
Wednesday morning the engine-minder no.
ticed an uprush of vapor from one Of the two
shafts belonging to The pit. Something was
wrong-but what? Oil all thought it was
the dreadful and subtle fire-damp again, the
collier's foe, that has slam thousands!
What's TO be done? Done! why, there are
two brave men, careless of self, wno eagerly
volunteer to descend the pit to lind out the
cause.
The skip was lowered-but take care
Yes, there they go! but so eagerly are they
let down that before they are FULLY aware, and
with only time to shout up the PIT, "WdteT"
they are immersed eleven feet deep in the
treacherous element. They were soon eraWn
up, halt-drowned; and then the full certaiIty
was known; the pit was lall OF water, aud
| thirteen fehow-creatures were Gown there
| amohg the rising surges!
What's to be done now? What's to be done!
| why, everything and any thing that ingenious
| men may suggest, and that wealth can pur
chase; and woe to that man who at such
time could be lazy or nisgardly, should the no
ole owner OF the pit, Earl Dudley, know.
Swift men and swilter horses ran all ways;
the overseers were fetched out OF their Leds,
and Earl Dudleys agent, Mr. Smith. was soon
on the spot. And then began ,he strug lie.
Nature poured i'll from her hidden channels
volumes of water. Men with steam engines
worked hour after hour to draw the water
out. And why? Oh, there was Que Lite
glimmer OF hope; like the small star to the
wearIed traveller, 1t cheered them on.
In some parts of the pit the coal lay high
up, and therefore some parts Of the workings
were likely to be dry after Others.
Pump on, lads, the poor fellows, mayhsp,
have betaken themselves To the high ground,
and we may yet help them.
But no chance was lett untried, for neigh
| boring pit or shaft was begun, so that If one
| way tailed, yet another mignt succeed
| Wednesday and Thursday went on, and the
large multitude almost ceased TO hope. FIi.
day passed, too, but with little to cneer at
| first; the water seemed to rise; and then,
| with all the efforts made, 1t only sauk at The
| rate OF two and half inches in the hour-yet
| it did sink how, they were sure OF that.
Cheer up, lads; work with will! And work
they did. But it began TO rain, and shou d
those torrents penetrate through the earth,
all was over. But still iron engines and man
" snews worked on with vigor-it was race
for life!
by aoon on Saturday the water was low
enough to see the entrance to the working
part of the mine. An exploring party de-
sceDded and found thai there was space Of
twenty inches between the water add the
root, and that communication was restored
between the two shafts, so that a supply OF
fresh air was forced in.
But the space was not sufficient bet xeen
the root and the water for any one TO pene-
trate the workings. AT O'Clock in The even
ing another effort was made but tue foul air
drove the explorers back. Again at ~ oc'ock
another effort was made, headed by the prin-
cipal agent; still the entrance to the @iue was
too small for any one to enter. Ihey shouted
ono name after auotter, tut no aus"et eS"e
| along that waste oil water; all was stnl as
| death. Again the choke damp cane, and
| those brave men were near losing their liv.s
in the noble effort to save Others.
! All hope was gone now; nearly fur days
had passed, $1,000 tons of water had been
| pumped up-could it be possible that auy
Il
| best hopes we've chilled.
Sunday came, a dull and cheerless day; all
| thoughts OF saving life were over. but YET the
bodies must lie fetched up. Thousands Of
| people were suddenly assembled around the
pit early in the morning, and many sorro owiul
faces were peering down into the blackneSs n
| darkness; for:
"Harkl What's that? 'Helpw cried
voice; 'let the bouk DOWN.
L ma feeble
had nerved brave men afresh, and many were
/ eager TO be let down. The skip" had got
| but i short way down when the ebose-damp
again drove them back; lime was thrown
down. Then, after a time, the brave seekers
again went down, taking with them raft.
Pushing through narrow ways, they came
upon two men seated upon wal oil coal just
above fiood-line. They were soon taken on
the raft to the skip tor another voyage, and
lad was discovered. With these three they
| assembled; there was solemn silence as the
poor famished creatures came INTO the pies
| ence OF day, and then a loud cheer broke out,
as much for the savers as the saved. The
first words of the lad, as he awoke TO con
sciousness, were "Have you sent to tell my
| mother"
Halt an hour later three more were brou' ht
up. Four days the poor fellows had been hid
den from sight, without food or light; no
| wonder they were feeble and wan.
Without food, did say? Well. not exactly.
Sankey (the lad) said that "Tim Taylor gave
him bread and butter when he was in the
pit, and went without himselIp Oh, mob e
Tim Taylor! when was such sacrifice made
| before? You had food, and who was Sankey?
Only neighbor's lad! l don't know thee,
rim, and yet I'd go dozen miles to press
thy hand, because you fed the lad Sankey.
| L. was zone Jesu" who taught tn Q that
sentiment, though 1t is so long since thy good
old mother or sunday school teacher impress
ed the divine command upon thy mind, thou
hast forgot the time; but never mind, Tim,
you did IL.
but this was not all that Tim Taylor did,
Two days before be swan to the mouIh of
the pit, and shouted up-but no one beard
him. and he swan back again through those
swollen waters with a saddened heart, TOR
hope was gone now.
Back into the darkness he swan, for the
candles were used up by this time; but while
there was light, one map, "Hickman" had
written and placed 10 his tobacco-box a pa
per. Let us see whatever could be the sub
ject chosen ut such time:
| "Dear wives, we ars singing and praying
| while we are dying Tell my brothers and
sisters to follow God more than did," Then
there were marks
intended fo kisses for the wives and children.
81 wrile this on Wednesday night, about a
| quarter past SIN U ClOCh. bcdl pdiSuLa, PlS-
pare to meet us in heaven"
A glorious testimony from Hickman; the
| world was shut out-at least you were shut
in, and there could be no reason why you
| should deceive either yourself or others. And
there have been crowned heads which cou
have rested easier in their dying hour on
their pillows of down, if they could only have
Lett in their lewelled chest honest testimony
like the one in the old box.
All were not alike; one poor fellow went
frantic; casting off his clothes, and leaving
his watch with Hickman, he rushed into
darkness and was seen no more.
Hickman never lost hope. He seems to
have been the prop of the compan /; and
when the candles went out, leaving them in
darkness, he saws" IL still had hopes that my
light had not gone out in heaven" II told
Holden" he said, ''to have taiih, for though
we 1odS lett there, God would never leave us. ;"
Never mind thy grammar, friend Hickman
Lindley Murray never expressed a miner
faith.
But there were six more persons IN the pit,
were thew still alive? All SUNDAY night the
| toilers toiled; oh, and on Monday morning
tbe iovtuI news came up, "All aliyev
Aiiye and without food Tor five davs and
niobts-about 124 hours? Yes, up thsy came
ali but one. He, they said, had been too
weak to follow with them. and they, trying 10
carry him, found themselves unable to do so.
But he must not be lost. Down again. Yes,
there he is in that "manhole" alive, but so
| meagre-almOst dead, but not uulie