The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-12-25
THE MINER.
JOS Struggles for Life.
Anc RIDENr IN THE LIFE or a MINER.


tpe harness-chains junking, the wagons
IImbling, and knocking over the JOINT, in
the railroad track, when the leading mule
Stumbled and fell; the others being weak
aned by having respired in the impure at
hosphere, fell on him in heap, which then
brought up the train of drift cars with a
trk. This incident served to awaken our
Zero at least, if not the others, to a sense 0
sis critical situation. JOS lungs were I'M
Effected, Judging by the roar he gave to his
companions.
"Boys," says he, ''this is caused by af-
ierdamps; let every one of you make the
best of bis way out"
This emphatic sentence, rung like death
;nell to those unsuspecting men sitting dos
ing in the wagons. They were up, got out
IF the wagons, but their legs trembled be-
heath them and refused to perform their Of
fce. Some ran but few yards, and sank
Exhausted never to rise more Others
Struggled manfully and only yielded up
their lives, when all their strength failed
';their courage never wavering till the last
;moment. 10 got the start Of his compan-
lioQ; but one stronger than the rest, over
itook him. These kept side by side for a
considerable distance, when JOS compan-
;ion's strength began to abate, and he grasp
Jed 10 with the despairing grip Of drowning
oman. He was heavy young man, forty
tpounds heavier than 10. 10, when he felt
himself held back by his companion, who
sbegan to cry piteously for him not to leave
ihim to die, felt his heart sink within him
his senses had not as yet left him, but be
scarcely had breath left to speak. Instead
Of struggling with bis mate be stopped, not
/; so much to breath as to rest. To have
J struggled and wrestled with his companion,
! in order to be released from his grasp would
have ended them both on the spot JOS
f! courage almost failed him here Was be to
leave him to die He had scarcely strength
left to carry his own body, and none at all
! to offer his companion. He thought Of his
wife and the blue eyed little fellows at hi:
home, and be decided to use up the remain
der Of his strength in making a final strug
gle. He had a long distance to 60 before
he could reach a purer atmospheric
could not stay to die. All he could do fol
the despairing man beside him was to ad
wise him to keep up his courage and endea
vor to escape with the strength he had still
left Their lamps burnt in the vitiated all
with a wild unnatural fare, and they gazed
in each others face one as if he were look
ing out of the grave, the other as if looking
into it one felt himself sinking down past
It's Drinks, the other felt the edge crumbling
under his feet. With a sudden jerk, in
which JOS strength was all concentrated,
did he release himself from the grasp of bis
companion, and starting along the gangway
called on him to follow and live! But a
few steps did be follow when be fell vic.
tim, and dropped dying to the floor
Jo ran on feeling his senses departing
but he checked them with a superhuman ef
fort he knew the prize he was so manfully
batting for. JOS light was soon extinuish-
ed, and in the darkness he began to STUN
bic and fall over distractions When down
his disposition to lie was so strong, that only
the dread consequences of obeying the i'm
pulse, spurred up sufficient energy to ena-
Bile him to rise again and renew the struggle.
At times he would fall into the gutter,
when be would take advantage of this cir
cumstance, and heave water into his face
with both hands. If this process did not
serve to revive him, it served to encourage
him be fancied be was refreshed by it.
The last Of JOS remembrance be found him
self in the gutter, to rise from which seemed
to him like raising a mountain, be was so
heavy, or he was so weak, he had not sense
enough remaining to discern which. He
got on his legs, which totteringly bore him
again EDWARDS, his will remaining the strong
est part in his compensation this was way
erng be felt severely cold bis joints were
stiff and numb his muscles refused to obey;
the nerves ceased to act; the senses had
gone astray at last, and 10 fell to tho floor
Of the gangway 10 an inanimate mass.
Not limb moved as be lay stretched out
in bis damp clammy bed the lungs did not
initiate to feed the blood; the pulse ceased
to beat to all appearance 10 was dead
What was he in reality 10 had given up
the struggle not till the whole of bis strength
was gone he had not the strength remain
ing to resplre.
What was gained then by this struggle of
JOS? These important items: JOS life
was saved Tue lives Of all the workmen
who were working beyond a certain limit.
where the foul gases had not reached, were
also saved by JOS manful tussel with death
A party Of men, among whom was the
7 boss, was entering the gangTay and found
that something was wrong with the air, adj
vanced, till they found 10 lying apparently
dead, when they carried him to the surface.
This circumstances raised the alarm, and
nurses and medical men were speedily on
the spot 10 was delivered over to the ten
der mercies Of an experienced, robust wo-
man, who stepped him in brandy, and rubbed
him with such vigor that the flood began to
flow through his veins, and the lungs to in
fate with pure fresh air. He awoke to life,
and to the sense Of terrible pains being in
dustrously busy at all sensitive points of his
person. tie found himself on a couch :
there was an odor Of brandy there were
familiar faces around; some one told him he
nth dozen dead ones He spoke He
asked where were the others of his compan-
ions. They evaded his query, and did not
tell him they were all dead but he under
stood their meaning nevertheless. He asked
for bis children who presented themselves.
He kissed them and felt grateful to God for
bis rescue.
Many were they who made the attempt
to pass through the barrier Of deadly gas
through which 10 had just escaped; their
attempt being to search for others who were
in the mine, alive or dead but the attempt
cost some their lives, and many were carried
out as 10 had been carried out apparently
dead but by the application Of proper res
toratives, these were brought to life again.
The workmen in the most remote places
I in tho rniDa vpora rascupd alive thanks to