The Van Buren press., 1869-10-19
MISCELLANY.
Buried Alive.


Who has ceased to believe that oul
God works miracles, or that he withholds
his hand when the righteous call upon
him?
On Tuesday evening, the 10th OF
March, 1869, ten men and three boyi
went down into No. 20 Pit, Wallow's
Colliery, Locks lane, Briefly Hill. Stat
fordshire. .........1 ...... .f.,
They had often gone down that yawn.
ing gulf before, and nc doubt were fear
less rs to any danger being near them.
For 200 yards they sank into the bowels
of the earth, and then each went to his
appointed task of hewing out coal, so
that the steam engine should be supplied,
that the social hearth should be chcered
and the many wants Of civilized life
should be supplied.
At half-pa ten O'Clock, rs usual, they
drew to one spot to have their supper in
company. No danger then threatened,
but each was Joyous in his own particu
lar way, and the laugh went round till the
time came for them to separate again for
work
At one o'clock on Wednesday morning
the engine -minder noticed an uprush OF
vapor from one of the two shafts belong
ing to the pit. Something was wrong
but what? Oh! all thought it was that
dreadful and subtle fire damp again, the
collier's foe, that has slain thousands!
What's to be done? Done! why, there
are two brave men, careless Of self, who
eagerly volunteer to descend the pit to
find out the cause. The skip" was low
ered-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 water" they
are immersed eleven feet deep in the
trcacherous element They were soon
drawn up, half drowned, and then the full
certainty was known; the pit was full OF
water, and thirteen fellow creatures were
down there among the rising surges
What's to be done now1 What's to
be done ? why, everything and anything
that ingenious men may suggest and that
wealth can purchase; and woe to that
man who al such time could be lazy or
niggardly, should the noble owner Of the
pit, Earl Dudley, know.
Swift men and swiftcr horses ran all
ways; the ovcrseers were fetched out of
their beds, and Earl Dudleys agent, Mr..
Smith, was soon on the spot. And then
began the struggle. Nature poured in
from her hidden channels volumes DIVA.
ter. Men with steam engines worked
hour after hour to draw the water out.
And whyp Oh, there was one little glim-
mer of hope; like the small star to the
wearied traveller, it cheered them on.
In some parts of the pit the coal lay
high up, and therefore some parts Of the
working were likely to be dry after others.
Pump on, lads, the poor fellows, may.
hap, have betaken themselves to the high
ground, and we may yet help them.
But no chance was left untricd, for a
neighboring pit or shaft was begun, SO
that if one way failed, yet another might
succeed. EcI
Wednesday and Thursday went on,
and the large multitude almost ceased to
hope. Friday passed, too, with but little
to cheer at first; the water seemed to rise
and then, with all the efforts made, it only
sank Mt the rate Of two and half inches
in the hour-yet it did sink now, they
were sure of that. Cheer up, lads; work
with q will! And work they did. But
it began to rain, and should those tor
rents penetrate through the earth, all was
over. But still iron engines and manly
sincws worked OH with vigor--it was a
race for life
Bv noon on Saturday the water was
low enough to see the entrance to the
working part of the mine. An exploring
party descended, and found that there
was a space Of twenty inches between the
water and the roof, and that commune
cation was restored between the two
shafts, so that a supply Of fresh air was
forced. ..f
BIT the space WAS not sufficient be
tween the roef and water for any one to
penetrate the workings. At six o'clock
in the evening another effort was made.
but the foul air drove the explorers back.
Again, at 10 o'clock another effort was
made, headed by the principal agents ;
still the entrance TO the mine was too
small for any one 10 enter. They shouted
one n,me aft another, bat no answer
came along that waste Of water; all was
still as death. Again the choke damp
came, and those brave men were near
losing their lives in the noble effort to
save others li-U
All hope was now gone; nearly four
days had passed, $4,000 tens OF water
had been pumped out--could it be posi-
BILE that any were alive? The most hope
ful felt that their best hopes were chilled.