Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-29
BrOaching n Mine.

Among the many dangers the cornish miners
have TO battle against, one of the greatest arises
from accidentally carrying the excavations too
close to some diSused old pit that perhaps
many years since has been boarded and earthed
over, and in course of time forgotten. When
miners have reason to suspect that such is the
case-a suspicion generally caused by greater
emulation of water than is usual--they at once
proceed to what Is technically termed "hole
it, and the following description Of the hOling
or empJying a pit OF water may best be given
in the words Of an old Cornish miner, one of
the principal actors in the undertaking:
well, YOU see, sir, we were working two
hundred fathoms dOwn-running a level due
north-and, to our surprise, the further we
went the more moist the earth became, till, on
going to work one morning, we found the whole
end of the wall covered with drops of dew See
ing this, il struck all of us at once that there
must be pit at no great distance, and (as they
almost alluS are,) full of water. Fancy this
sir; body of water, reaching many fathOms
above you, and the narrow space in which You
are working only separated from it by thin
crust of clay, putting you in the momentary
lear OF this giving away, and the water crash
ing in upon you However, there it was, and
must he got rid of, and this, too, by driving or
holing right into it; for, if left, we never should
De safe, or tell when we might come unaWareS
across one of the many levels or shafts
which run in such numerous ways and
depths. When the captain of the mine
|
made on tOleraby generous terms to any who
chose TO empty it; which offer six of us accent
ing, we at once proceeded with our dangerous
task The first thing we did was to put up a
strong frame work with doors attached, open
inward towards the old pit, so that the instant
the mine was holcd, by running and closing the
door in passing the mass Of water would be kept
back Tor time-long enough, at all events, for
MS to reach the ladders. After placing three of
these Safety-valyes, as we called them, along the
level at short distances apart, we proceeded
slowly and cautiously with the more dangerous
part of our work. Bit by bit we rot nearer to
the old mine at every blow with the sedge on
the borer, expecting the rush of water to follow,
often and often fearing to strike more than one
blow before running for our lives, till the con-
slant dread which we were all of us in so worked
upon the nerves of the bravest that even a fall
ing stone would be sufficient TO put every one of
us to flight. Never shall forget the morning
when at last we did get through and can al
most fancy seeing one of my mates as he then
| stood with the borer held up ready for another
| TO strike, the rest of us watching for the blow
| 10 tail, and preparing to run if necessary. At
| last when every eye was fixed upon them, the
steel hammer rang on the borer which in anoth-
| or instant was sent whizzing far away down the
| leVei, as with horrible roar the water came
| tearing and crushing through. 1t was Il run
| then for life, sir; and in far shorter time than
| | can tell it, we were through the first doorway.
and III the act OF swinging 10 the next
| when the FIRST was dashed against il !:
| but thank God, this for a time resisted
the pressure of the water, or should not be here
| telling of it. On we Sped our only hope of
safety lying in gaining the ladders before the
last door gave way; and what a distance they
| seemed, when even few moments gained might
rescue us from DEATH Breathless, at last we
reached them, and had but assembled few
| rounds, when, with a NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
| water was upon us, aud, like some hOrrd mon
| ster, il glided up, step for step with u.s. Even
now shuddering feeling creeps over me as |
| call to mind the fierce struggle it was TO climb
faster than the water rose. Faint and weary
we still hurried upwards, for to rest only a few
moments would TO a certainty have been death
| Up, up, with our dread enemy gaining on our
haSging footsteps; now with the cool water
| gldmg TO our knees, yet still with renewed des-
| perahOn struggling on. Thank heaven, the adit
| was at last reached and we were saved DraD-
| slhg our exhausted limbs few feet higher we
| Watched the dread torrent rushing through this
| Quiet. lhei II was, That giving a glance toward
| my comrades, l find that there were but two
| left. Yes, sir, SIX OF us went down; three only
| came up. Whether they were overtaken i'm the
| level Gy washed from the ladders none couId
| tell for death was too closely following rs an
| that time TO allow us to bestow a thought on
our poor mates. However, we thought a deal
| more about them on reaching the mouth of the
| pit, where stood their pale faced anxious wives,
scanning us on coming to grass, and asking u.s.
with frightened cry "where are ourhusbands ~
| I'VE could not point down to the roaring
| gulf, for our hearts were too full to utter even
| the single word-'dead'"