The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-09-18
NUMBER %
A Terrible Predicament.
From the Virginia city Enterprise


Yesterday forenoon, about II o'clock,
Sam, Jones, borther of Senator J. p
Jones, and superintendent of the Crown
Point mine, in company with George
Williams, station tender, and Mr.. Chase,
underground foreman, had narrow es-
cape from death while ascending the
main shaft Of the Savage mine. The
three men got on the cage at the 1900
feet level, which is the bottom of the
perpendicular shaft. They had with
them some specimens of rock, which they
laid upon the cage, and lanterns which
they carried in their hands. They placed
themselves in the cage, and taking hold
Of the bell-rope, struck three bells, which
being interpreted, means, "Hoist, with
men," Obedient to the signal struck on
his bell above, the engineer began hoist
ing the cage. All went well until the
cage had ascended about four hundred
feet, when it suddenly jumped out Of
the guides and was loose in the shaft.
1t was dashed from side to side with
such violence that the lanterns were
their specimens were thrown from the
cage, and they must all have been shak-
en- off but for the peculiar construction
of the cage, which has cross-bars at each
end and which may be grasped. Up they
went banging from side to side, Mr..
Chase trying all the time TO seize the
bell-rope and sound the signal for stopp-
ing the cage. This rope is in a corner
of the shaft, but when Mr.. Chase did oc-
casionally get hold of it, he was unable
to make the signal, owing TO the rapid
and irregular manner in which they were
ascending.
Thus they were dragged up the shaft
for distance of three hundred feet, ex-
pecting every moment that the cage
would catch on some projection in the
shaft, the cable be broken, and the cage
and themselves be precipitated to the
bottom OF the shaft, which would have
been instant death. Finding they could
not signal the surface by means Of the
bell-rope, they began yelling, "stop the
cage! Stop the cage" in the vain hope
that they might be heard above. Sam
says he "yelled like a horse thief" All
their yelling was of no avail, however,
as not whisper was heard on the sur
face. The banging about of the cage
caused the heavy iron cage &c be swayed
violently, and this was at last observed
by the carmen at the surface, who called
the attention of the engineer TO it, and
had him stop hoisting, it being apparent
that something was wrong. BY means
of the ladders man from the surface
then climbed down the shaft, and ascer-
tanning the situation Of the men on the
cage, returned and had a cage sent down
another compartment to their relief
The three men were kept suspended on
the cage for over an hour before they
finally got out Of their perilous position
Even after the cage had stopped they
were not safe. They feared every moment
that some Of the men at the bottom of
the shaft would ring the bell and start
them either up or down the shaft. To
prevent this, one Of the men got hold Of
the bell-rope and winding it two or three
times round his hand thus held it till
the relief cage reached them. When
they finally reached the surface it is said
that all three Of the men looked like the
last run of shad. They were drenched
with water and covered with mud Chase
had a cut in his head, and Sam Jones
had his left shoulder badly bruised from
his being jammed against the cross-bar
of the cage. Sam. says single, unex-
pected jar in cage sufficiently frightens
almost any man, but to be dragged and
banged to and fro for distance of three
hundred feet is simply terrific.