The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-06-05
PERILS OF THE NINE.
Bl ANDREW ROY.

d ANbHNEW
A dreadful disaster occurred at Blue |
Rock Mines on the Muskinghsm river, in |
the State Of Ohio, in the year 1886, by |
which four men were enclosed in the mine |
for fourteen days and thirteen hours, by |
a crash Of the workings, and were all got
out alive. The accident occurred about
noon on Friday, April 25th, while twenty
miners were at work. The mine Was
drift opening, and the miners hauled the
coal outside. They had just re-entered
after dinner. The crash came on sudden
ly and without previous warning. The
miners heard the rending Of the rocks Lnd
the bursting Of the flying pillars, and
rushed outside for their lives. Sixteen Of
the twenty escaped, through three received
slight injuries from the flying pillars
The remaining four, James Pierson, James
Etword, William Edgell. and Edward
Savage, were at work in the far end of the
mine beyond the reach Of the crush, and
knew nothing Of its occurrence for two
hours after the mine had closed Pierson
and Edgell were working in adjoining
rooms, and had wondered why those Who
had gone out with loaded cars had not re-
turned. Pierson proposed to Edgen that
they should % out and see what was the
matter Edgeil led the way, and on reach
ing the main entry ran his car against one
standing on the track He cried " whose
car is this p and receiving no answer
Walked forward along the entry for a few
yards, when lie found it completely closed
IN. The rocks were still falling, and he
ran back and met Pierson, Savage and
Etword, ard told them the roof had fallen
iii, and the mine was closed Pierson pro-
posed that they should try and find a way
ont through the Old workings, and they all
started together, but found every passage
way had become involved in the crash.
" My God, sand Pierson, we aIe all
lost. Let us 90 back to the further part
Of the mine, and make Us deathbed.
They however. all went round the mine
together twice to see If there was no pos
sibility of escape, but found there was no
chance whatever. Believing that those
outside would never undertake TO reopen
the mine, or if it were undertaken they
could not be reached before death would
Overtake them, they collected a quantity
Of dirt and waste coal in the corner Of a
room at the far end Of the mine, with
which they made bed, and all laid down
and gave themselves up for lost At times
they would have some faint hope that
those outside might try to rescue Their,
through the old workings Edrell and
Savage were the most hopeful They eel
lected all the oil and water they could
find, and discovered small quantity IL
provisions, which one Of the miner had
taken in for a check for himself and his
boy. Savage, who was only sixteen years
Of age, soon complained Of being hungry,
and proposed, as there was little or no
chance of escape. they should eat up the
check at once. They however divided il
into two meals, and think they dispatched
it all the same evening Of their imprison-
ment
With the closing of the mine, the sup
ply of fresh air was cut off /; but as the
workings evolved mineral gas very slowly,
the exhaustion Of the air was slow and |
gradual. The water soon became ex-
hausted, but Edgell found a low place in |
the mine filed with water which supplied |
them to the end They frequently went
round the mine in hopes Of discovering |
some means If egress
The accommodating black damp began 70
tell upon their lamps. They put the
spouts together and turned them down to
keep them burning as long as possible, but
they died out, leaving the miners in utter
darkness.
They suffered greatly from cold, and
took turns Of lying in the middle and pill
ing one on the other. Each wished to die
first, and not be left behind with his dead
They agreed that the first who
died should be laid out by himself in the
mine, and SO with the second and third,
and the last one was to stretch himself in
death beside his companions.
When the disaster took place, prepare
tions were at once made by the miners
outside for the rescue Of their imprisoned
comrades. The news spread like wild
fire, and people focked from far and near
to assist in the work Of rescue. About
one hundred yards from the entrance Of
the mine, there was q swail or swamp in
the entry which had become filed with I
water. Two lines Of men, eighty six in
number were formed along the entry to
bail out the water, and then the work Of
making q passage way through the fallen
rocks was began On Saturday morning
the rescuers came out Of the mine for the
FIRST time. Persons wife, unobserved,
entered the mine without q light, and
CROPPED her way in utter darkness until the
fallen rocks impeded her further progress.
The rescners on re-entering the mine
found her calling aloud, in grief and dsss