The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-05-11
Il Thrilling Welsh Story.
CoLIIERs IMPRISONED TEN DAYS IN AN
INUNDATED MINE-AN EVENT THAT
AROUSED THE SYMPATHY OF ALL
ENGLAND AND ITS QUEEN.

ENGLAND AND ITS QUEEN.
LIVERPOOL, April 21.-During a period
of nearly ten days "A terrible battle has been
! raging in the W Welsb colliery Of Troedyrhiw,
a battle in which Death Sayagely fought
on one side and the brave miners of Pom
typridd on the other. The tale is one that
will live long in the homes Of the RhOndda
valley. 1t is story the details of which
have been given day by day, and which has
stirred to the lowermost depths the rympa-
thies Of the English people, and enlisted
the earnest sUlicitude of the Queen herself
Day after day since the strange calamity
occurred which closed "a number of hapess
. miners in a living .omb, the first tidings
for which the newspaper was searched at
every household table, has been the latest
b. report from that dreadful Troedyrhiw mine.
When the news had been read that the
miners were still entombed, public sympa-
thy and interest gradually quickened into
an absorbing anxiety, which converted the
battle waged so long and earnestly for life
into a national event. 1t was on Wednes-
day the 18th inst. just as the day shift
CulieIs were quitting the TIoedyrhiw Pit,
when the catastrophe occurred. Some last
incautious blow, OF some accidental breach
of wall vein, burst the thin PARTITION
which held back a vast concealed reservoir
of subterranean water, when suddenly, with
rush like that of an angry incoming sea,
a black Cocytus Of Hood broke il upon the
mine. Filling the lower galleries and the
bottom of the shafts, driving before it the
atmosphere from every portion of :he work
iugs, this mysterious deluge cut off two
parties of men, who escaped With difficulty
from the peril of immediate drowning only
to find themselves ;mmurcd in the first aud
second adits of the mine nearest the upper
shafts. No sooner was it known that a
number of operatives were missing than
scores of brave, hardy volunteers were forth
coming to Iescue their fellows. Many at
once descended the shaft, which is 216 feet
deep, ana entered the workings. 1t was
then ascertained that all the workings
/ within a few hundred yards of the bottom
/ of the Shaft we've filled with water to the
roof, aud no hope was entertained that
any one would be discovered alive. While
the explorers were consulting as to hat
movement should be made, faint knock
ings were heard the other side of the
coal, as was cOnjectuIed. at Il distance of
thirty or forty feet. No sooner was this
discovery made than score of men
Ihlew off their jackets and with man
drills commenced cutting Though the solid
mass. The imprisoned were also at work
Throughout the night, relays of men toiltd
with desperate, un:lring eueTgy, chceTed
and encouraged by the knocking and
sounds of labor of the imprisoned men,
The task was very laborious, it having to
be performed in deep water, but such was
the progress made that OH the following
morning a mandril struck through aud a
hole made into that part OF the pit
5 where five men were shut up. The next
moment terrific explosion cccur ed and
one of the imprisoned, a miner named
Morgan, was hurled into the opening
/ where the rescueis found him dead The
inumdation had been SO sudden as to i'm
prison the air i'll the inner workings, and
the force of this had kept back the water
. from the five men III that locality The
moment small hole was cut by Morgan 5
mandril this volume of imprisoned air es-
capped aud hurled the poor fellows body
into the opening and his soul into eternity
His body was soon after brought 10 the sur
face, aud Immediately following the four
living men were brought up aud delivered
into the hands of their enjoyed friends.
OTHERS, however, we've still missing t.; others
wele mourning over friends still immured
III the pit, and once more the explorers.
with willing hands and stout, manly hearts,
set to work. Once more knocking was
heard, but at "A considerable distance.
These remaining prisoners were, like their
released fellows, shut up i'll chamber of
compressed air leading out of IL gallery
which the water had entirely filled The
other end of this chamber was a thick solid
wall of coal, and beyond this again was
another passage filled with water. Divers
attempted TO penetrate this latter passage
but failed, and 1t was not until Monday,
the 10th inst, that the water in it, WAS su
far reduced by pumping as TO render work
ing practicable, Till Thursday following
the men who had volunteered Tor the task
worked continuously by constant relays IN
endeavoIing to cut a passage through the
wall which separated Them from THEN i'm
prIsoued comrades. The passage was about
three feet III diameter, and the men carried
OH the work on their hands and knees So
great was the interest to effect their rescue
tha- q colliery owner worth at least S5O OOO
went down i'll the train of d collier 20 lend
helping hand. On Thursday the rescuers
came neal enough to communicate with the
entombed. Shouting at the top of his
voice, a miner asked. ''How many of them
are you"' The reply came back Five -
1t was then asked, How have you lived ?''
o tins answer was made, by eating can
dies. DO make haste Shortly after 10
clock on Friday morning, the goth inst.
1t was known that the men would be
brought out alive, and message which
came up to that effect drew forth ringing
cheer from the excited crowd around the pit
"a cheer which was re-echoed from one end
OF the village to the other. Between and
3 O'Clock in ihe afternoon the men who had
been living for quite ten days in a tomb far
Hhoetg ground once more came INTO the liz Int
of day and breathed the free air of the up
per world. BY happy coincidence. when
The last man was brought to bank and was
being conveyed on stretcher covered with
blankets into the hospital, "a message was
received from the Queen. Mr.. Parker, one
OF the officers of the company, mounted a
tram, and, with loud voice, said "a
message from the Queen" There was a
rush of people forward, and, the miners
and all others having uncovered, it was
read This was followed with ringing
cheers aud waving of caps. The MESSAGE
was as follows: ''Biddulpb, Osborne, to
Mr.. Wales. Mine Inspector Pontypridd :
The Queen is very anxious for the last ac
counts of the poor men in the mine. Are
they saved F? Pray telegraph
Everything WAS in readiness, and the