The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-06-07

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locality. The moment small hole was
cut by !Morgan's mandril this volume of
imprisoned air escaped and hurled his;
body into the opening and his soul into
eternity. His body was soon after brought
I'd the surface, and Immediately following
the four living men were brought up and
delivered into the hands of their overioved
friends: Others. however, were still miss
ing; others were mourning over friends
still immured. in the pit, and at once the
explorers, with willing hands and stout,
manly hearts, set to work. Once more
knocking was heard. but at a considerable
distance.
y These remaining prisoners were, like
their released fellows, shut up in cham
Der of compressed air leading out of
gallery which: the water had entirely
filed. The other end of this chamber was
thick, solid wall of coal, filled with wa
ter. Divers attempted to penetrate this
latter passage, but failed; and it was not
until Monday, the 9Th inst, that the water
in it was so far reduced by pumping as to
render working practicable. Till Thurs
day following the men who had volun-
teered for the task worked continuously
by constant relays. in endeavoring to cut
a passage through the wall which separa-
ted them from their imprisoned comrades.
The passage was about three feet in diam
eter, and the men carried on the work on
their hands and knees. So great was the
interest to effect their rescue that a COL
liery owner worth at least e5O,O0O went
down in the train of collier to lend
helping hand. On Thursday the rescuers
came near enough to communicate with
the entombed. Shouting at the top of
his voice, miner asked, i" How many of
them are you?" The reply came back,
"Five." 1t was then asked, "How have
you lived?"
To this answer was made, "By eating
candles. Do make haste" Shortly after
10 o'clock on Friday morning, the goth
nst., it 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 two and three o'clock in
the afternoon the men who had been liv-
ing quiet ten days, in a tomb far under
ground once again came into the light of
day and breathed the free air of the up
per world. By a happy coincidence,
when the last man was brought to the
bank and was being conveyed on a
stretcher covered with blankets into the
hospital message was received from the
queen. Mr.. Parker, one Of the officers of
the company, mounted train and with
loud voice said, "A message from the
queen" There was rush of people for
ward and the miners and all others hay
! ing uncovered, it was read. This was
followed with ringing cheers and waving
of caps. The message was as follows:
"Biddulph> Osborne, to Mr.. Wales, mine
inspector, Pontyprida: The queen is
very anxious for the last accounts of the
poor men in the mine. Are they saved?
Pray telegraph
Everything was i'll readiness and the
five rescued ones were carefully attended
to by nurses and surgeons. It was learned
from them that they had nothing to eat
during their confinement except little
grease which had run from the box where
they kept the candles The first two days
they had light, but this went out at the
close of the second day. They suffered
terribly from thirst.
During the Imprisonment and while
the work Of rescue was going on many
prayer meetings were held in the dis
trict and the men commended to the
mercy of God.
1t should not be forgotten as one of the
many incidents connected with the sad
affair that the four men who first escaped
and the poor fellow who was their COM
panion and subsequently suffered death,
when surrounded by water, took, as they
thought, an eternal farewell of each other,
and then sang well-known hymn in
Welsh, Of which the following is trans.
lation.
III the deep and mighty waters
There is none to hold my head
But my only Saviour, Jesus,
Who was slaughtered in my stead.
He, friend, in Jordan's river,
Holding up my sinking head;
With his smile I'll go rejoicing
Through the regions Of the dead.
It appears that they were singing this
when the welcome tarpings were heard :;
"and," said Thomas Morgan, "off went
our jackets, and my beloved son, who is
no more, worked all night with the en-
ergy Of lion. He passed the Jordan
river, and is to-day on the holy hill of the
better land.'