River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-06-07
A Thrilling Welsh Story.

I
/ terrible battle has been raging in the
Welsh colliery of Troedyrhiw, battle in
which death savagely fought on one side
and the brave miners of Pontypridd 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 depts the SYM
pathies of the English people, and en-
| listed the earnest solicitude of the Queen
herself. Day after day since the strange
/ calamity occurred which closed a number
of hapless miners in a tomb, the first It'd
/ ings for which the newspaper was
| searched at every household table has
been the latest report from that dreadful
! Troedyrhiw mine. When the news had
been read that the miners were still
entombed, public sympathy and interest
gradually quickened into an absorbing
anxiety which converted the battle waged
so long and earnestly for life into nation
al event. 1t was on April 12, just as the
day-shaft GOLFERS were quitting the
4 Troedyrhiw pit when the catastrophe &C
Cured.
Some last incautious blow, or some ac-
cidental breach of wall or vein, burst the
thin partition which held back vast con-
cealed reservoir of subterranean water.
when suddenly with rush like that of
an angry incoming sea, a black Cocytus
of flood broke in upon the mine. Filling
the lower galleries and bottom of the
shafts, driving before it the atmosphere
4 from every portion of the workings, this
mysterious deluge cut off two parties of
men who escaped with difficulty from the
peril of immediate drowning to find
themselves immured in the first and
second adits of the mine nearest the up
per shafts. No sooner was it known that
a number of operatives were missing than
scores of brave, hardy volunteers were
forthcoming to rescue their fellows. Many
I at once descended the shaft, which is 276
feet deep, and entered the workings. 1t
was then ascertained that all the work
ings within few hundred yards of the
bottom of the shaft were filled with water
to the roof, and no hope was entertained
that anyone would be discovered alive.
While the explorers were consulting as
to what movement should be made, faint
tappings were heard on the other side of
the coal, as was coniectured at distance
of thirty or forty feet No sooner was
this discovery made than a score Of men
throw off their coats and with mandrills
commenced cutting through the solid
mass.
The imprisoned were also az work.
Throughout the night, relays o. men
toi!ed with desperate, untiring energy,
cheered and encouraged by the tapping
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 on
the following morning a mandril struck
through and hole was made into that
part of the pit where five men were shut
up. The next moment terrific explosion
occurred and one of the imprisoned, a
miner named Morgan, was hurled into
the opening, where the resources found
him dead The inundatiOn had been so
sudden as to imprison the air in the inner
workings, and the force of this had kept
back the water from the five men in that
locality. The moment a 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
to the surface, and Immediately following
the four living men were brought up and
delivered into the hands of their overjoyed
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 considerable
distance
These remaining prisoners were, like
] fhafr r.0la cad faliDVvc ohnf N a cham
| Der of compressed air leading out of
gallery which the water had entirely
! filled. The other end of this chamber was
a 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
4 day following the men who had volun-
! teered for the task worked continuously
| by constant relays. in endeavoring to cut
| 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 col
| liery owner worth at least 100000 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, " How many of
them are your" 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, il was known that the men would
be brought out alive, and a message
which came up to that effect drew forth a
ringing cheer from the excited crowd
around the pit--a cheer which vas 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 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 a message was received from the
/ queen. Nv. Parker, one of the officers of
the company, mounted train and with a
loud voice said, "A message from the
queen" There was a 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 savedl
| Pray telegraph"