Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-11-07
Fighting for Life.
\ TRUE STORY OF THE MINES.

1t was on the evening of April IL, 1877,
when the miners in the Troedyrhiw Col |
liery were leaving work. that Il roar of
rushing waters was heard. The sound is |
one thai is 100 well known to the ears of
experienced pitmen. and the men at once
fled to the surf fee; but on arrival at the
pil mouth, fourteen of their number
men and boys were seen to be missing
In II II moment. and without the least
hes station, volunteers nohly stood forward
to undertake the task Of rescue, and i'm
medintely descended the pit again. for The
purpose, if possible, of bringing their
fellow miners to the "bank in safety.
1t WAS found that the water had broken
into the mine through some old abandoned
workings, and WAS flowing into I'LL the
stalls, headings, and galleries into which
the mine was divided The volunteers
found also That all the work ings within II
few hundred yards of the bottom of the
shaft were filled with water up to the roof
and it was al fist concluded that all the
missing ones were drowned. knocking
was, however, heard, us if some of the
men were confined behind wall of coal
accessible from the outside, and the vulun-
ecrs III onre determined to cut through
his wall, which they believed to be about
twelve yards thick. The imprisoned men
worked from their side too and in few
hours the obstruction was So far removed
as to enable he two parties to speak TO each
other.
The tale of the imprisoned men was,
that the water was rap dly gaining on
them, and one Of them ruck through the
coal to escape from the rising water But
from one peril they immediately passed to
anolhe for II violent explosion followed,
and one poor fellow, Thomas Morgan,
was found iammed to death in the hole
which had been cut. This sad accident
was caused by the sudden escape OF air
which was pent up in the stall in
which they stood Out of the way of the
water, and the act of making the hole
through the coal in So sudden II manner,
was equivalent to applying II match to At
heap OF powder or pulling the trigger Of
Il gul. 1t was fortunate they were not all
| kill,d by the explosion.
After his, knorkings were heard farther
on in the mine; and it was soon made evil
dent that the position of the other nine
men was worse than that of the miners
lust reached The wall behind which they
were imprisoned was in II heading that
WAS entirely flooded, and they could only
he reached af er II part Of the water had
been pumped out. Divers were here cm-
pIoyed, who went boldly into the flood,
and gallantly cndeavored I" proceed
through the half mile of water which lay
between the shaft and the imprisoned min
els; but these were unwillingly compelled
10 relinquish the attempt.
On Monday, however. four days after
the nuoding Of the mine. the water was
SO far reduced as 10 allow the work of
cutting through the coal TO be commenced.
And here we must pause to mention that
this was done with II powerful apparatus,
which with all its appliances, had to be
properly and cautiously fitted mp before il
could be put into successful operation.
The poor fellows below had been without
food lor some five days now, and it thus
became IL question Of patient endurance
ON the one hand and of unceasiug labol
and hob'e efforts on the other. And never
did men work more nobly than did those
who were thus doing ull that lay in the
| power of man to save the lives of then
devoted comrades.
3, In spite of their indelaligable efforts
however, day after day passed by withou
r any apparent result. for they had To ru
p through forty yards of solid coal, and th'
4 difficulty increased rs the intervening wal
4 became thinner The anxiety of all con
, cerned may be imagined when we rcmin'
= our readers that this immense block o
e coal could only be penetrated ut the rat
d of yard per hour. But relays of mrl
=. worked night and daywith unremttin!
e zeal until ut length their efforts were re
+ warded with success. The imprisoned
men were heard, and were able not onl!
e to speak to their drlivrrers, but also Civ
!, directions us to the course of th" cuttings
b, Make ha>te make Mnste!' was III
n phintivc cry which now ncrvel the hand
t and arms OF the heroic workers, Tor it WA
j like voice from the grave which thu
y reached their ears.
y Questionel as TO their mode Of eXisieur
= in the mine, the prisoners said that the
had eaten absolutely nothing, that the
i were all very weak. and two of thei
n number were completely prostrated. lhel
o were only four men and n boy there. th
n other four having been Cut off from thei
n fellows, and had, us since ascerIanel
g perished The little boy piteously implol
/ cd the workmen to make Il hole for him
e creep through 10 his mother. But in spit
s. of their willing hearts, the brave toilrl
q were compelled to proceed more slowI
d and cautiously than before, in order to prt
7. vent the rcurrence of II second disaster. b
ii 100 sudden escape of the pent-up air.
y In addition to this there WIS great dan
3 ger of themselves being engulied in til
III waters or killed blythe gas, which sou
began TO make its unwecomo presenC
felt. Food was passed along ~ tube to II
Is imprisoned men; but the tube did NJ
l. work well, and it was eventually Gom
L. that they had not received the much. d
p- sired refreshment. At tho last momen
id when the hole had been made and Il