Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18

Thrilling Welsh Story.
BODY OF CoIIIERs IMPRISONED TEN DAYS IN
AN INUNDATED MINE--AN EVENT WHICH
AROUSED THE SYMPATHY OF ALL ENGLAND
AND ITS QUEEN.
Correspondence OF the New York World.
LIVERPOOL, April 2l.-During period of
nearly ten days terrible battle has be en-
raging in the Welsh colliery of Troedyrhiw,
a 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 depths the sympathies of the
English people, and enlisted the earnest soil
citude of the Queen herself. Day' after day
since the strange calamity occurred which
closed q number ofhapless miners IN a living
tomb, the first tidings for which the newspa-
per 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 earn
estly for life into a national event. 1t was on
| Wednesday the 18th inst, Just the day
Pit, when the catastrophe occurred. Some
last incautious blow, or some accidental
breach of wall or vein, burst the thin parti-
| ton which held back vast concealed reser
| voir OF subterranean water, when suddenly,
with a rush like that of an angry incoming
| sea, a black Cocytus of flood broke In upon
the mine. Filling the lower galleries and the
bottom of the shafts, driving before 1t the
atmosphere from every portion OF the work
ings, this mysterious deluge cut off two par
ties of men, who escaped with difficulty from
the peril of immediate drowning only to find
themselves immured in the first and second
adits of the mine nearest the upper shafts.
No sooner was it known that q number of
operatives were missing than scores of brave
| hardy volunteers were forthcoming to rescue
| their fellows. Many at once descended the
shaft, which is 276 feet deep, and entered the
| workings 1t was then ascertalned that all
| the workings within few hundred yards of
| the bottom of the shaft were filed with wa
| ter 10 the roof and no hope was entertained
| that any one would be discovered alive.
| While the explorers were consulting US TO
what movement should be made, faint knock
| ings were heard on the other side OF the
| coal as was conjectured, at a distance of
thirty or forty feet. No sooner was this dis
covery made than score of men threw off
| their Jackets and with mandrils commenced
! cutting through the solid mass. The I'M
prisoned were also at work. Throughout the
| night, relays Of men toiled with desperate,
untiring energy, cheered and encouraged by
the knocking and sounds Of labor of the i'm
prisoned. The task was very laborious, ii
having TO be performed in deep water, but
such was the progress made that on the fol-
lowing morning mandrll struck through
and hole was made into that part of the
hos E,- hut he npy
moment terrific explosion occurred and one
of the imprisoned, miner named Morgan,
was hurled into the opening, where the res
cuers found him dead. The inundntion 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 n small hole was cut
by Morgan's mandrill this volume of impris
oned air escaped and hurled the poor fellows
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 deliver
ed into the hands of their overjoyed friends.
Others, however, were still missing; others
were 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 considerable distance. These remaining
prisoners were, like their released fellows,
shut up in a chamber of compressed air
leading out OF u gallery which the water had
entirely filled. The other end Of this cham
Der was thick solid wall of coal, and be-
yond this again was another passage filled
with water. Divers attempted to pene-
trate this ilatter passage but failed, and
it was not until Monday, the 10th inst, that
the water in it was far reduced by pump
ing as to render working lmpractible. Till
Thursday following the men who had yolun-
teered for the task worked continuously by
constant relays in endeavOring to cut Il pas
sage through the wall which separated them
from their imprisoned comrades. The pas
sage was about three feet i'll diameter. and
the men carried on the work on their hands
and knees. So great WAS the interest to
effect their rescue that a colliery owner worth
at least I5O 900 went down III the train of n
collier to lend helping hand. On Thursday
the rescuer came near enough to communi-
cate with the entombed. Shouting at the top
of his voice. n miner asked, "How many of
them are you!' The reply came back 'Flve.
1t was then asked, 'Huw have you lived"
'By eating candles. DO make haste" Short
ly after 10 o'clock on Friday morning, the
10th st, it was known that the men would
be brought out alive, and message which
came mp 10 that effect drew forth a ringing
a cheer which wns 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 living for quite ten days in II
tomb far underground once again came into
the light of day and broathed the free air of
the upper world. by happy coincidence,
when the last man was brought to bank and
was being conveyed ON stretcher covered
with blankets into hospital, message was
received from the Queen. blr. Parker, one
of the officers of the company mounted II
tram, and, with loud voice, said, "A mes
sage 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 and waving of
caps. ] hc mcssuge WIS follows lid !
duph, Osborne, to Mr.. Wales, Mine lnspec-
tor, rontypridd. Tho Queen is very ANXIOUS
for the last accounts of the poor men IN the
mine Are they saved; Prny telegraph
Every thing WAS in readiness, and the five
rescued ones were carefully attended to by
nurses and surgeons. II 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 Gays they hni II light,
hut tni4 went out nt the close OF the second
day. They suffered terribly from thirst
During the imprisonment, and while the work
OF rescue WINS going ON. many prayer meet
ings were held IN the district and tho men
commended to the mercy of God.
Ii should not Ice forgotten HS one Of the
many incidents connected with tins thrilling
affair that the four men who first escaped
and the poor fellow who was their comInn-
ion aud subsequently suffered death. when
surrounded by water, took, as they thought,
an eternal farewell of each other, aud then
sang II wcl-known hymn IN Welsh, of which
the following is II translation.
In the deep and mi ghty waters
There Is none 10 hold my head
But my only SaviOnr, Jesus,
Who was slaughtered In my stead.
lie. n friend. IN JOrdan's river,
Holding up my sinking head,
with his smilo IN 20 reJpcing
through tho regions oil the dead
1t appears that they were singing tins when
the welcome tnppings were heard; ''and.
said homns Morgan, "oii went our Jackets.
and my beloved son. who is no more, worked
all night with the energy ola lion. lie pass
ed the Jordan River. and Is to-day on the
holy hill of the better mnd.
"Docollette" the Buffalo Express thinks,
means "necks to nothing