The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-11-22

4rsrr swar o ma rrsrs.

ruthinR uGlen was beatd. The sound il
one that i TOO well known to The ears Of
experienced pItmsu, spd the men 81 once
hsd 70 lhe surface bat on arrival al The
pCs mouth, fourteen of lheir number
men aud boys were seen 10 be missing.
10 moment, aud wiibou, the least
hesitation, volunteers noby stood for
ward 70 undertake The task Of rescue,
and Immediately descended the pit again,
for the purpose, II possible, OF bringing
their fellow miners 10 the bank IN safety
II was found that the water hsd broken
into the mine through SOME old abandon.
ed workings, aud Was flowing iu,o ali
/ the stalls, headings, and galleries into
which The mine was divided. The yo'-
unleers found also that all The workings
within few hundred yards Of the bot
tom OF the shaft were iilled With water
/ up TO the roof, aud il was at first eonclu
/ ded that all the fourteen missing once
were drowned A knocking was, how
ever, heard, as II some Of the men were
conhned behind wall Of coal accessible
from the Outside, and the volunteers at
once determined to cut through this wall,
which they believed to be about Y yards
thick. The imprisoned men worked
/ from their side too, aud in few hours
| the obstruction was SO far removed as to
enable the two parties to speak to each
other.
The tale OF the imprisoned men was,
that the water was rapidly gaining on
them, aud one Of them struck through the
coal TO escape from the rising water
But from one peril they Immediately
passed 10 another, for a violent explosion
followed, aud one poor fellow, Thomas
Morgan, was found jammed to death in
the hole which had been cut. This sad
accident was caused by the sudden es-
cape OF air which was pent up in the stall
In which they stood out of the way of the
water, aud the act OF making the hole
through the cole Ia so sudden manner
was equivalent to applying match TO
heap OF powder or pulling the trigger OF
gun. 1t was fortunate they were not
all killed by the explosion.
After this, knockings were heard far
tbcr on in the mine; and it was soon
made evident that the position Of the
other nine men was worse than that Of
| the miners Just reached. The wall be-
| hind which they were imprisoned was in
heading that was entirely flooded, aud
they could only be reached after part of
the water bad been pumped out Divers
were here employed, who went boldly
into the flood, and gallantly endeavored
TO proceed through the half mile OF water
which lay between the shaft and the i'm
prisoned miners; but these were unwi-
liugly compelled 10 relinqush the at
tempt.
On Monday, however, four days after
the flooding OF the mine, the water was
so far reduced as 10 allow the work Of
cutting through the coal to be commence
ed. And here we must pause TO mention
that this was done with powerful
pumping apparatus, which, with all its
appliances, had TO be properly and eau
tiously fitted up before it could be put
into successful operation. The poor fel.
lows below had been without food for
some five days now, and it thus became
a question of patient endurance on the
one hand and of uuceasng labor and no.
bic efforts on the other. And never did
men work more nobly than did those
who were thus doing all that lay in the
power Of man TO save the lives Of their
devoted comrades.
In spite of their indeiatigabic efforts,
however, day alter day passed by with
out any apparent result, for they had to
cut through forty yards OF solid coal, and
the difficulty increased as the intervening
wall became thinner. The anxiety OF all
concerned may be imagined when we re
!, mind our readers that this immense
block OF coal could only b. penetrated at
. the rate OF q yard per hour. Bat relays
OF men worked night and day with nnre-
mtting zeal until at length their Efforts
were rewarded with success. The i'm
prisoned men were heard, and were able
not only to speak TO their deiverers, bat
also give directions as TO the course Of the
cuttings. Make haste. make haslel was
The plaintiye cry which now neryed the
hsnds aud arms Of The heroic workers,
for ii was like voice from the grave
which thus reached their cars.
Questioned as 10 their mode OF exist
ence 10 the mine, the prisoners said thai
they had eaten absolutely nothing, thai
they were all very weak, and two 20
their number were completely pros,rat
ed. There were only four men and ,
boy there, the other four having been cu
of from their fellows, and bad, as since
ascer aiued, perIshed. The little boy
pileously cmplored the workmen TO maxi
8 hole for him TO creep through 10 BIZ
mother But IN spite Of their wilinl
hearts, the brave toilers were compelled
10 proceed more slowly aud cautiously
i than before, 10 order 10 prevent The re
curreuce ofa second disaster, by the To-
snddcn escspe 81 TIE penl up air
Z IN addiliento bis theFe was great dan
eer of themselves being augulicd in %
!, waters or killed by the gas, which 500
u began to make its unwele0me presenc
" felt. Food WAS passed along a tabe E
TIE imprisoued men; bu, The tube dt
not work well, and il was eventual
found ths, they bad not received ii
much desired refreshmeBt. Al tie la'
. moment, when tbe holc had been mad