The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-10-14

! Although the cause OF the caving wa:
known to have been lack of proper
support by pillars and timbers, al
least one old miner, 3 survivor of the
disaster, still living here, has always
maintained, and still maintains, thai
it was caused by ''dare-devil-mill.
er," named Jack Richards, whistlinu
in the mine while working with his
gang, against the protests of his conl-
rades. Richards was skeptical
young Welshman. who ridiculed all
the superstitions of his tcllow-work-
men. With the Old miner mentioned
above and fifteen others, he was work
ing in the mine, u mile from the ell
trance, Oh the day of the catastrophe.
The mine was we'll known to be scan
tily propped, and the miners were
''robbing" it preparatory to its aban-
donment. lie is described as having
been merry fellow, fond of teasing
his companions. On this occasion he
suddenly laid down his pick and all
nounced to his fellow Workmen that
he intended to "whistlc them up to
the Rigs o. Barley" The miners
were aghast at the thought of Rich
ards thus flying i'll the face Of mine
luck, and they begged of him not to
chase the good-luck spirit away. He
laughed at their fears, and with clear,
loud notes made the chamber ring
with the lively Scotch air. Not con-
tent with that, says the old miner,
shudderiny at this day over the sacri-
legious temerity of the merry Welsh
man, as he ratified of q jig known by
the miners as 'Thc Devil Among the
Tailors," and ended by telling the
good-luck spirit to stake a dance to
that, and be blOwed to it," None of
the miners could speak for some time.
Some of them tried to work again, but
the fear OF disaster was So strong up
Oh them that they all made prepara-
tions to quit the mine. The old miner
who recalls this incident, says lie had
q brother and son wOrk king in anoth-
Ell part Of the mine, and he made up
his mind to 90 to them, tell them Of
Jack Richards foolhardiness, warn
them of its consequences and escape
with them from the mine. Jack Rich-
ards could not convince any OF them
of the childishncss OF their intended
course. .-..
Suddenly, while they were gather
ing up their tools, a noise like the
sound of distant thunder came to the
ears of the agitated miners. They
knew too well what the sound pre-
saged. The roof was "working," and
cavc-in threatened. The miners
turned to Jack and charged him with
bringing disaster upon them by his
defiance Of the good-luck spirit of the
mine. Jack replied that if the roof
was falling it was because of INSULT
cient support, and not because Of his
whistling, and knowing the danger
that encompassed them all, he coun-
seled his comrades to lose no time
in "getting atop" But before they
could take the first step toward reach
ing the surface a second shock ran
through the mine, This time 1t was
like Il clap Of thunder near the earth.
1t was followed by crash that could
be made only by the falling of masses
of rock and coal from the root, and by
a gust of wind that hurled the miners
against the jagged walls of their cham
Der. Then the mine fell in all about
them, and the seventeen miners and
the car horse were imprisoned behind
a wall of fallen coal, i'll a space not
more than forty feet square. Their
lights were extinguished, AMI there
was not a match in the party. With
death awaiting them in one of its worst
forms, they cursed Jack Richards, and
one OF the miners tried to find him i'll
the dark to brain him with a pick
To ascertain whether any of the gang
had been killed by the falling coal, the
name of each one was called by one of
the miners. All responded but Jack
Richards. He was found dead half
l,n of
coal.
The men worked for hours, many of
them working the flesh from their
fingers III the, sharp coal. Some OF
them lost all heart, and threw them
selves on the damp floor of their un-
dergrounl prison, and bewailed their
fate. Suddenly ray of light broke
through small opening i'll the wall.
Then Il lantern was pushed through,
followed by mans head. The man
cried out: rs there any man here
that is alive?" A glad shout from the
miners was the reply. The man pull
Ell himself through the opening into
the chamber. 1t was Alexander Boy
den the superintendent. He took the
dead body of Jack ftiuirnrsaa- on his
back and led the way, and two hours
u
of wives, parents and sweethearts on
top. Richards had no relatives but a
crippled sister, who was dying with
consumption. She died the next day.
The brother AMI son Of the narrator
of this tragic incident and twelve
other miners were never found. Three
days after the fall, Mine Boss Hosie,
who had been i'll a distant part OF the
mine when the roof caved III,
emerged from its depths, worn to a
skeleton. With his pick he had dug
his way for more than mile through
an almost solid wall, without a taste
of food or drop of water to sustain
him. Tnis mine tragedy forms one OF
the favorite narratives of the old mi
ners of this region, AMI after rela
it to inquiring visitors they never fail
to warn them not to whistle ii they
intend going down u mine.