The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-23
frrom The neruld,s account.l

OidmttcIs anu uDOut ittt tttps b'S
| ~ working shaft, the bottom OF which Is
used for the reception OF waste matter as II
| Is excavsted, and before IL is taken away.
| Thirty feet below the surisce OF the ground
| is an air-lock," which Is the sole means
Of communication between the tunnel
| and The outer air. IL Is necessary TO
keep the air inside the tunnel sufficiently
com pressed to maintain a pressure OF
seventeen pounds to the square inch. anu
the " air-lock" serves similar purD0se to
| the lock OF canal, equaizIng the pressure
OF the air TO those passing In or out as
canal lock balances the level OF the water.
| As matter OF course, there are two doors
one az either end Of this lock-only one OF
which can be opened st once, while the lock
| itself Is fifteen feet long by six feet deep
and six wide, allowing for the passage IN
case OF necessity Of thirty men an once.
Twenty-eight men were at work. Four
| teen OF them had Just returned from their
lunch, and the other fourteen were about
| TO 90 to theirs. The men returning had
passed inside through the air.lock, and the
Others had quit their posts preparatory to
| leaving, IT is probable that " they bad
delayed this for even 4 minute the accident
would not have happened. for
TIE FATAL LEAK,
which was discovered just too late, might
easily have been stopped il discovered in
time. As they stood together, just at the
moment Of shifting. peculiar Kissing sound
was heard with which all were familiar. ii
meant leak, and a leak meant death.
"Back, and stop the leak !" shouted
Woodland, and the order was obeyed al
most before it was given. AS many As
could get there jumped for the place where
all knew the danger was greatest. The Join
ing OF the temporary roof OF the tunnel with
the wall OF the shaft was necessarily imper-
feet. 1t was intended to make all firm with
a tbree-foot wall OF brick and cement, but
it was impossible to get the foundation OF
this brick work until after the circle OF tie
tunnel should be completed, so that this
imperfect iOinlure was continually watched,
With reasonable diligence it was easy 20 keep
it closed, and the material 10 close it was
plenty and at hand. The chnks were kept
closed with the silt OF which the river bot
tom is largely c0mposed-a clayey mud OF
the consistency OF putty-and man was
supposed 10 be continually
WATCHING THE CHINK.
At 10 O'Clock midnight there was no leak,
and none was reported until Just at the mo-
ment mentioned.
OF the terrible struggle which followed
aud which could not have lasted more than
two minutes it is impossible 10 give q clear
story. That all was done which could be
done no one can doubt. The men were
nerved by a knowledge OF the peculiar dam
ger OF their position. Nota man but knew
that he carried his life in his hand whenever
he went to his work, and nor man failed
TO know that the supreme moment had
come. That they had worked a. well for a
minute as men could work cannot be
doubted.
1t was too late. The leak that one man
could have stopped il he had been there at
the right moment was now wide enough
for the foul current OF corruption and death
to flow in from the river bottom, and the
only safety was in flight. Between the spot
where they were and the open air there
were two locked doors, only one OF which
could be opened at once.
The LITTLE RIFT
above them became chasm. The COM
pressed air escaped until there was no long
err pressure enough from within to maintain
the portion OF unfinished work. 1t broke,
and water and mud closed in around them.
The electric light by which they worked
was cxtinguishcd. All was darkness. Even
flight had in moment become a doubtful
problem.
Al that moment one man played the hero,
and met herO'S death. Woodland stood
by the inner door OF the air-lock, call ne to
his men to come TO the cai,son. His quick
order to work had come too late, and he
called the retreat as promptly AS he had or
dered the advance. "Quick, boys, get into
the lock-" he shouted, and, instead Of pass
(, ia, - ~ Sfnn1 Nv no
helping one after another in.
Eight men passed. They were not yet
safe. II the Others could get in and the in
ner door OF the lock could be closed be-
fore the falling dsbriS (fOr everywhere
around them WAS falling by that tlme)
should block the way, they would almost
be >afe. But as the ninth man was enter
ing the lock the awful weight OF the mud
and water fell against the door,
PINNIAG HIM so FAST
that nothing could have freed him in time.
The door was fast. One man was fast
cned in the doorway between the other
nineteen and their last chance OF life. The
eight in the lock were thus almost lost, for
there was no longer a chance to close the |
inner door, and The food was closing on
them. Swiftly the water rushed into the |
stood, and the air was compressed by all the |
pressure OF the rise above them in the little |
chamber, the door OF which was securely |
fastened against them. They could not open |
this door, nor could Their break it from the |
inside; hut in the lock were two dead |
lights OF massive glass eight inches in diane |
ter, and these the men knew were TO be |
broken rs Il last resort
"MY GOD! THE WATER is GAINING ON u.s."
said one; "Vhat shall we do?"
Keep cool, men; keep COOL" answered !
voice from the river side OF the tunnel. |
One Of the men looked through the miner |
bull's-eye ana saw Woodland Standing qui- |
city by the door. keep COOL" he repeat |
ed; "nothing can be gained by excite
ment."
But the water is gaining on us more
and more, and we can't open the door into |
the working shaft"
Yes. and the water is covering me up" |
moaned poor Anderson, who was crushed |
by the door. Cant You get me out Of
thisi"
Three OF the men clught him by the hair |
and neck and pulled; but every movement |
was sgcny to'the man, and he vailed pite-
ously to be let alone.
The water got higher aud higher, and
presently Superintendent Woodland said: |
."Tnke off your clothes men and stop the |
crack OF the door,"
Some one said that that would cut off
what little communication there was be-
tween them.
"Never mind that" replied Woodland,
ait is your only chance"
I" But then"
4 oil har nj al