The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-09-16
Matthias, the Miners hoy.

On the 22d Of February, 1912. mine
Hubert Coffin Of Aus, near Liege, descend
ed the shaft Of mine with one hundre
and twenty-six men, who were under Iii
orders. His son, Matthias, brave boy Q
twelve, accompanied him.
When this miner descended into th
depths Of the earth, he left, Ave hundre,
feet above, a wife and six children. Suffo
eating vapols may poison him, the ga
may take fire and explode, the walls ma,
fall In and crush him. Aud yet he is hap
py and of good courage, in his subterrancal
halls hc sings and rcjoices at the spark lin,
splcndor Of the metal. Hubert instructed
his son Matthias in the art of discoverin,
the veins Of ore.
About ten O'Clock in the morning SOM
water suddenly rushed down upon then
out of an old mine, and threatened to in
undate the shaft. The prudcot Huber
wished to call his men together, but tn,
water pressed in with such force that h,
could not get at the alarm bell. Anothe
workman riskcd his life to save his com
panlons. lie wadcd to the bell and ranr
it. His life was sacrificed in vain; it wa,
too late when the Others came. The waite,
rushed down tho shaft by which they gen
orally assembled and their retreat was tui
OIL.
The food rose higher and higher, and
Threatened to drown them. All pressed III
TO the saving rope, which alone could bring
them up above. Each wished to be tho
hrst, but the stream rushing violently down
seized them and carried them onward with
it.
Hubert was stall and strong. He lifted
n 1,s a can, I, 10
the rope, and might have saved himself
but he looked upon the others.
mo; they arc my friends" lie said. al
cannot leave them to perish"
But his son lie would save at all events.
But the younger miner protested:
FEATHER, came with you; ] will return
with you, too, or remain where YOU re-
main."
Hubert took courage lie called to his
comrades:
"let us sec whether wo cannot break
through into tho next shaft. Our lives de-
pend upon it, Let us make the attempt. /"
But this was not 80 easy.
Two days passed away in this terrible
position. They work on unwcaricdly. still
the hard walls of the mine yielded but
slowly. Once they thought they heard a
holSe, ana WIN Joy exclaimed:
owe arc sayed! We are saved!
But they were deceived, and the young
men among them threw themselves down
before Hubert, and eXclaimcd
''Sir, you have led lis hitbcr; you must
save us, too-wc cannot die 80 youngl"
Hubert himself was utterly exhausted.
and seemed to have lost all courage. He
thought of his wife and children who we're
mourning for him above; he thought of his
son and of his companions who were
down with him in the mine, and to whom
death and destruction we're so near. Not
one OF them was able to strike another
blow.
Then Matthias came up to him, and
boldly striking into the rock with an AK.
said:
'If men weep like boys, boys must work
like men,"
These courageous words ncrved them to
fresh hope. They worked on bravely.
Suddenly there was fearful cry they had
coloc upon suffocating stream of gas.
Hubert rushed up quickly and stopped
the aperture whence it proceed, pointing
the workmcn to another part where thoy
could continue their labor.
In this sad state they had already rasscd
thirty six hours. The last lamp had gone
out Thick darkness reigncd around them.
All were suffering the kcencst pangs of
hunger. Several sunk down utterly ex-
haustcd. Matthias clasped his father firm
ly and said to him:
"Couragc, father; all will be well yeti!
Still they worked on III the darkness. At
last voices came to their cars on the other
side OF the stone through which they were
breaking. Other strokes were meeting
theirs. Yet few minutes more and they
would be saved.
Hubert and his son were the last who
were carried up above.
II should never have dared to 10 ok upon
the light again if had returned without
my companions" said the brave miner.
The Emperor Napolc III presented hlm
with the Cross of the Legion of Honor and
gave his son free admittancc TO the college
at Liege.