Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-11-11
WHISTLING IN THE MINES.

therefore, III take tne paper.
WHISTLING IN THE MINES.
In 1910 there was a great mine disaster
near Carbondale, Pa Several miners were
buried in one of the Delaware and Hudson
Canal company's mines by sudden caving
in of the roof. Although the cause of the
caving was known 10 have been a lack Of
proper support by pillars and timbers, at
least one old miner, a survivor Of the disaster,
still living here, has always maintained aud
still maintains that it was caused by "a dare
devil MINER" named Jack Richards, whist
ling in the mine while working with his gang,
against the protest Of his comrades. Richards
was skeptcal young Weslhman, who ridi
culed all the superstitions of his fellow work.
men. With the old miner mentioned above
and fifteen others, he was working in the mine,
mile from the entrance on the day of the
catastrophe. The mine was we'll known to
be scantly propped, and the miners were
"robbing" it preparatory to its abandonment
He is described as having been a merry fel-
low, fond of teasing his companions. On
this occasion he suddenly laid down his pick,
and announced to his fellow workmen in the
chamber that he intended to "whistle them
up the Rigs O. Barley" The miners were
aghast at Richards thus deliberately flying in
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 content with that, says the
old miner, shuddering at this late day over
the sagacious temerity Of the merry Welsh.
man, he ratified off a jig known among the
miners as the Devil Among the Tailors,"
and ended by telling the good luck spirit to
take dance to that, and be blowed to it"
None of the miners could speak for some time.
Some Of them tried to 60 to work again, but the
fear of disaster was so strong upon them that
they all made preparations to quit the mine,
The old miner who recalls the incident says
that he had brother and son working in
another mine, and he made up his mind to
20 to them, and tell them of Jack Richards
foolhardiness, warn them of its consequences,
and escape with them from the mine. Jack
Richards could not convince any of them of
the childishness of their intended course.
Suddenly, while they we're gathering up
their tools, noise like the sound of distant
thunder cane to the ears of the agitated mi
ners. They knew too well what the sound
presaged The roof was "working." and
cave-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
fcient support, and not because of the whist.
ling, and knowing the danger that encom
passed them all, he counseled his comrades to
lose no time in "getting atop" But before
they could take the first step toward reaching
the surface a second shock ran through the
mine. This time it was like clap of thun-
der near the earth. 1t was followed by
crash that could be made but by the falling
of masses of rock and coal from the roof, and
by a gust of wind that hurled the miners
against the jagged walls of their chamber.
Then the wall fell in about them, and the
seventeen miners and the car-horse were i'm.
prisoned behind wall of fallen coal and
rock, in a space not more than forty feet
square, Their lights were extinguished, and
there was not 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 in the dark to brain
him with 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 Rich.
ards. He was found dead, half buried be,
meath the wall of rock and COAL The mi.
ners gave themselves up to despair, as they
did not dream it was possible for any aid to
reach them from without, and to dig their
way through mile of rocky debris was
task they knew was hopeless. Among the
imprisoned miners was young man named
Boyden He was a son of Alexander Boy
den, the superintendent of the mine, and, like
his father, was a man of great nerve and
courage. He encouraged his imperilled com.
panions with the assurance that the air in
the mine would not be poisoned by the
gasses for at least two days, and that as long
rs the horses body lasted they need not
starve. He said that his father would leave
nothing undone to rescue all who were shut
in the mine, and that, meantime, they them
selves could aid his efforts by digging out to
meet him. Only three picks could be found,
the others being buried beneath the coal.
With these the men went to work with will.
Those who had no picks worked with their
hands in digging into the barrier between
them and freedom The body of poor Jack
Richards was uncovered and laid tenderly in
safe place in the chamber. The horse seem.
ed to understand the terror of the situation,
and gave voice to frequent piteous neighs
The men worked for hours, many of them
working the flesh from their fingers in the
sharp coal. Some of them lost all heart, and
threw themselves upon the damp floor of their
underground prison and bewailed their fate.
Suddenly a ray of light broke through
small opening in the wall. Then lantern
was pushed through, followed by mans
head. The man cried out: "ls there a man
here that is alive? A glad shout from the
miners was the reply. The man pulled him
self through the opening into the chamber
1t was Alexander Boyden, the superintendent
The miners took him up in their arms, wept,
tears of ioy, and kissed the man whom they