Frostburg mining journal., 1881-01-08
G. ALLEGANY COUNTY, MARYLAND, SATURDAY, JANUARY

half-past five o'clock, or thereabouts,
bucket had been placed in position
80 ss to enable two men to descend.
Thomas Evans and David Davies
climbed into the bucket, and were
let down slowly, through a dense
cloud of sulphur and smoke, until
they reached depth Of 400 yards,
when they found their descentstopped,
as they rested ON the top of heap of
Debris. The Davy lamps were brought
into use, and the men attempted to
see by their aid the condition of the
pit. The sides had fallen, the brat
tice, or division between the upcast
and dow lcast, being torn for con-
siderable distance. They shouted,
and, after listening for few seconds,
heard a responding shout, but could
not make out what was said. They
assembled and reported the result of
their investigation at the top. The
next to descend were Mr.. Moses Row
land and Mr.. Richard Richards,
(Clydach Vale Coliery), who when
they reached the heap of debris, also
heard the voices of men in the dis.
tance.
AS soon as the responsive ehout
was heard the two men signalled to
the surfnce to be drawn up. The
engine was set in motion, and the as
cent was commenced. The vast
throng about the pits mouth were as
silent as the grave not sound dis
turbed the stiffness of the night, ex-
cept that produced by the rattle of
the engine gear. AS the bucket con-
tanning the two men shot to the sur
face everybody bent forward to hear
their report, and when it was an
nounced to the multitude that voices
had been heard below, fervent
"Thank God" escaped from the lips
OF thousands Of men and weeping
women, and little ones too, who had
trotted to the pits mouth to ascertain
the fate of thei, fathers.
Mr.. Galloway, late Inspector of
mines, Dinas; Mr.. Daniel Thomas,
Diaas Isha; Mr.. Joshua Davies,
Llwynipia Mr.. Thomas Griffith,
Porth, and workman, then entered
the pit by the other shaft, and pro-
ceedcd along the bottom until they
came TO a large fall, where they were
stopped. After exploring for about
an hour and a half they returned to
the surface and reported all to be
safe up to within $50 yards of the
downcast shaft. Exploring parties
were then formed, and Mr.. Rees, in
spector Of mines, Mr.. Jenkins, of the
Ocean CollieIies, Mr.. Evans, Bodrin-
gallt, Mr.. Hood, Llwynpia, went
down again, but by this time the four
men who were alive, and whose
voices had been heard by the two
parties before mentioned, had been
taken up through the debris, by the
gallant rescuers who had so nobly
cut their way through from the other
shaft.
The rescue of the four men who
were saved, it is supposed, by being
shielded frcm the deadly blast by the
shape Of the place in which they
worked, that seemed to have partially
cut them off from the force Of the ex-
ploeion, was not effected without
bravery and promptitude. Evan
jenkins, native of Skewen, William
Williams (known as "Will Cnepyn') }
and Thomas Morris volunteered to
do their utmost to cut a passage until
they reached The imprisoned men.
Having reached the debris heap they
cut hole twenty yards in length,
right to the bottom, and then work ed
sideways SO as to reach the open
ground. What joy they felt when
they came to the further side Of the
sump pit, and found Thomas Morris,
Penygraig; ]. Fl. Evans, Llwynpia
D. Jenkins, Dinas, and David Marc
ney. They were with great difficulty
brought up and received at the pits
mouth, with tears of gladness.
The three intrepid miners assisted
them over the little pit by "a plank
which they had found lying near, and
they, by dint of much energy, got
them through the holes to the top of
the great heap. They were then
conveyed to the surface, one after
the other. Tt requires an ADLER pen
than mine to describe the scene on
the surface as one after the other