The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-04-07


both were old and experienced miners yet
as they stood there, frightful fear could be
seen in each white face.
'Pray God there's only one shock" said
Mr.. Clarke, in husky tone. eff you get
out, Evan, tell my wife thought of her at
the last"
Evan nodded and grasped the others
hand. Then they waited Not long, for in
a minute the same horrible sound was heard,
and again the ground rocked to and fro
again the walls closed in and out like savage
beasts reaching for their prey, and more
blocks Of stone fell, closing up the passage
before them. This time fragment, in fall
ing, struck with one of its sharp corners Ew-
ans shoulder, cutting through the old jacket
and wounding him slightly Then all was
still once more.
The two men painted for breath cold
drsps of perspiration stood out on their fore
heads like dew, and they trembled so that
they could scarcely stand. 1 have said that
they were brave. Either woold have faced
almost any danger that could be named with
firm nerves and stout heart. But an earth
quake in a mine is so indescribably horrible,
so terrible in its effects that it is no small
wonder that they, standing here alone, were
panic-struck. Again they waited. waited
while each minute seemed an age, for the
third shock. 1t did not come. The earth
quake was at an end.
The place in which they were was strange
ly altered. When they came there it had
been simply the end.of passage way, about
eight feet wide and seven feet high, Scat
tered around it there had been tools, and
hara nd ,1-a Of az
which had been removed. Now, however,
it was nearly filed with a chaotic mass of
broken rock, and wide crack had been
opened on one side. Strangely enough the
men, with the exception of Evans slight
wound in the shoulder, had not been hurt
The broken masses of stone had fallen all
around them, but, as if with fendish desire
TO see them die slowly, wasting away through
starvation and thirst, the earthquake had
spared them, About fifteen feet from the
face of the drift the walls had fallen in and
closed the passage way out. The men were
shut up in a chamber fifteen feet long. eight
feet wide and seven feet high, and even this
small space was partly filed up with loose
fragments of stone, and they were sixteen
hundred feet below the surface of the earth.
How long they stood there grasping each
others hand neither of them ever knew. At
length, by sort of impulse they sat down on
the stones, still holding each other, and walt
ed, silent. Finally the superintendent tried
once or twice to speak, but failing to do so,
took off his cap and blew out his candle, nod
ding to his companion to do the same Evan
rose, and picking his way to one corner of
the place, stopped down. In moment he
[ 0a har bCl hav 4
showed the superintendent that in them was
a little water. Mr.. Clarke eagerly drank the
few drops, and then. recovering his voice,
said
"Where did you get it %
"TheTes little hollow there In the floor,
and it's full" was Evans reply.
Thank God for that. We won't die of
thirst, at any rate
"What are our chances do you think,
Jim ?" asked Evan.
"The men may come after us, for the en-
gineer and Lawson both know where we are
Were there many men in the mine, Ewan?"
''I hope so ; pray So" And the superin-
tendent was silent.
Evan put out his candle, and the two ,nen
sat in the dark. Strange images seemed to
horror of their situation shapeless images
which, with grotesque incongruity, seemed
formed of light, or were thousand eyed.
They imagined that they heard queer sounds,
like booming thunder at distance, yet when
they listened all was still. At intervals they
would nervously talk, and then relapse again
into silence, as though they were unable to
bear the sound OF their own voices. And the
time went on, dragging the weary hours in
its train.
At the surface all was excitement. The
shock had been severe enough to level one or
two small and lightly-built houses but
neither the mill nor hosting works were in
jured. The first thought had been for the
men in the mine. AS Evan had supposed
most of the morning shift had come out and
but few of the others had gone in. The tim [
bers in the shaft had been sprung so that the
cages would not pass but it was a matter of /
a few minutes to take them out and fasten to |!
the end of the rope jury cage, which being |
smaller than the shaft, passed easily The /
men in the mine, being at the bottom of the |
shaft, were soon hoisted out more frightened /
than hurt, with the exception OF one who had !
been killed by the falling of stone. Then /
came the job Of rescuing the superintendent /
and Evan, who were known to be in the 4
north drift. Both were very popular, but it
did not need this to make the call for volun-
teers one which was responded to by all Of
the men present-some three hundred and
forward. The surface super
ntendent, Mr. Cleaves, told the men of in
gangs of twenty, each under a gang boss |
and ordered that they should relieve each
1ther every twenty minutes. The first gang
stepped into the jury cage and were soon at
he entrance OF the 1000 foot level. Entering
he level, they passed along. The effects of
he earthquake were plainly visible. The
evel was about half full of broken stone.
The sides were splintered and cracked in all
directions, while the heavy timbers were
1ent aud twisted until they looked as though
hey had been conturted by great agony. The
lebris increased in quantity as they advanced
lnti wNeh within forty-fve feet Of the face
hey found their way completely blocked.
Finding that more than twenty men could be
smployed, Mr.. Cleaves sent for two more
yangs, and all of the men began to clear
way the loose stone, piling it up along the
ides. AS the gang in front moved in they
'ame to larger and larger stones. The men
worked literally with giant strength, for the
constant succession of miners, a man grasp
ng the pick or sIedge when, through exhaus-
ion, another let it fall, enabled each to put