Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-03-25
BURIED ALIVE.
Feb. Is, 1882.


Jack Porter, in an irritable tone.
"Why ?" asked a CHEEKY voice be-
hind him.
Because l don't see any use in iv-
ing if I've got to dig in the mines all my
days. Some people seem to have all the
good things in this world, and others
nothing but hard work. There's Ruff
Hare, q lazy, stupid fellow at school,
going off now to travel, with plenty of
money to spend, and all the airs of a
grand gentleman, just because his father
had the luck to buy bit of land with a
rich vein of coal in it; while here am /
toilin' and moiin' in the dirt from morn
ing till night, when | might be some
thing or somebody il had a chance
And were selfish enough to leave
your mother and sister to take care Of
themselves. Well, now, suppose like
me, you were blind, and had not seen
the sun fo. twenty years and could
earn only enough TO keep soul and body
together by slate-pickin' in the
Breaker ?"
81 couldn't endure such life and 1
don't see how you can always be SO
cheerful and contented," replied Porter,
looking at his companion half-pitifully,
alf-contemptuously, as one lacking tile
fine nature to feel priyations as ne did.
81 can hear the birds sing and feel
the warm sunshine this bright May
morning. I'm not as bad off as poor
Jake Fossett, helpless cripple, on his
back, with no end of pains and aches, "
replied the blind man, in the same
-. ell
man, You better count your marcies, in
stead of bein' alters complainin', or
some time you'll find you've less to
count"
Here the two parted to go to their
separate tasks but Porter went TO
work with his heart full of discomfort.
There were several men digging in the
vein of coal beside him. After an hour
or two had passed they all noticed a
rumbling and cracking which they
thought came from the roof, and fearing
that would fall, they began examining
it to see if any portion appeared dis
tuTbed.
But the noise soon became so violent
that they ran into the heading. They
had scarcely reached it when the floor
of the vein heayed up, opened, and a
volume of gas rushed out, filing the
whole place.
Porter darted into passage leading
inward from the breast. The other men
ran forward, and their lamps set fire to
the gas, which instantly caused terri
ble explosion. Porter being behind the
explosion, which always takes an out
ward course, was stunned only, and
slightly injured by being dashed against
the coal.
When he recovered from the shock,
lighting his lamp he discovered that a
dense wall of rock and coal had been
thrown down, and etfectuaily barred his
escape to the shaft.
Still he felt quite sure he could find
another passage ont, and turning up
the tunnel, he walked ON for long dis
tance, over shattered woodwork and
through narrow stoops, hoping at every
turn to see light ahead.
1t was q part Of the mine he had
never explored. it having been worked
out and virtually abandoned. To bis
unspeakable horror, the tunnel he had
been following led him to a large cell,
from which there was no further ad-
vance. He searched round and round,
but only the cold dripping rocks and
black dirt met his eyes.
He turned and began painfully to re.
trace bis steps, thinking he might pos
sibly have overlooked some other pas
sage: but no other passage was to be
found, and the fearful conviction was
forced upon him that he was buried
alive.
The air was so foul near the scene of
the explosion, he could not breath
there; but he walked back and forth in
the dark passage, shouting till he was
exhausted, yet hearing only the mocking
echo of his own voice. Hope of escape
almost left him when he thought how
long it might be before help could reach
him, for it was impossible to make his
position known.
How every circumstance of his past
lie rushed back upon his memory, aud
especially the feelings with which he
hal begun that day. What would he
give now for q gleam of sunlight, one
sound OF living voice to break that
deathlike silencel