The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-01-08
ENGLISH COAL MINES

! ~ sharis-Nnrrow Escnpes.
Chambers Journal
Escapes? Yes, Sir; I've had one or two
near shavesi and don't suppose there's {
man on the colliery but what could cay
the Same"
The speaker was hardy, toilworn coal
miner who had come 10 see me on some
parish business. And many is the
thrilling tale which, by considerable
preesure-for be it known that most oil
these men think lightly and speak but lit
tie Of their dangers-the country parsou
may extract from his "isllow.men in black
among the coaipits.
"Yes, sir; I've had one or two. Once l
was lot down into the stump in eight feet
ofwater."
This man was "shaitman." The
"shait," as you know-or perhaps you
don't know-is the circular perpendicular
"well' by which access is gained to the
horizontal beds Of coal lying al various
depths bel oW the surface. the depth Of
the shalt in various mines ranges from ten
to hundreds Of fathoms. The duty Of the
shattmen is to keep this in repair. Often
their work must be done sitting with one
leg through loop attached to the steel.
wire by which they are drawn up and
down, or standing on a simple scallold
hung to the side Of the chat; and man
needs stout heart and a steady nerve to
work placidly, suspended over chasm
! hundred fathoms deep. The ordinary
mode, however, Of journeying up and
down the shaft is in the Gage" an iron
structure open at two sides, steadied in its
course by two grooves which fit in two
wooden guides" extending the whole
depth, and fixed to the sides OF the shaft.
l must also explain that the !"sump" is the
very bottom OF tho ehaft. The shaft is
sunk few fathoms lower than the lowest
seam Of coal that is being worked. 1uto
this lowest part OF the thait, euphoniously
termed the "sump," the water which oozas
from the sides OF the shaft finds its way,
and is constantly being pumped out, 10
prevent the flooding Of the pit.
How man could be let down into the
stump and escape alive, seemed a mystery
to me. "How on earth did you get out ?"
esked. u suppose they drew the cage
up at once?
"Never," eaid the shaftman. 1.-THE en-
gineman, by mistake or accident, ran her
right down into the stump, and there she
stuck, while the other cage was right up
at the pulleys. The engine power was lost
and he couldn't get her up"
"Then how did you e2capeP" I asked
byeathlessly.
"Why," he answered with grim smile,
II had to get out the way they Glitch spar
rows at Gateshead."
"How's that?"
"Tne best way could. l managed to
tget out OF the cage. There ives only just
room to squeeze up between the cage and
the side Of the stump, and l climbed up BIZ
the timbers to the top Of the water. l wes
near done when l got out, aud then had
to travel round about and get ont by a
lstapple. 1t was two hours before / got
home. The engineman was nearly eli his
head. They were all sure l was killed,
and were seeking about how to get the cage
up again."
"Wasn't it awful going down p said.
"Didn't you lose your head ?"
~ can tell you it was The cage came
down with a run, and clashed into the
water like clap ofthunder."
"What did you think ?" 1asked. ~ Won
der you kept your Senses"
SWELL" he said, I knew what was going
to happen, when ! fel. her going. The
water came in on me, and l knew there
was eight feet above ms; and l Thoughts
well, 1t g queer thing il I've come down
here to be drowned I had my thick
leather Jacket or; and swallowed a lot Of
water; but scrambled out somehow. Bul
it ives near thing, can tell you.
"Oh," he continued, there are queer
tbings happen. Once, another man and ]
were drawn up over the pulley. That's not
the big pulleys, you know, sir; but the
| little wheel with the small rope, q few feel
above the shaft, which We use for shalt
work. This other man and bad been al
work, sitting in the loops hanging on the
rope; and when the engine drew us ul
again she ran away and drew us right over
the pulley. At least I went ove,; and the
other man hung on the other side, balanc
ling. NV hands were cut with the wheel
but held on till they got us down. But il
was a roughish ride, was that. Well, good
night, sir"
| / wondered how many lives this mar
had, and how he could go away 60 cheer.
fully to meet day by day the peris Of his
toll.
was talking the other day to a man
about emigration. "l'll tell YOU" he eaid
"When was one and-twenty, settled t
leave the pits and 60 to America. Wher
the time came, l asid 10 mother; We'll
mother, I'll make this the last days work
here, and be OF to America Mother, sht
was sore cut up, aud she says: bill, I'd
as soon see you lying in your grave in on,
churchyard, ss that you should 20 t.
America Well, sir, lis gospeltru!h In
telling you. went down the pit ct ter
o'clock that day, and before twelve I wa
carried home smashed all 10 pieces.
never left my bed for seventeen weeks.
full tub OF Goals caught me on the incline
by the neglect Of the man working witt
me. The tub ran away. There was NJ
room to ra.s. ran for my lille; bu
the wheels went over me and smashed N,
| up. And that's all I've ever though
about going to America. l thought. i
strange, sir, mothers having eaid that, ant
me being nigh killed the very day I'd set
tied to 60"
j lan ma call thase brare man haarIIea