The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-03-12
PERILS OF A COAL MINE.
DANGERS ENCOUNTERED By MINERS
IN THE CoLLIERIES.
Some Marvellous Escapes from In-
Simultaneous DentIh-Saved only by
n Display of Great Nerve.

two near shaves; and 1 don't suppose
there's man on the colliery but what
could say the same"
The speaker was a hardy, toil-worn
coal-miner, who had come to sec me on
some parish business. And many is the
thrilling tale which, by considerable pres
sure-for be it known that most of these
men think lightly and speak but little of
their dangers-the country parson may
extract from his "fellow men in black"
among the oal-pits.
eyes, sir; Pve had one or two Once
was let down into the sump in eight
feet of water"
This man was STATESMAN. The "shaft, :"
as you know-or perhaps you don't know
is the circular perpendicular ''weli" by
which access is gained to the horizontal
beds of coal lying at various depths before
the surface. The depth of the shaft
in various mines ranges from tens to
hundreds of fathoms. The duty of the
shaftmen is to keep this in repair. Often
their work must be done sitting with one
leg through a loop attached to the steel
wire rope by which they are drawn up
and down, or standing on simple scat
fold hung to the side of the shaft; and a
man needs a stout heart and 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 "cage,n an iron
structure open to 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. must also explain that the
'sumpn is the very bottom of the shaft.
The shaft is sunk a few fathoms lower
than the lowest seam of coal that is being
worked. In the lowest part of the shaft,
euphoniously termed the "sump," the
water which oozes from the sides of the
shaft finds its way, is constantly being
pumped out, to prevent the flooding of
the pit.
How could a man be let down into the
sump and escape alive, seemed mystery
to me. "How on earth did you get out3"
1 asked. 81 suppose they drew the cage
up at once9"
"Never," said the shaftman. "The
engineman by mistake or accident, ran
her right down into the sump, 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 escapes" l asked,
breathlessly.
''Why," he answered, with a grim
smile, 81 had to get out the way they
catch sparrows at Gateshead. "
'How's that2"
"The best way could. managed to
get out of the cage. There was only
b 10
cage and the side of the sump, and l
climbed up by the timbers to the top of
! the water. was near done when l got
out, and then had to travel round about
and get out by staple. 1t was two
hours before l got home. The engine
man was nearly off 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 downT l said.
'Didn't you lose your headl"
II can tell you it was. The cage came
down with a run, and clashed into the
water like a clap of thunder"
"What aid you think?" l asked. 81
wonder you kept your senses"
"Well," he said, 81 knew what was
going to happen, when felt her going.
The water came in on me, and l knew
there was eight feet above me; and
thoughts well, it's a queer thing if I've
come here to be drowned | had my
thick leather jacket on and l swallowed
a lot of water; but l scrambled out some
how. Bat it was near thing, can tell
you.
"Oh, " he continued, 'there are queer
things 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, a
Sew feet above the shaft, which we use
for shaft work. This other man and
had been at work, sitting in the loops
hanging on the rope; and when the en-
gine drew us up again, she ran away,
and drew us right over the pulley. At
least 1 went over; and the other man
hung on the other side balancing. My
hands were cut with the wheel; but
held on till they got us down. But it
was a roughish ride, was that. Well,
good night, sir.n
/ wondered how many lives this man
had, and how he could go away so cheer
fully to meet day by day the perils of his
toll
The following may show that gratitude
to higher power is oftencr felt than ex-
pressed to the outer world. Pardon a lit
tie preliminary detail. Square tubs, on
four wheels, running on tram lines along
the workings of the pit, are used for draw
ing the Goals to the shaft. On some oc-
casions, as when going to a distant part
of the workings, one or two tubs will be
drawn by pony, each tub carrying per
haps four men. When the seams are low,
there will be a space of only few inches
between the edge of the tub and the
"balks" of timber placed crosswise to sup
port the roof Of the coal seam; thus the
men must keep their heads down to the
level of the edge of the tub.
son one occasion, - said my informant,
''three of us were crouched down in tub,
The pony was going at a walk up a slight
rise | can't tell Won how IL haDnened