Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-04-04
DOWN IN A COAL NINE.
Calmly Writing Messages TO Loved Onea
while Denth Creeps Upon Then.

collery explosion in Sayony, By which q
large number of miners lost their lives.
Or that disaster an old miner in Scraa-
ton has preserved a most remarkable
record in a series Of manuscript copies,
translated into English, Of messages
written TO their friends by such # the
doomed Saxon miners as were not killed
outright by the explosion, bat were pre-
served for the no less sure and more ter
nble death by sudocation, as the poi
Eopel gases slowly destroyed the pare
air that remained in the mine. These
messages were found in notebooks and
on scraps Of paper on the dead bodies u
the poor[men when they we're IT last re-
covered. The manuscript copies Of
these touching notes were made in
Cornwall by q relative Of the old miner.
and were sent to him shortly after the
disaster. They are interesting outside
OF their pathos, as answering the fire.
quentIy asked question, How do men
feel when about to die-not after being
wasted and weakened by disease, OF
when the blood is heated by the strife
Of battle, but when they see inevitable
death slowly but certainly approaching
them, and know that in exactly so many
minutes 1t viii seize upon them? Do
they rage and struggle against their
fate, or do they meet it with calmness
and rn-IOpotIIr fClnra -,oc,aoao tl,,- ~,
that the poor miners awaited the com
ing Of death with singular caimlcss AMI
resignation. Not orc word in the whole
record reveals a feeling Of bitterness
against the fate they Goa III not avert.
There is q curious plthos in some .;
the lines scrawlel by these Gcath-be-
sieged men in the gloom of their mar
row prison. A young man, janet by
name, had pinned to his coat a leaf from
q notebook. On It we're written his
last words to his sweetheart Darling
Rika-My last thought was Of thee.
Thy name Will DE the last word my lips
shall speak. Farewell"
The miner I,cicho, when his body was
found, c.otnhoi in his hand o SCRAP or
paper. Dear sister," it read, "Mcyer.
in The village, owes me ten tha}crs. It's
yours. hope nay fac will not be dis
torted when they fad us. l might have
been better TO you. G"ol-by." Reiche,
according to tie OH Scranton miner,
who seems 10 have the histories of all
tho unfortunate Saxon miners ut his
tongues end, was n severe nan, and
though Just 10 his sister, who was his
only relative, gave her no Liberties. Tho
thought that lie hal not done right evil
IDENTITY haunted him in his death hour.
Tie absence Of all seiishness, all re-
plulnEs on account Of themselves, is
~touchiu2|y apparent III all the messages.
"Mv dear relations" wrote the miner
Sci midi, "~hhe seeing death before me
| remember you. Farewell until we
meet araih Il happiness" Lying next
to young j ne:z, whose message to his
sweetheart is quoted above, a miner
named Moretz was found. On n paper
in his cap was written: "Janstz has Just
died. Richie Is dying and says, Tell
my family l leave them with God
Farewell, dear wife. Farewell, dear
children. May God keep you" The
miners who died by sutfocation had evi-
IDENTITY been driven from Il place o.
refuge to another, according to the fol-
lowing, found IN the note book OF a
minernamed Bahr: This is the last place
where We have taken refuge. | have
given up oil hope, because the ventila-
ton has been destroyed in three separate
places. Muy God take myself and rela-
tiSts, and dear i,iendo who must die
with me, rs we'll a. our families, under
HIS protection
dear WIFE," writes Moller. ''takc
8oot care OF M2rg. Ia a book III the
bedroom You VII tEd " thaler. Fare
We'll, GEAR mother, TIL we meet again
Mary WAS tAe miners only Child, who
WAS bind.
\ miner named Jaime or Jachn wrote