New-York tribune., 1888-03-25
rHs rHoueHrs OF DYING MEN.


WHAT THE suPyocArrNa SAXON MINERS WROTE
Harrisburg, March 24-Durns the late strike OF 'no
miners In the schuyll coal region had occasion 70
visit several OF the mining towns In ono OF them
enioycd the hospitality OF intelligent miner VINO
eare to America twenty years ago rom eaAony,
whore he had worked In the mines. nc 'o" 'hes
country soon after the occurrence oil one OF 'ne os
terrible colllcry disasters on record oy "nch s.so
number OF miners lost their lives He was one OF tho
eorc. ~ miners who volunteered TO enter the danger
ous depths of exploded mine for the purpose OF at
emnne the rescue of such victims OF the disaster rs
might possIby have survived the explosion Itself but
we're barrie AIDED from escape by walls OF fallen coal
between them and the month OF the mne There had
been large number Of such victims, as the rescuins
sound TOO ate the obstructions between thcm and
the doomed men having been TOO great 10 permit OF
removal In time to them from lingering ana
horrible death. OF that melancholy catastrophe my
miner friend has preserved most remarkable record
In series OF manuscript copies. translated into Eng
lish OF messages written to their friends by such OF
the doomed Saxon miners as not killed outright
by the explosion but among those who were pro-
served for less and moro terrible oeatn oy
sufocaon, the poisoned gases slowly destroyed the
pure air that remained In the mine These messages
were found In note books and scraps OF paper on
the dead bodies of the poor men when they were at
last recovered. These last messages from the dead
certainly have no parallel in heart-touching pahos
Nowhere, In history or romance, Is such sceno 40
pcted as is shown by these simple messages-a picture
of men, face to face with death, awaiting Its coming
with camness and resignation which only the noolest
and strongest hearts could summon Not ono woro 10
The whole record reveals feeling Of bitterness against
the fate they could avert. There is al intensity OF
pathos In some of the lines scrawled by these death
men in the gloom their prison. For
instance one Of them, miner named Reiche, held In
his hand when his dead body was found scrap OF
paper on which was scrawled these words:
Dear sister Meyer in the village owes me 10 tha'
lcrs II is yours. hope my face will not be dstort-
Cd when they find us. l might have been better to
you Janetz forgives me. Goodby'
Rciche as my old miner friend told ME, having the
history Of all these poor men still fresh In his mnd'
was a severe his only relative being sister,
young and pretty girl named Rka, who had charge OF
her brothers household She was loved by young
miner named Janetz, and she loved him In return.
Her brother refused to consent to her marrying JanetS
and had commanded all communication between them
TO cease. Janetz Of the victims OF the mine
disaster Pinned his blsckened coat when his body
was found lying that Of Reche, was leaf from
his note book, which he had writtcn this'
sDarlng Rika: My last thought was Of thee 1t Is
well with our brother, and my heart holds no bitter
ness Thy name will be the last words my lips SHAH
speak FAREWELL
Utter absence Of all sel6shness all repinngs over
their fate as IL Immediately affected themselves Is
touchngly apparent In all the messages. Lying close
20 the body OF the young minor Janetz was that OF his
friend Moretz, who bad wife and two children I'd
a paper in his cap he had written these words:
"Janetz has Just died Richer is dying. He says I:
Tell my family leave them with Cod Farewell,
dear wife, Farewell, dear children May God keep
yOus
Two brothers OF the name Of Jaehn were employed
In the mnc working In alternate "shifts' On the
day Of the disaster the brother whose turn 1t was 10
work was unable to 60, and his brother, although
weary from his own toll, generously took his place
III ho
was found his dead body;
"Thank God for His goodness, brother You are
safer
The miner Schmidt wrote: any dear relations,
while seeing death before me remember you. Fare
well until We meet again in happiness One Of the
doomed men man OF family named Moller HIS
message found on the ay leaf Of Testament In his
pocket, was one of the most touching OF all
"Dcar wife, he wrote, stake good caro- Of Mary
In book In the bedroom you will find thaer Fare
well, dear mother We will meet again.
The Mary he mentioned was the miners only daugh |
ter who was blind. A miner named Richer, whose
brother was mentioned as dying In Moretzs message
simply wrote piece Of paper which was found on
his breast No toll In darkness The story OF
the terrible struggle these men made for life In
the gaschohed depths Is told In few lines found In
the note book Of miner named Bahr:
sThIs is the last place where we have taken refuge.
II Is the last we can take. give up all hope. The
ventilation has been destroyed In three different places
of refuge May God take myself and relatives, and
dear friends who must die with me, as well as our
families under His protection" .,
There are many other passages in this pathetic
diary, made up of the messages from these dying
miners. all breathing simple piety and unseihsn
resignation. This uniformly pous spirit was explained
by fhe old miner. He said Aat the miners OF saXony
se all reared strict rel gions school, and that on
entering the mines they all petition heaven for pro.
lection while they are surrounded by ever present
perlls in the depths, and on leaving the mine; they
feturn thanks TO God for guarding them and bringing
them safely through the dangers Of their toll
{" never read these simple messages OF those poor
men without molsened eyes," said the old miner.
can picture myself the scene of the rough handed
but tender hearted men, spending their last moments
NOT I'm Wild cries for mercy and screams OF remorse,
nor in repnngs against their cruel fate but OF send
ing farewell words to their loved Ones who were
even then bewang them dead While my heart
bleeds the picture / thank God that, humble
miners though they were, they showed the world how
bravey and nobly they could die"