Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-19

No more thrilling tale has been told
recently than that Of the four men res
cred from the coal mine az bonneville,
PA. Away down coo feet below tho
surface Of the earth. three-qusrterl u a
mile from the entrance shaft. miners
were d,fvlng at ihe coal seams a. usual
one day. Suddenly. without moments
warning. deluge Of water broke
Though from shaft OF m abandoned
mine. What started It viii never be
known. probably. In FIVE minutes II
was goo feet deep IN the lower portions
Of the mine. though minors nearest the
shaft escaped. When tho roll came 70
be- called eighteen were nissing. Such
Of these NJ were not drowned by tho
food would naturally seek rcfugc In the
higher passageways leading on from the
level Tho mine was honcyeombcd with
these. for II had been worked nearly
fifty years.
The watcr had filled tho main SHAFT TO
third Of Ia depth. But there was one
thing II could not DO. Whoa It rushed
In mighty torrent into tho mine IL
drove tho air before II MP the narrow
passagoways and packed Il into tho ends
Of these. This water could not 20
through the air. II could drive II over
upon itself and compress Il. but the
morr the air was compressed the more
l II resisted the water. TN at last tho air
I...t ~. ..s..t.. ,.N - Az. r,sfl..,- ..sN -
the passagcways ~ cffectualiy ~ u 1t
had been u wall Of brick aud mortar.
That saved the lives Of the fonr who
wcre rescued. Il gavo them mir Of a
pressure Of four atmospheric 10 breathe,
but II saved them.
Great engines, pumping 1000 gallons
minute. were put to work, and the
pumps throhbcd day aud night. The
mine mnsi be- cleared aud the bodies Of
ihoso who had boon drowned brought
out aud buried. Half a month went on,
and The pumps only then ceased 10 throb.
Tho winter was low enough TO search for
the bodies. Several were found. In ono
tpot II was plain that fire had been
kindlcd, and that had caused the death
Of four men who had clustered around
81. The flames had consumed the oxygen
in tho confined air Of the pocket in
which they were incloscd, and the men
were slowly aspliySiated TO their death.
The search went on until tho bodies Of
all but four had been found. The rs
cucrs themselves bravcd death hun
drcd times a day FROM suifocatlon In the
close air, hut tho work did not stop
moment.
The full dangers md difficulties OF
that dread search cannot b. fully told.
4 line Of piokcis over the whole three
quarters OF mile to tho entrance Of tho
mini was kept constantly on tho alert.
Once minute, day and night, tho sig.
nal passed from man TO man, "All
hsht~ They VIII hear 4. in their dreams
for months 10 come. those brave fellows
The nineteenth day came. At 8 o'clock
IN the evening tho workers stood IN front
OF breast No. O." Suddenly the face Of
ono Of them blanched aud bis eyes
blazed. lie spoke. aud this Is what he
said. II heard somcthingr'
Then through u passagcway only
three feet high they crawled. over jagged
coal aud slate. their clothes torn. their
hands bleeding, aud brought the four
living men out Of their prison.
In tho first days Of their imprisonment
the four men had found a little food In
their dinner pals. Then tho strongest
one Of them killed rats. with which tho
mine was Infested. They ate the legs OF
these rats. as cpicurs cat frogs legs,
and that kept tho life In them. But at
the same time II required all the feeble
strength that was in them to keep the
rats from eating them. At last only
hope was left them, and they lived on
that TIL rescue came. Tcnderly as new
born infants the four saved men were
conveyed to landing In the upward
sliaft. They were too exhausted " be
taken farther.
At o'clock In the morning the rcscu.
Ing party asccndod TO the surface, black.
oncd, begiiined and bleeding. themselves
exhausted almost to the point Of faint
ing. Their thoughts turned then to
where all mems thoughts fly In times
alike Of great fear or great joy, to the
dread unfaihomable source Of all that Ia,
was or shall be. They stopped before
the house o. the senior member Of the
company, and theron tho darkness, with
all their souls In their voices. sang
Praise God, from whom all blessings
how.'