Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-09-25

entIe WAS one gTiDuiuSs spllBteifog
roar, as though the earth had split
into pieces.
"Before we could stir hand or
foot to save ourselves, before we
could even take in that an explosion
had occurred while we were guard
ing against another sort OF danger,
down Numbered mass OF coal, tons
upon tons OF it, that blocked up the
only passage leading to the shaft.
1T just reached young Jim !;
standing where he did, he was struck
down-we heard his groa stiffied
beneath the debris. For about five
seconds more the earth SCENE to be
heaving and threatening universal
chaos; then all became still as a
tomb.
"a tombl We had our lamps ;
cid Jim and looked, and saw that
we we're cut off from the rest of the
world.
"What happened next l hardly
know / was Supplied with the
shock, sick with a mortal fear of
death. He and I stood staring mute
ly at each other. The only thing l
recollect is that his face was as gray
as marble, and that line Of froth
stood on his lips.
'sHe was the first TO come back to
sense. He gave one choking cry of
Jim = and staggered forward to that
black pile.
"The boys hand was sticking out
from the bottom, clutching eonvul-
siyely at nothing. I sank down and
watched in sort of dreary fascina-
ton, as old jim, uttering strange
cries, tore at the mass in mad fren-
zy. God help himl Jim was the
only thing he had in the world to
love.
SIN less than five minutes he had
dragged him out, and sat down to
hug him in his arms. Dead? No;
he could just open his poor dust fill
ed eyes in answer to his fathers
whispers; but We knew at once that
he would never again make the gal
leries echo with his piercing whis-
tie.
"For whole hours, suppose Meth
er of US attempted to realize our sit
uation. We sat on in the dead 81
lence, waiting for something to hap
pen. Once or twice We saw young
Jim's blackened lips move feebly,
and each time his father would NUT
ter brokenly
"'Ay, my precious boy, 'we'll
look after her i
"Once the old man broke out
quaveringly on the hymn, Abide
With Me- but lie got no further
than the third line. That perhaps,
was about eight o'clock, but we
could keep no account of the time.
as my watch had stopped.
"Hour after hour must have gone
by, and still Old Jim sat, with rigid
face and staring eyes, clasping his
burden. In ell probability it was
morning above ground before at last
he spoke.
How long can we hold out, Mr..
Carson I'm afraid TO go on. I've
been a goddess man all my time
THAT reused me. / examined
our position carefully. The passage
was about eight yards wide at this
point, and measured about twenty
PAGES from The end to where that
solid wall of coal blcckaded our cath
to the outer world. AS the bore
ran level With the foot OF the north
shaft, we were about forty feet be-
low the clear surface.
"We had no food, and our lamps
would burn, say, another FIVE or six
hours; while the breathing air, hot
and gaseous already, would proba-
bly, become uncomfortable before the
evening came.
"That was cur situation, and let
any man conceive worse, if he can.
One slender chance of escape at the
best left; perhaps the entire passage
was not blocked, and we might force
our way to the main gallery.
g was not afraid Of death in the
way that it comes to most people,
but was afraid TO meet and strug-
| gle with it there. We sprang to the
task, wild at the thought that those
few hours OF stupor might have made
all the difference.
"You can guess what happened,
and why, after long spell of fight
ing to break through that horrible
wall, old Jim threw himself down
with q groan and refused TO go on.
As fast as we loosened one mass, an
other crashed down in its place at
the end of our desperate attempt we
were half choked and blinded with
dust, our hands were raw and we
had made scarcely any Roadway.
Barely, too, had We given up the
work as hopeless when my lamp
fiekered out. Half an hour later
JIM : followed suit.
s.Total oblivion As l sat aud
contemplated cur fate fain.ness Of
mingled hunger and despair crept
over me.
"Young jim, quite slill, was prop