The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-09
IN THE FACE OF DEATH.
EntOmbed Miners often show a
Wonderful Display of Nerve.

From Cassells Saturday Journal.
A mining story would be considered in
complete without a narrowing description
of the heros suffering during an under
ground catastrophe. People expect it, and
never doubt that the sensations of the i'm
prisoned miner are accurately pictured
But those who have had experience in res
cuing golfers from living tombs know that
the men do not always act in the sentimen-
tai manner attributed to them. On the con-
trary, not few of them face their horrible
death smilingly, refusing TO give way to
vain regrets and tears. When a great mass
of coal fell in a northern pit, completely
blocking up the side passages, twenty men
and boys were trapped in remote part of
the workings. To dig these unfortunate
fellows out a relief party worked madly;
but the coal was hard, and at the close of
the first day the fearful women at the pit
brow were still waiting for news. Another
day passed without good tidings, and it
was not until the third morning that
faint humm.ng sound filtered through the
frowning blockade of coal. They're
aliver' shrieked one of the party, "and
singing hymns to show their faith"
After that all worked with redoubled en-
ergy, straining their ears meanwhile to
catch the chanting of the underground
choir 1t soon became evident, however,
that the miners were not singing at all.
They were laughing and shouting like chill
dren, and the familiar cry of ''Ducks Off,
was clearly heard by the anxious rescuers.
Two more hours of superhuman effort fol-
lowed. and then the black partition gave
way revealing the pale and haggard min
ers in the very act of playing a game dear
TO The GOLFERS heart. Hello lads, We
didn't expect to see ye,' laughed one of
them. STOPPING to replace the lump of coal
which served as the duck" "Ah, reckon
yen stop an hev a game Wi us afore We
go back?" And the half-famished men
and boys actually insisted on finishing the
game before they would allow themselves
TO be taken to the shaft.
After a very similar accident in another
coliery, the relief party did not get
through the coal in time TO be of service.
and five sturdy miners were found dead
behind the cruel barrier. That they had
died coolly and fearessiy, though, was
beyond question, for on the damp floor
were scores of little marbles made from
compressed coal dust and Two of the men
were lying AT full length, with their fists
screwed up ready to flip. Their wan
faces smiled even in death, and this touch
ing proof of their unfai!ing optimism
brought tears to the eyes of every one
who entered the pit.
Falls of coal and foods are terrible ca
tastrophes, but the average collier fears
an explosion of fredamp, most of all. One
occurred NOT so very long ago in a little
Midland pit, and fifteen good men and
true were shut off from the cage by tons
upon tons of coal. The anxious crowd at
the pit mouth waited until the foul gas
had been cleared from the cutting, and
then began their work of rescue, with
little hope of saving their mates from the
suffocating fumes of the firedamp. Prog
ress was rapid, however, and before long
the relief party got into the narrow pas
sage. Here they saw sight which fair
ly made them gasp for the fifteen COL
liers were on the floor, some of them dead,
and Others sitting up and unconcernedly
singing comic songs A little further on
was a foot bail, improvised from the col
lier's shirts and caps, and bearing unmis-
taxable signs of recent and rough usage.
I'VE thowt as long as we'd got to dee,
we'd dee kiclkin'," explained one of the
survivors, 80 we rugged up foot ball