New-York tribune., 1898-11-20
HOW MINERS MET DEATH.
ENTOMEED IN COAL PITS. THEY PASSED
THE TIME IN PLAYING; GAMES
From Cassclls Saturday Journal.


From Casscll's Saturday Journal
A mining story would be considered neon
plete without narrowing description of the
hcro's suffcrings during an underground cataS-
trophc. People expect 1t. and never Coubt that
the sensations Of the imprisoned miner are a"-
curately pictured But those who have had ex-
perience in rcscuing cOllicrS from living to:nn
know that the men do not always act in tAe
sentimental manner attributed to them. on
the contrary. not frw Of them face their hor-
rible death smilingly. refusing 10 give way 10
vain regrets and tears When great mass u
coal fell in a northern pit. comp'eu - blocking
up the side passages. twenty men ana hoys W. ,
trapped 10 a remote part OF the Worklng5 -
dig these xSlfOrtunate fellows ont relief party
worked mady: but the coal was hard. and at
the close OF the first day the tcarfdi women AZ
the pit brow were still waiting for news. an
other day passed without good tdingS. ard IL
was not until the third morning that taint
hummng sound filtered through the it""hhG
blockade of coal. "Thcy're alNcr shT"%ed one
of the party. "and singing hymns to show the"
faith"
straining their ears meanwhile to catch the
chanting of he underground choir. II soon be-
came evident. however that the miners were
not singing at all They were laughing ana
shouting like children. and the familiar cry ot
Ducks off, was clearly heard by the ANXIOUS
rcscucrs Two more hours Of superhuman ct-
fort followed. and then the black partition gave
way revealing the pale and hageard miners IN
the very act Of playing game deAr 70 'Hr
Golfers heart lilo. lads. we didn't expect
10 see yc." laughed one Of them stopping 70 re-
place The lump of coal which serve! as the
''duck" All reckon yell stop an hey 4 game
wi us afOrc We 90 back" And the half-ian-
ishcd men and boys actually insisted IN inISh-
ing the game hcforn thoy would allow them
selves To be taken 10 the SHAFT
After L very imlar accident in another coll
icry the relief party id not get through me
coal in time t. be of service. and five sturdy
miners were found dead behind th" cruel bar
rer That they had died c0olly ana ic1fi.Ssly
though. was beyond question. iot on the dainp
floor were scores Of little marbles made from
comuressed cOalluSt anI two Of the men were
lying at fun length with their fists screwed up
ready to flip. Their wan faces smiled even III
death and this touching proof of their uniaiIinS
optimism brought tears 70 the eyes ot every ont
who entered Tn" plt.
Falls Of coal and floods are terrible catastro-
phcs. but the aVrrag" collier fears an explosion
Of hrcdamp most pf all. one occurred not 50
very long ago in 4 i,tle Midland pit. and fiji
teen good men and true were shut OF from the
cage hy tons upon tons Of coal The ANXIOUS
crowd ai he pit mouth waited until the fou gas
had been cleared from the cutting. and then be
gan their work OF rescue with little hope or
,,Nlug their mates from the suff0cdting fumes
Of m. Grriarnp. Progress was rapid. hoWe'e
and before long th" relief party got into the
narrow passage. Hero they saw a sight which
fairly mad. them gasp. for the fifteen Golfers
were on the fDpr. SOM" # them dead. ana
others sitting UP and uncouc"rrrdly SINGING
comic songs. \ little fur her on was football.
imuroviscd from the Golfers shirts ard caps.
and hearing uuurstakabr sisra If recent and
rough usage. We th0Wt. as long as we'd got
10 lcr we'd d." kickin." explained one IF the
survivors. so We riSged up football an
punched o. ablrt m f dark. George thoer fell
dahn load RS "a. Wor scorn a goal. but we went
On ylaNins - pass time on. and then 1 gaS
/ cleared IF hit" only four Of tI1t brave bcvy
pf miners came out Of the pit alive hut they
assured their lucstipncrs that the others mad
laughed and sung in the very face Of death.