The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-04
THEY WORSHIP UNDER GROUND

lHtf WUkShlP UNUtR URUUND
Swansea. Wales, May is.--Thc most remark
able church In the world Is a place Of worship
situated $50 feet undersround in the heart OF
coal milne. and fashioned entirely with pick
and shovel by hardy toilers In the fossil
woods. This strangest Of all Christian tenn
pies Is to be found at Mynydd Newydd, near
Swansea. In West Glamorgan.
The way to church is rrst IN a steep hill,
then down by means OF a wet and dirty iron
csse to the bottom Of q shaft, and nnally
through series OF May lahyrinths, lighted
by the slimmof OF the miners candles, to the
chapel. II required considerable nerve ON my
part to get thus far, for It was my nrst visit
to coal mine; but. having at last reached
the only coal mine chapel In the world, de-
termlued to make the best use Of my eyes.
The walls are formed IN part Of small rough
rine logs. through which the splendid thick
coal seam "outerops" to the view here and
there, and in part OF loose dry waiting. II ia
not an attractive looking place and suggests
to thos. unacauainted with coal mines a
speedy death from want OF oxygen. The roof
Is somewhat menncingly close overhead. but
4 it is OF hard, smooth clitt and has been
whitened with lime so that Il looks like an
artificial ceiling,
As you enter you observe that the chapel is
''timhered" with pit props on either side and
furnished with rude plank seats placed at
equal distances between the props To be
exact, there are eight OF these seats on either
hand, with room for six persons on each
While at tho entrance and at the desk or pull
pit there are what Welsh non-contormists call
'set fawrs" or big seats. In which minera 81
round and face one another
These would hold. at a pinch, perhaps .
dozen apiece. so that there is sitting accom-
mediation for over hundred In the little CON
vertole. 1t Is not much like church. this
little chamber, and yet there are points o.
resemblance too-especially to the fanoiful'
The double rows OF pine logs supporting th'
roof-what are they but the columns OF THU
minister? The pathway leading between tn'
seats and the pillars forms the nave, and thu
seated portions inside the columns are thu
aisles Of the building. There ls no altar, bu
no high wooden desk at the end certainly
81 guests pulpit.
, As the colliery Is worked with naked light
there is no risk In illuminating this lIul
, /, chapel in the depths OF the tosslized forest
candles. which are stuck on the pillars an
= fitted vaults all round an ample allowance Q
two being made TO the pulpit. There is II
regular officiating minister. but oonducto
. calls on any one be pleases and there is n
= lack OF spiritual gifts. The service Is oni
= hid once week-on Monday morning, at th
y early hour OF c, before the men 30 to the
:, daily work.
:. But now the service, which takes the for
o. short Welsh prayer meeting has con
J., menced The conductor has given out hymn
and the voices OF prayer and praise ring o.
10 this meeting house in the modern Gait
combs Tho seats are all we'll filled and eve
:. outside. all along. row OF men are squattin
N With their lamps by their sides, for LAM
r. are not allowed Inside the building" becsu
J. OF tho smoke they emit 1t is only as q
m eyes get accustomed TO the gloom that Of
Il fully sees all the shadowy forms assemble
"a They have taken their seats noiselessly al
a the place has hlled imperoeptibly. But
~ "amens" and the Welsh yes interpolnted
IN the prayers soon help one TO realize the lar
". number IN the audience.
lie Tho service is entirely in the Welsh Ia
ed euage. and consists. as It almost inyariat
n. does, OF chapter from the Bible, two hym
I'M is treasured in tin case, is now taken o
ks and one of the miners, with emphatic, me-
H. ured lntonaton reads a chapter. Then 4
Ter other miner offers prayer, and surely his 81
ok roundings arc well adapted for oommuni
ed with the Deity.
,st The dead silence. unbroken even by an eel
lily the remoteness from the outslde world.
rst perilous nature OF the occupation, the co
Nt.y, klrt mi
Ike exist In the minds OF the worshipers. all te
led 70 acoentuate the veneratlon and devotion
ON herent In tho Welsh character The Wei
his man ia always eloquent in his own laugu'
ere and dumb as an oyster IN that Of every
else. 1t is the way the Celt has. Welsh p'
ave lie meetings like Welsh prayer meetings
ef' never in want OF orators
his ~
d. The service Is impressive entirely from
nd spontaneity and simplicity Neither h'gh N
ice AT st Peters nor national celebration AZ
and Paul's-in tact no rite. ceremony solemn
hop or sacrament in the world ahoye-could stT
s SO conyincinely upon the mind and the Inns
buy nation as this simple service, Another pra!
OF another hymn, and the little gatherins-wl
nd rarely lasts more than half to three-quar
i'm ~ an hour. comes TO a close The mir
ing. separate and 70 to their working places pi
1t, ably with a distncter impression OF their
lily. pendence Cd the protection Of Providence.
,at- any rate, a scofter in unknown in this II
rec chapel, and It "a admitted that the Myn
was Newydd Pit contains an unusual proportio
urt sober. upright, thoughtful workmen. No
IS a clal reference is made in the prayers TO
r OF Golfers life There is no thought OF sec
rom creed and people WHO think OF Wales as b.
ONE rent by non -conformist dissensions Will
lsht surprised to learn that Baptsts, calvan