New-York tribune., 1906-04-15

four years ago. when five stout hearts watcb,..
the approach of death inch by inch and ,corr
ing to anticipate the penalty which mus, :,
exorably be demanded OF them. scrawIed On ,bs,.
rude notebooks fond farewells 10 the loved on..
they were leaving behind. and who. they knsr
were already mourning them for dead?
With respect TO these periodic coal ulintnv s,.
asters. the sympathetic public IS never deniaa
that one ray of comfort-heroIsrn among IRA
rescuers. 1t IS the only light amid the all n.r
vading gloom. The signal that those in tbs ~,
were in peril was never yet given to a rn,nn,
community that men. forgetting the tears J,
wives and mothers. did not willingly face deaf,
that their comrades should live.
One such band of heroes has been deDictsd =,
Hardwicke RawnsIey's poem on the Troedyrbv
disaster in 1887:
Forth at the word the heroes slept.
Each at his craft a known adept
They could not hear how the women wspr
To their strong purpose fast.
They douss4 their lamps and each did twist
Then BARN and wife the rough lips Kissed
And down they swung from ken
though vapors stiAe waters isaS. --' "sa"
Though a8gb Sa9de5s 55 fSs asss safg 0 70 saa
As this weartss for a spaoa
a A. thtrd I'D viii crawl INTO hts p;aos
'S Fs @5ns daaa u55 56 nessS sas fFsS4 So4 A0"
The work Of the resouers on this occasion
one OF the most cherished memories Of n.
Rhondda Valley to-day. a noteworthy fact "a,
the inhabitants OF that region have never lsek.5
inspiring object lessons in heroisu- Il was az.
certatned that some fourteen men and on. hov
were alive In the mine, and over fifty .xnsrt.
enced pitnen volunteered to attempt the resua
AT first examination the obstacles eonfront,ny
these seemed insuperabIe, but day and piph.
they stuck to their task. urged on by tha aiz
tressins scenes at the pit mouth, until al ~,
end of a week. though they scarcely dared "a
hope. they were rewarded by hearing faint tan,
on the face OF the coal in chamber off t5a
passage along which they were working Word
Of this was sent up to the crowds at the ur.
face, and the rescuers set 10 work again with an
energy that was almost superhu-nan. for thew
all knew, some from sad experiences. what Was
the condition OF those so patheticaIly invoki,g
their aid, and the Importance OF every fvfns
moment They were overjoyed 10 hear the in
prtsoned men singing the old Welsh hymns. and
this gave them new strength. Nearer and
nearer they forged with their picks. until a. lsst
they could hail their friends one OF tba res
cuers was inquiring whether a certain b0v was
among them and safe, when the order. Run for
your lives rang out-a food Of water rushed
into the workings. and many OF tie rescuer,
barely escaped.
That, Of course, put an end 70 the rescue on
erations for the time being. and It afterwari
appeared that the entombed miners At ones
guessed the nature OF the new misfortune that
had befanen them. Then set in tha darkest
hour OF their sore trial They were so nunbed
By despair that they could not sing or even
pray" But their rescuers were only bafled--
not beaten. ProvtdentiaIIy. the flood su5s!deI
sufficiently within few hours 70 admit os their
resuming their heroic work and. waist deep in
water, they piled their picks At the Obsrructins
mass OF coal Till at length. at midnight Of the
ninth day. they burst into the cavern where
dead or alive they knew their friends to be-
Where are you. Thomas. Jenkins Po7veu?"
they cried. rs the lad safe? Ay. God be
praised" and his father sank on his Knees be-
side the ledge on which lay the wasted form Of
his boy.
The imprisoned men. Ons OF whom had e1.
irely lost his reason, reco!led before their res
cuers. who had to assure them that they were
not ghosts. The boy had been the object Of tha
teaderest solicitude on tho part OF the lnpris.
oned men; they had nursed him and hudde6
up close TO him to keep him warm I'VE thought
Of him and his mother" they sat1. and We
could not die"
The Pennsylvania mountains and other mining
regions OF this country have also their stories %
disaster and thrilling heroism- The explosion AZ
the coiliery OF the Cambria Steel Company
Johnstown Penn. on July 10, 1902, is a casa
In point There q band Of resCuers headed Cy
Patrick Martin two brothers OF Martin and seT-
eral cousins worked sallanLly and sUeca cass1uAY
Tor hours IN etfect4ug the release OF the thirty
or forty men out OF $50 who had survived ina
first shock OF The explosion. only . fci then'
selves they thought, hOpelessly el-omoad
Martin and his devoted band pushed o. llcough
the horrors OF the wrecked mine, their one 90
jeCt being TO suCcCr the living. At every turr
their own last end seemed 10 come f. view
but IL they retreated il was only 10 advance
again, and further next time. suddenly IS they
emerged into an open space q blood cUrd-ng cry
rose on the air and q blacheued form, upIuted
pick In hand. rushed at theIo TrOI1 out tAs
glOon-the poor fellow q ravlng naDiac Ana
he was one OF several in that particular cham.
Der. The hours Of darkness and suspense mad
proved too much for them.
Thirteen were taken from this spot They lay
about on Lodges in a moribund state, an occa'