American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-03-27
TESTED HIS NERVE
A Blind Struggle For Life In the
Depths of the Earth.
LOST IN THE DARK IN A MINE.

Thrilling Experience Of a Workman
Who Found Himself After an ExpIo-
sion Alone and Without a Light In
the Suffocating Coal Hole.
10 be lost in the woods or on the
plains is a fearful e. experience, but there
the victim has the hea vens above him
and can at least see his way about.
The terrors of a similar adventure In
the utter b~lackness of a gas filed coal
mine are thns described by a CORE
spondent of the Youths Companion:
was working alone In a room" on
the second south entry OF the mine
II was 5 O'Clock. the time for firing the
AFTERNOON blasts. The man who was
driving the entry lighted his fuse
and came back through the entry call
ing out "Firer' One after another the
other miners set of their blasts and
came along the entry until they reach
ed my room. | lighted my fuse. watch
ed 1t sputter for a m and went
out Int the entry to wait for the blast.
several seconds passed, and there
was no explosion. My fellow miners
passed out of the entry and left me
alone. ! went back into the room and
found that the blast opening was clog
ged so that the fire could not reach the
powder. | had to remove the tamping
and %recharge the drill hole. By this
time the mine was filed with dense,
gas laden powder smoke from the other
blasts.
In the sitting smoke | recharged the
hole. tamped it. inserted the fuse.
lighted 1t from my head lamp and bur
ried to the mouth OF the room. The
work was hastily done. When the
powder exploded the rush of air extin-
gnished my lamp.
The darkness was absolute. and there
Is no darkness so dense as that of a
mine To my CONSERVATION | found
the matches In my Jockey box" so
damp that they would not ignite.
Then became really alarmed. I was
two miles under ground without a light
IN an atmosphere so heavy with gas
that 1t would not sustain life for any
length of time.
| dashed into the entry. ran against
a pillar and vas knocked nearly sense
less.
staggered to my feet and CROPPED
down the tunnel. In a coal mine great
GA ken valves or doors close the en-
frances to the various tunnels. The
air enters through the main entry and
iS SrIrEo6 ArIf af tha ro;,, 49, ,.a4
fans at the opposite end of the mine
after it has been distributed through
the workings by means of these valves
and crosscuts situated zeal them.
reached a door. pulled 1t open and
passed through. Beyond it two tun-
neis came together at a right angle.
One led toward the open air. the other
into the depths of the mine. My
sense of direction was entirely gon
and | could not tell which to take. 1t
was all chance. I went ahead and aft
ef a time reached another valve.
If only had a light. One glimpse
of the number painted on the door
would tell me where | was. | tried to
feel the number with my fingers. but
in vain. | pushed through the door
and entered another tunnel, down
which | walked for hours. as it seem
ed NY head was bursting with pain
the gas
Then | heard the sound of running
! knelt down. dipped in my
hand and found that was going up
'tream and consequently deeper and
leeper into the mine. SO turned
back. reached the valve and felt along
he pillar until | found the other tun
leI opening The gas had by this time
leGun to affect my brain. and | reeled
nd staggered as | walked left the
rack and walked in the stump" water
Ip to my knees, keeping II hand on
he wall TO steady myself.
| passed through valve after valve
nd tried TO keep count. but my brain
to perform that simple task.
Vt last | pushed through a valve and
cit a blast of fresh. cold air. With !
hat breath of oxygen my reason re-
urned With renewed courage | push. +,
d forward Many times In following
nat life giving current Of air | plunged ,
through narrow cross cuts, stumbled =
yer masses of slate. fell into water j.,
oles and bruised myself by striking r.
the sharp corners of the coal ,
Elm. but | was steadily creeping near 4
r to the surface. ,
Suddenly | stumbled against a loaded
oal car. That meant that | was in the
lain entry. but how tar from the en-
| could not tell, | worked my ,
'ay along the string Of loaded cars .
nd began to ascend an incline. The ;,
'esh air swept down the tunnel in a "
lie | kept peering ahead, in the hope
seeing daylight. but lone appeared ;"
wondered why. | broke into a run. "
I'D In another minute | had emerged