The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-08

shaft the Russians were employed
and we used to make the excuse to
the guards that we wanted to go in
and speak to these Russians about
the working of these engines, but in
stead of doing this we would take
seven or eight fish plates from the
rails. The result was that when the
wagons came along the rails would
fail, and the wagons would run about
everything that got In the way. This
meant a rest for everyone in the
mine for three or four hours.
The Russian prisoners were about
the more careless miners have ever
come across. have seen them sit
ting working away with cigarettes in
their mouths and their safety lamps
by their side. These fellows never
thought OF gas, and if they did they
didn't care apparently. The poor
fellows were so badly treated that
death to them would have been a
welcome relief. I have seen these
oppressed men actually breaking
their lamp glasses to light their Gig
arettes.
+ On the other hand, the Frenchmen.
when they gave themselves to work,
got through quite a lot. These men
u0So IL get .OV ufdTkS pOnuS pei
month, asAwen as their mark per day,
which was the recognized wage.
We were, however, quite satisfied
with one mark per day, but general
ly speaking. owing to minor offences,
when we were caught, of course. we
generally lifted about three marks
| per week.
Apparently the mine owners in
Germany did not care rap for the.
lives of their employees. Though this
mine at Oberhausen was perfectly up
to date regarding machinery and
| lighting, very little attention was paid
to timbering. Hardly day passed
without someone being MANNED or
killed. One night the timbering gave
way and two men were killed out
right and another had his legs bad
/ 1y crushed. This, however, was a
mere detail with the officials. The
injured or dead men, whatever they
may have been, were silently thrown
i on one Of the wagons and taken to
the top, the debris was cleared away,
and work was continued as though
nothing out of the ordinary had oc-
fcurred.
4 I had not been down the mine very
long before met with an accident.
II was coupling some wagons when I
/ caught my bandaged broken finger in
the coupling chains. The result was
that my finger was torn from the top
to the second joint. The bone was
4 protruding through the torn flesh,
land, being unable to work went to
the shaft when I was sent to my bill
,,let. There my finger was roughly
dressed by a man who professed to be
la doctor. He, however, refused to let
mo ROC n rod -, i,
following day I was again sent down
the mine. am sure, however, did
not earn my mark per day.
i In the mine was staple which
4 ran from one seam to another for
Il the purpose of conveying the coal
from one seam to the lower. one, from
Il where it was taken up the main shaft.
: 1t was at the bottom of one OF these
Istaples that a number Of Russians got
. trfd of one Of the biggest DULLES ]
have ever come across.
J This man had made the lives OF
these Russians absolutely unbearabIe
I They we're completely at his mercy
The official, however. apparently
4 forgot about the old maxim thai
I"even a worm will turn #
i At any rate. these Russians turned
on their savage master with a ven
i
| sudden end he was Standing at thu
! bottom of the staple, which to thos,
] readers who do not understand tech
meal miners words, is q sort of aux
I iIiary shaft. yelling and cursing at thu
& Russians above. The staple was thel
: tclear. and the official was urging tn,
= men to do their work quicker.
3 The time has come for the Russian
Y Ito exact their revenge.
I According to the working arrange
4 ments of the mine, a signal should b.
d given to the men before the wagon
4 descended On this occasion, how
d ever. no signal was given. Instead, a
7 the official was standing at the bot
y tom of the staple, down came wag
g ION full of debris. Before the off
It cial could get clear the wagon an
lstones fell upon him with crash
d land he was buried beneath weigh
}, of over 16 cwts.
t The Russians at the bottom LITE
n the smashed wagon, stones and debri
: together with the remains of tn
IS dead official, into another wagon an
d sent him to the top along with tn
8 de0ris. 4
: On arriving at the surface, how
ever, the wagon fell into the hand
g Of the German workmen, who {
1t course reported the fact to headqua,
tiers,
RI The finding Of the body cause
/ tgreat excitement. The officials {
n once smelt treachery,. but try as the
1T cold they were unable to get at tn
a bottom of the affair. All Russian
I who were thought to- have had
r.. hand in the affair were forced [
e. stand at attention for days. This puI
3 ishment it was thought would caus
10 such strain on the prisoners that
1T number of them would break dow
I and give their comrades away to cal
: their liberty However, the me
q bravely stood their n1onotonous ar
D. exhausting punishment day after ds
At without wavering. No one split, ar
re in the end the punishment cease
se and the real facts of the case new,
ly became known to the Germans.
le 1t was whilst was at Oberhauss
Id that a Northumberland boy. Jat
ag Thomas by name. made his escap
Of which caused quite flutter in tt
at camp.
ne Thomas was in the same compal
ne as myself. He. along with th-
We F'renchmen. skilfuhy pulled up Il
ne boards OF room IN his billet and 6
ut into the open.
r AS soon as their escape was know