Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-06
THE OTHER SIDE

IL Is dramatically strange, 10 H"s 'uo
L least, that fate should project into the
midst Of a dry and relentlessly statistical
discussion of wage scales in the coal region
n slow, measured and progressive narrative
Of the realistic side of miners lives such az
that which is coming over the news wires
from Jackson. Calf. At Jackson men are
buried alive 230O feet below the surface OF
the earth and other men are trying TO dsha-
mite n way to them before they de-
Any ono who knows the anthracite region
of Pennsylvania will perceive Mt once that
an, old story Of the coal fields Is being retold
in the West. Coal like gold Is often mined
Mt great depths. And there is no way IN
which the grief and terror Of UNDERGROUND
catastrophcs can be weighed in the balances
Of boards Of wage arbitration. Yet. even
though mine accidents are growing fewer
through the operation of better lnws. the
hazards of the work are grent md disasters
when they occur wear aspects of peculiar
tragedy because they are set against BACK
ground that Is utterly checrless and among
people whose reactions to life and denth are
those of the incurably faithful and the
simple of heart.
The first news Of a mine disaster seems
to travel silently upon the very mir TO the
towns and villages miles away. The doors
of little houses are opened and women stand
staring toward the hills before the first dusty
ambulance makes its way through the streets
md mp the black, uneven roads to the
colliory. 1t Is still the instinct OF women
used to old country ways to snatch up their
children in any sudden danger or emergency.
And women with shawls over their heads,
carrying babies against their shoulders. are
usually first in every procession that moves.
with tho cxhausting speed Of fright. to the
mine where there hns been an explosion or
what miners call "a fall''--that is n huge
,,>sccnt of coal or rock that may cut off
the escape Of n company Of men or displace
bodies Of explosive or suffocating gas and
drive it upon defenseless squads laboring IN
areas normally safe.
Over The Company on such occasions
Transformation comes. All the corporate
consciousness Of its representatives slips
away. leaving only rcsourceful, tirolcss and
compassionate men. Miracles Of engineering
have been accomplished overnight. fortunes
have been spent and mine officials have lost
their lives in efforts TO save ono inarticulate
workman trapped n thousand feet below the
surface and threatened by advancing fire
or rising gas. But IT IS at the mouth of the
mine that YOU will encounter drama IN
unforgcttable forms.
In the event Of great accident in the
workings the entrance to the shafts Is roped
off and guards are stationed and ambulances
are waiting, and the women and a great
many of the men Of the region are on their
knees before the first definite news Of dead
and injured and survivals has come up out
Of tn" dark. The eyes of the crowd are fxed
unon the big sheaves, enormous groovcd
rullcys over which the cables run to the
"cagc," the elevator like arrangement on
which men and coal are carried between the
mine workings and the outer world
When, after long suspense, the wheels
begin slowly to turn every one knows that
the living or some Of them are being brought
up. And when the landing Is made there
will be n stir In the crowd and a stranged
cry or two, and n shocked or weakened miner
with n face backened to the color Of iron
will use the last Of his strength to stoop and
lift IN the body of q woman who flung
herself through the line of guards and tainted
before she could get her arms about his
shoulders.
1t Is only by process OF elimination in
these first hours that the people on the
surface can know who is lost and who is
saved, and who has been merely hurt. The
mine officials Invariably lead the work Of
rescue. They are not unlike the captains of
ships They are the last to appear at the
surface.
In the course ~ time some bodies, wrapped
IN blackpned and oily mine canvas, will be
brought up and laid on the dusty earth. The
doctors will be forcing sedatives upon the
women who remained with their whimpering
children. And the miners who escaped alive,
tho men who. with Greek courage. wore
themselves out in the desperate work Of
rescue. the foreigners Of whom You henr
50 much. will be upon their knees in the
coal dust. members of an incomparaby lone
some company. saying the prayers for the