Year: 1861




the head, and knocking, as colliers do
when they wish to signal to one another,
being too far away to be heard by shouting
and this revived our courage very much,
for though we could tell that the head had
fallen in for considerable length, we knew
carried the last candle to them, and had to
wipe it carefully before giving it them, for,
almost unknowingly, tears had been drop
ping on it as ! hurried along. | told the
man gave it to, that il was the only one
! left he said nothing, but sticking it in a
bit of clay against large rock, worked on
in silence with more vigor than before. |
dragged away with all my strength at the
rocks they got QUIT clear their way little,
stealing now and then B. fdrtive glance at
The small candle fast melting away. When
il was almost burnt down, one of them pro-
posed that we had better see after our din
ners, and put them where we could con-
veniently find them in the dark. We did
so, and then tried TO cut up one OF the hack
helves into splinters, to give light little
longer; but it was old and tough, and
would not after all, give any light to work
by. Bits of fobacco-paper and other scraps
made spill or two, 10 make fame for a
few minutes, and then we were left in total
darkness.


Judging by the time the candles would
last, we had now beer blocked up for six or
eight ho1rs, and [, for one, began TO want
something 10 eat badly, though ashamed TO
say so TO the rest Now we were in the
dark, however, the oldest man proposed we
should sit do wn and eat a small portion OF
our dinners, and think over what we could
do for the best. Oh, how good the soft
bread was nowI wondered how / could
ever have disIiked it before, and could hard
ly deny myself from eating it all. But as
heard the men whispering TO each other,
that it may be day and a night before we
could be got out, laid a portion by for
another llItle meal, nor did | quite empty
my can of beer. Trying to work again in
the dark, one of the three men got hurt-in
the back by rock falling upon him, so
that we were compelled 10 give over, lest
some of us should set killed. We knocked
occasionally, for them 10 hear and answer
US, but the sounds did not seem 10 come
much uearer. How slow the time passed
away Our little store of food, though we
divided it into small portions, was soon
gone, now thirst began 10 be felt more than
hunger. After we had been shut up about
onnlH toll
the air began 20 feel very close and opPres-
i've and it made the men feel so weak, that
they could not have worked even il we had
had candles One of the collers had been
nsed 10 attend prayer meetings, getting US
all to kneel down together, he prayed ear
nesily, and encouraged US all TO do the
same. | cannot remember much longer
myself, for they told me had been insen-
slsible for some time before the road was
open but at length the way was cleared,
and we were carried out all but lifeless. 1t
had taken more than forty eight hours 10
get 20 US for The rocks fell in so continual
ly that timber had to be set all along 20
support The roof over the narrow way.


When the gray-headed old collier had
finished, he refilied his pipe, and wanted 10
know if nobody else had got nothing to
say There was lusiy little fellow in one
corner whom they called Jerry who gave
US an account of one day he was pulled up
the pit without his leave. 1t appears he
was what they call hooker on or one
that connected the carriages of coal 10 the
pii-chain, when ready for being wound up
down empty and, if The pits CON- Pany
were all at work, was continually kept close
to the bottom of the shaft. 1t appears that
one day as he was connecting carriage of
coal 10 the maiu chain, the engine started
rather sooner than he expected; and just as
was slipping the hook into the large link,
his thumb got fastened, by the snatch of
the engine, between the two, and before he
was we'll aware of it, he found himself a
good many yards up the shaft. They paused
slightly short distance up The shaft, to
steady the weight; bur he said be was un-
able to shout, and consequently was pulled
up in that manner to The top of The shaft,





his hand and arm completely numbed by
the pain and tension.


Practical jokes occur, il seems, even in
coal mines and one that had nearly proved
fatal to the parties engaged was now rela-
ted. In some pits, Otherwise we'll yentila
ted, small quantities of carburetted hydro
gen gas collect in rocks and crevices of the
roof, especially in corners partly out of the
current of air which runs through the vari-
Gus workings. To freighten a novice, a
reckless fellow will put naked candle up
into one of these places, causing nina
ture explosion of 6re-damp, just sufficient
to ,errify any inexperienced person, but
what an old hand would consider a mere
bagatelle. 1t appears stranger had been