Year: 1860

Such was the condition Of things when the
men left their work for dinner on the fatal
day. They had re-entered the mine-ten
strong men. all full OF life and hope, and u
portion Of them bad already grasped their
implements Of labor, and one had struck
his second blow. when IL was suddenly per-
ceived that the water was very perceptiby
oozing through from above. The next in
slant the ground gave way and stream OF
water about two feet in diameter came rush
ing into the drin with fearful velocity. un-
der a pressure of thirty or forty feet head.


Eight men were in the drift, five of whom
it appears made all haste for the bottom Of
the shaft, as the only means OF escape; one
arrived there just ahead of the water. close
ly followed by three others two OF these
ascended by the tub and two hy the ladders.


This last one up was standing ut the ex-
treme end Of the driit when the water came
through. and. OF course. was obliged to pass
directly through the rushing stream in order
to reach the main drift, which be did only by
extraordinary efforts, such as can only be
put forth in the most extreme emergencies.
When he reached the main drift be was car
ried along by the rush Of water TO the foot
OF the shaft, where he succeeded in grusping
the pump, and thereby saved himself from
being swept by into the opposite drif. He
passed through from the pump to the tub
shaft. sud as the water rose, boiling and bub.
bling in the shaft, he managed to keup upon
the surface by elutching at the plank sides
with his fingers. He had thus ascended
about thirty feet, when, in answer to bis
/ calls the tub came down i'm such n manner
as to strike him on the head with blow
which sent him again to the bottom. On
again coming to the surface be perceived the
tub once more decending but slowly and in
such manner that he was enabled to GRASP
it and, after little, get into it and ascend
to the surface.


The tub was then taken of and the rope
lowered and raised some tweuty times. be-
ing each time swung about on the surface
hoping that there might be some hant
there ready to grasp the profiered re-
lief. But none appeared And all hop'
of life for those below having passed, th'
rope came up for the last time and the en-
gine was set TO work on its melancholy tasl
of pumping out the wator, to search for tn,
bodies of the four unfortunate ones who i
was now known must have found a waterJ
grave.


For upwards OF As hours the irsn nerves
Of the machinery were tasksd to their ut
when it was found that the water was low
enough to enter the mine by the old work
ings, the drift at the bottom Of the shat
however, being still under water.


The FINDING OF THE BODIES.


At this time Mr.. Powning, the Superin
tendent, entered the old workings from tn
surface, and passed down through the open
ing made by the breaking in CT the water
which proved to be about two feet in diane
ter. and the ground where il gave way abou
Ave feet thick.


Close beside this opening, and in the ex
treme uppermost part of the drift, Mr..
found the bodies of jeffrey, Matthews an
McGrath. II was evident from their posi-
tion, that instead Of making their way 70
the shaft as the others did. they had deter
mined, in preference, to take t heir chance
of escaping through the opening made b
the water as soon as its violence had some
what misunderstanding also, perhaps, tha