CHAPTER XXV.
THE IMPRISONED MINERS.
There was a mighty roar--a thundering sound, as of an express train--ablinding light, and a scorching heat. Jack felt himself lifted from theground by the force of the blast, and dashed down again.
Then he knew it was over, and staggered to his feet. The force of theexplosion had passed along the main road, and so up the shaft, and heowed his life to the fact that he had been in the road off the course.He returned into the main road, but near the bottom of the shaft he wasbrought to a standstill. The roof had fallen, and the passage wasblocked with fragments of rock and broken waggons. He knew that thebottom of the shaft must be partly filled up, that his comrades werekilled, and that there was no hope of escape in that direction. For amoment he paused to consider; then, turning up the side road to theleft, he ran at full speed from the shaft. He knew that the danger nowwas not so much from the fire-damp--the explosive gas--as from the evenmore dreaded choke-damp, which surely follows after an explosion andthe cessation of ventilation.
Many more miners are killed by this choke-damp, as they hasten to thebottom of the shaft after an explosion, than by the fire itself.Choke-damp, which is carbonic acid gas, is heavier than ordinary air,and thus the lowest parts of a colliery become first filled with it, asthey would with water. In all coal-mines there is a slight, sometimes aconsiderable, inclination, or "dip" as it is called, of the otherwiseflat bed of coal. The shaft is almost always sunk at the lower end ofthe area owned by the proprietors of the mine, as by this means thewhole pit naturally drains to the "sump," or well, at the bottom of theshaft, whence it is pumped up by the engine above; the loaded waggons,too, are run down from the workings to the bottom of the shaft withcomparative ease.
The explosion had, as Jack well knew, destroyed all the doors whichdirect the currents of the air, and the ventilation had entirely ceased.The lower part of the mine, where the explosion had been strongest,would soon be filled with choke-damp, the product of the explosion, andJack was making for the old workings, near the upper boundary line ofthe pit. There the air would remain pure long after it had been vitiatedelsewhere.
It was in this quarter of the mine that Bill Haden and some twenty othercolliers worked.
Presently Jack saw lights ahead, and heard a clattering of steps. Itwas clear that, as he had hoped, the miners working there had escapedthe force of the explosion, which had, without doubt, played awful havocin the parts of the mine where the greater part of the men were at work.
"Stop! stop!" Jack shouted, as they came up to him.
"Is it fire, Jack?" Bill Haden, who was one of the first, asked.
"Yes, Bill; didn't you feel it?"
"Some of us thought we felt a suck of air a quarter hour since, but weweren't sure; and then came another, which blew out the lights. Comealong, lad; there is no time for talking."
"It's of no use going on," Jack said; "the shaft's choked up. I camedown after the first blow, and I fear there's no living soul in the newworkings. By this time they must be full of the choke-damp."
The men looked at each other with blank faces.
"Hast seen Brook?" Jack asked eagerly.
"Ay, he passed our stall with Johnstone ten minutes ago, just before theblast came."
"We may catch him in time to stop him yet," Jack said, "if he has goneround to look at the walling of the old goafs. There are three men atwork there."
"I'll go with you, Jack," Bill Haden said. "Our best place is my stall,lads," he went on, turning to the others; "that is pretty well thehighest ground in the pit, and the air will keep good there as long asanywhere--may be till help comes. You come along of us, mate," he said,turning to the man who worked with him in his stall.
As they hurried along, Jack, in a few words, told what had taken place,as far as he knew it. Five minutes' run brought them to the place wherethe masons were at work walling up the entrance to some old workings.They looked astonished at the new-comers.
"Have you seen the gaffers?"
"Ay, they ha' just gone on. There, don't you see their lights down theheading? No; well I saw 'em a moment since."
"Come along," Jack said. "Quick! I expect they've met it."
At full speed they hurried along. Presently they all stopped short; thelights burnt low, and a choking sensation came on them.
"Back, Jack, for your life!" gasped Bill Haden; but at that momentJack's feet struck something, which he knew was a body.
"Down at my feet; help!" he cried.
He stooped and tried to raise the body. Then the last gleam of his lightwent out--his lungs seemed to cease acting, and he saw no more.
When he came to himself again he was being carried on Bill Haden'sshoulder.
"All right, dad," he said. "I am coming round now; put me down."
"That's a good job, Jack. I thought thou'd'st scarce come round again."
"Have you got either of the others?"
"We've got Brook; you'd your arm round him so tight that Ned and Ilifted you together. He's on ahead; the masons are carrying him, andNed's showing the way. Canst walk now?"
"Yes, I'm better now. How did you manage to breathe, dad?"
"We didn't breathe, Jack; we're too old hands for that. When we saw youfall we just drew back, took a breath, and then shut our mouths, andwent down for you just the same as if we'd been a groping for you underwater. We got hold of you both, lifted you up, and carried you along asfar as we could before we drew a breath again. You're sharp, Jack, butyou don't know everything yet." And Bill Haden chuckled to find that foronce his practical experience taught him something that Jack had notlearned from his books.
Jack now hurried along after Bill Haden, and in a few minutes reachedthe place fixed upon. Here the miners were engaged in restoringconsciousness to Mr. Brook, who, under the influence of water dashed onhis face and artificial respiration set up by alternately pressing uponthe chest and allowing it to rise again, was just beginning to showsigns of life. Their interest in their employment was so great that itwas not until Mr. Brook was able to sit up that they began to talk aboutthe future.
Jack's account of the state of things near the shaft was listened togravely. The fact that the whole of the system of ventilation had beenderanged, and the proof given by the second explosion that the mine wassomewhere on fire, needed no comment to these experienced men. Itsounded their death-knell. Gallant and unceasing as would be the effortsmade under any other circumstance to rescue them, the fact that the pitwas on fire, and that fresh explosions might at any moment take place,would render it an act of simple madness for their friends above toendeavour to clear the shaft and headings, and to restore theventilation. The fact was further impressed upon them by a sudden andsimultaneous flicker of the lamps, and a faint shake, followed by adistant rumble.
"Another blast," Bill Haden said. "That settles us, lads. We may as wellturn out all the lamps but two, so as to have light as long as we lastout."
"Is there no hope?" Mr. Brook asked presently, coming forward after hehad heard from Haden's mate the manner in which he had been so farsaved.
"Not a scrap, master," said Bill Haden. "We are like rats in a trap; andit would ha' been kinder of us if we'd a let you lay as you was."
"Your intention was equally kind," Mr. Brook said. "But is there nothingthat we can do?"
"Nowt," Bill Haden said. "We have got our dinners wi' us, and might make'em last, a mouthful at a time, to keep life in us for a week or more.But what 'ud be th' use of it? It may be weeks--ay, or months--beforethey can stifle the fire and make their way here."
"Can you suggest nothing, Jack?" Mr. Brook asked. "You are the onlyofficer of the pit left now," he added with a faint smile.
Jack had not spoken since he reached the stall, but had sat down on ablock of coal, with his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands--afavourite attitude of his when thinking deeply.
The other colliers had thrown themselves down on the ground; some sobbedoccasionally as they thought of
their loved ones above, some lay insilence.
Jack answered the appeal by rising to his feet.
"Yes, sir, I think we may do something."
The men raised themselves in surprise.
"In the first place, sir, I should send men in each direction to see hownear the choke-damp has got. There are four roads by which it could comeup. I would shut the doors on this side of the place it has got to, rollblocks of coal and rubbish to keep 'em tight, and stop up the chinkswith wet mud. That will keep the gas from coming up, and there is airenough in the stalls and headings to last us a long time."
"But that would only prolong our lives for a few hours, Jack, and Idon't know that that would be any advantage. Better to be choked by thegas than to die of starvation," Mr. Brook said, and a murmur from themen showed that they agreed with him.
"I vote for lighting our pipes," one of the miners said. "If there isfiery gas here, it would be better to finish with it at once."
There was a general expression of approval.
"Wait!" Jack said authoritatively; "wait till I have done. You know, Mr.Brook, we are close to our north boundary here, in some places within avery few yards. Now the 'Logan,' which lies next to us, has been workedout years ago. Of course it is full of water, and it was from fear oftapping that water that the works were stopped here. A good deal comesin through the crevices in No. 15 stall, which I expect is nearest toit. Now if we could work into the 'Logan,' the water would rush downinto our workings, and as our pit is a good deal bigger than the 'Logan'ever was it will fill the lower workings and put out the fire, but won'treach here. Then we can get up through the 'Logan,' where the air issure to be all right, as the water will bring good air down with it. Wemay not do it in time, but it is a chance. What do you say, sir?"
"It is worth trying, at any rate," Mr. Brook said. "Bravo, my lad! yourclear head may save us yet."
"By gum, Jack! but you're a good un!" Bill Haden said, bringing down hishand upon Jack's shoulder with a force that almost knocked him down;while the men, with revived hope, leaped to their feet, and crowdinground, shook Jack's hands with exclamations of approval and delight.
"Now, lads," Mr. Brook said, "Jack Simpson is master now, and we willall work under his orders. But before we begin, boys, let us say aprayer. We are in God's hands; let us ask his protection."
Every head was bared, and the men stood reverently while, in a fewwords, Mr. Brook prayed for strength and protection, and rescue fromtheir danger.
"Now, Jack," he said, when he had finished, "give your orders."
Jack at once sent off two men along each of the roads to find how nearthe choke-damp had approached, and to block up and seal the doors. Itwas necessary to strike a light to relight some of the lamps, but thiswas a danger that could not be avoided.
The rest of the men were sent round to all the places where work hadbeen going on to bring in the tools and dinners to No. 15 stall, towhich Jack himself, Bill Haden, and Mr. Brook proceeded at once. No workhad been done there for years. The floor was covered with a black mud,and a close examination of the face showed tiny streamlets of watertrickling down in several places. An examination of the stalls, orworking places, on either side, showed similar appearances, but in aless marked degree. It was therefore determined to begin work in No. 15.
"You don't mean to use powder, Jack?" Bill Haden asked.
"No, dad; without any ventilation we should be choked with the smoke,and there would be the danger from the gas. When we think we are gettingnear the water we will put in a big shot, so as to blow in the face."
When the men returned with the tools and the dinners, the latter done upin handkerchiefs, Jack asked Mr. Brook to take charge of the food.
"There are just twenty of us, sir, without you, and nineteen dinners. Soif you divide among us four dinners a day, it will last for five days,and by that time I hope we shall be free."
Four men only could work at the face of the stall together, and Jackdivided the twenty into five sets.
"We will work in quarter-of-an-hour shifts at first," he said; "thatwill give an hour's rest to a quarter of an hour's work, and a man canwork well, we know, for a quarter of an hour. When we get done up, wewill have half-hour shifts, which will give two hours for a sleep inbetween."
The men of the first shift, stripped as usual to the waist, set to workwithout an instant's delay; and the vigour and swiftness with which theblows fell upon the face of the rock would have told experienced minersthat the men who struck them were working for life or death. Thoseunemployed, Jack took into the adjacent stalls and set them to work toclear a narrow strip of the floor next to the upper wall, then to cut alittle groove in the rocky floor to intercept the water as it slowlytrickled in, and lead it to small hollows which they were to make in thesolid rock. The water coming through the two stalls would, thuscollected, be ample for their wants. Jack then started to see how themen at work at the doors were getting on. These had already nearlyfinished their tasks. On the road leading to the main workingschoke-damp had been met with at a distance of fifty yards from thestall; but upon the upper road it was several hundred yards before itwas found. On the other two roads it was over a hundred yards. The menhad torn strips off their flannel jackets and had thrust them into thecrevices of the doors, and had then plastered mud from the roadway onthickly, and there was no reason to fear any irruption of choke-damp,unless, indeed, an explosion should take place so violent as to blow inthe doors. This, however, was unlikely, as, with a fire burning, the gaswould ignite as it came out; and although there might be many minorexplosions, there would scarcely be one so serious as the first twowhich had taken place.
The work at the doors and the water being over, the men all gathered inthe stall. Then Jack insisted on an equal division of the tobacco, ofwhich almost all the miners possessed some--for colliers, forbidden tosmoke, often chew tobacco, and the tobacco might therefore be regardedboth as a luxury, and as being very valuable in assisting the men tokeep down the pangs of hunger. This had to be divided only into twentyshares, as Mr. Brook said that he could not use it in that way, and thathe had, moreover, a couple of cigars in his pocket, which he could suckif hard driven to it.
Now that they were together again, all the lamps were extinguished savethe two required by the men employed. With work to be done, and a hopeof ultimate release, the men's spirits rose, and between their spellsthey talked, and now and then even a laugh was heard.
Mr. Brook, although unable to do a share of the work, was very valuablein aiding to keep up their spirits, by his hopeful talk, and byanecdotes of people who had been in great danger in many ways indifferent parts of the world, but who had finally escaped.
Sometimes one or other of the men would propose a hymn--for amongminers, as among sailors, there is at heart a deep religious feeling,consequent upon a life which may at any moment be cut short--and thentheir deep voices would rise together, while the blows of the sledgesand picks would keep time to the swing of the tune. On the advice of Mr.Brook the men divided their portions of food, small as they were, intotwo parts, to be eaten twelve hours apart; for as the work would proceedwithout interruption night and day, it was better to eat, howeverlittle, every twelve hours, than to go twenty-four without food.
The first twenty-four hours over, the stall--or rather the heading, forit was now driven as narrow as it was possible for four men to worksimultaneously--had greatly advanced; indeed it would have beendifficult even for a miner to believe that so much work had been done inthe time. There was, however, no change in the appearances; the waterstill trickled in, but they could not perceive that it came faster thanbefore. As fast as the coal fell--for fortunately the seam was over fourfeet thick, so that they did not have to work upon the rock--it wasremoved by the set of men who were next for work, so that there was nota minute lost from this cause.
During the next twenty-four hours almost as much work was done as duringthe first; but upon the third there was a decided falling off. Thescanty food was
telling upon them now. The shifts were lengthened to anhour to allow longer time for sleep between each spell of work, and eachset of men, when relieved, threw themselves down exhausted, and sleptfor three hours, until it was their turn to wake up and remove the coalas the set at work got it down.
At the end of seventy-two hours the water was coming through the facemuch faster than at first, and the old miners, accustomed to judge bysound, were of opinion that the wall in front sounded less solid, andthat they were approaching the old workings of the Logan pit. In thethree days and nights they had driven the heading nearly fifteen yardsfrom the point where they had begun. Upon the fourth day they workedcautiously, driving a borer three feet ahead of them into the coal, asin case of the water bursting through suddenly they would be alldrowned.
At the end of ninety hours from the time of striking the first blow thedrill which, Jack holding it, Bill Haden was just driving in deeper witha sledge, suddenly went forward, and as suddenly flew out as if shotfrom a gun, followed by a jet of water driven with tremendous force. Aplug, which had been prepared in readiness, was with difficulty driveninto the hole; two men who had been knocked down by the force of thewater were picked up, much bruised and hurt; and with thankful heartsthat the end of their labour was at hand all prepared for the last andmost critical portion of their task.