BURSTING OF AN UNDERGROUND RESERVOIR
Upon reaching the surface that evening, Derrick and the mine boss found
that the weather had greatly changed since noon and that a storm
threatened. It set in that night, and the rain poured down in a steady,
determined sort of way, as though it had made up its mind that this
time, at least, the earth should be thoroughly watered.
When Derrick joined the other miners at the mouth of the slope in the
morning, it was still raining, and as they were lowered into the
underground world, the men joked with each other about getting in out of
the wet, and pitied the poor fellows who were obliged to work
above-ground on such a day.
Descending the second slope into the lowest level of the mine, Tom Evert
and his party made an examination of the place in which they were to
work. The new excavations on this level were of limited extent, work
having only recently been begun on them; but a powerful pump had been
placed at the top of the slope leading down into them, and it was to
bring the accumulated water in the old workings within reach of it that
the mine boss had sent them down.
Going up the old gangway, past the chamber at the foot of the air-shaft
which Derrick had such good reason to remember, they soon came to the
fallen mass of rock, coal, and earth through which they were to cut a
channel and insert a pipe for the release of the water beyond. The
material was too loose for blasting, so the work had to be done with
pick and shovel, and the debris removed with wheel-barrows, and
distributed along the gangway. It was hard, dangerous, and exhausting
work, and at the end of three days Derrick was heartily tired of it.
Still the rain poured steadily down, and people in the upper world began
to talk of danger from floods, and great damage to the ungathered crops.
Even in the mine the effect of the heavy rain began to be noticed. The
drippings from the roof fell thicker and faster, the tricklings down the
walls became little rivulets, and the black streams in the ditches
swirled along angrily. The great pumps worked steadily, night and day,
at their fullest speed, and from the mouths of the waste-pipes young
rivers of black water were poured; but the mine grew constantly wetter
and more uncomfortable.
Finally the mine boss decided that it was almost time to temporarily
abandon the lower workings, and allow them to fill up, so that the whole
force of both pumps might be directed towards keeping the upper level
free of water. He spoke to Tom Evert of this, and the latter begged for
just one day more, as he thought he had nearly cut through to the water,
and was anxious to get the pipe laid, and have that job off his hands.
"Very well," said Mr. Jones, "you may have one day, Tom, and no more
until after the rain stops; for without both pumps in the upper level we
shall, very soon, have to shut down altogether."
During the morning of that fourth day they uncovered a wall of rock,
which barred their way completely, and Tom Evert decided that at least
one blast would be necessary to force an opening through it. After
lunch-time he left the other miner, with the two helpers, to drill a
hole in it, while he went up into the village to procure some powder and
fuse for the work.
Those left below had not been long at work when Derrick noticed a little
stream of water spurting out at one side of the rock. He called the
attention of the miner to it, and he, without a word, sprang to the
place and tried to check the stream, first with earth, and then with
strips torn from his shirt, but could not. As he stopped its flow at one
point, it burst out at another.
Finally he exclaimed, "It's no use, boys! we'll never be able to draw
this water off through any pipe; it's going to take that business into
its own hands, and the best thing we can do is to get out of here quick
as we know how."
Even as he spoke there came a rattling rush of earth and loose rock,
followed by the roar of angry waters, as they leaped out of the
blackness like a savage animal upon its prey. The long pent-up waters,
swollen by the heavy rains and scorning any effort to draw them off
gradually, had burst forth in all their fury, and in less time than it
takes to write of it, the old gangway was filled with the surging
torrent.
At the first outbreak Derrick and his companions started to run for
their lives down the gangway, but as they reached the door of the
Mollies' meeting-room the torrent was upon them. They had barely time to
spring inside the door and close it as the mad waters swept past. The
door offered but a momentary protection, but ere it had been crushed in
they were climbing the old air-shaft towards the upper level. It was a
desperate undertaking, for the few timber braces left by those who had
cut the shaft were so far apart that often they had to dig little holes
for their hands and feet in the coal of the sides, and thus work their
way slowly and painfully upward. It was their only chance, and they knew
it, for they could hear the detached bits of falling coal and rock
splash into the water as it rose in the shaft behind them.
Finally they reached the top. As they drew themselves wearily, with
almost the last of their strength, over the edge, and lay on the floor
of the gangway, they were filled with new terror at seeing the light
from their lamps reflected in the black waters apparently but a few feet
below them. The water was evidently rising into the upper level, and
before long their present place of refuge would be flooded. Urged by
this peril, they made all possible speed down the gangway into the new
workings at the foot of the slope, where they were confronted by a scene
of the greatest confusion.
The gangways, headings, chambers, and breasts of the lower vein were
already full of the turbid flood, and the few miners who had been at
work down there had barely escaped with their lives into the level
above. Now the water was rising so rapidly that it was evident the upper
level would also be flooded in a few minutes.
In the great chamber at the bottom of the slope that led to the upper
world and safety, miners were flocking from all parts of the workings.
Some were trying to drive frightened mules up the travelling-road;
others were throwing movable property into cars to be drawn up the
slope, and others still were crowding into the same cars, that they too
might reach a place of safety.
The two men who were with Derrick ran to one of these cars, calling on
him to follow them. It was already so crowded that they could not wedge
themselves into it, so they clung on behind, and were thus dragged up
the slope.
That Derrick did not follow them was because he thought of Paul Evert.
Poor little lame Paul! where was he amid all this danger and confusion?
Had he already got out of the mine, or was he still at his station back
in the dark gangway, unmindful of danger? Perhaps somebody had seen him.
Derrick shouted, "Where is Paul Evert? Has anybody seen him?"
The answer came in the voice of one of the mule-boys. "Yes, I seed him,
'bout five minutes ago, when I run out de las' load. He ain't come out
yet."
Could Derrick leave him down there, to take his chances of getting out
or drowning, while he sought safety for himself?
With one instant of agonized thought he decided that he could not.
Snatching up a can of oil on which his eye happened to light as it stood
by the track just at the foot of the slope, he dashed into gangway No.
1, shouting as he did so, "I'm going to try and get Paul Evert out! If
we don't get back come and look for us; we'll hold out as long as we
can."
They tried to stop him, and shouted to him to come back; that there was
no hope, and he was only throwing away his own life; but he paid no
attention to them, and was gone before they could prevent him.
He had hardly disappeared from their sight when the water began to rush
and roar up from the mouth of the lower slope, in a froth-crowned,
surging torrent. At the same instant it poured out from the old gangway,
to which it had access through the air-shaft up which Derrick and his
companions had escaped.
They knew by its great leaps and spurts that some other reservoir had
broken loose, and that before it found the level it was seeking the
whole mine must be flooded and drowned. There was no more thought of
saving property, but each man became intent only on escaping with his
life from the swirling flood.
They had got several cars fastened together, ready for such an
emergency, and now these were quickly filled with grimy-faced,
frightened men and boys. The signal was given to hoist. There came a
strain on the great cable, and as the fierce waters rushed at them, and
even flung their black, wet arms about them as if to hold them back, the
cars were drawn up, slowly up, beyond reach of the destroying flood,
towards daylight and safety.
At the top of the slope was another scene of wild anxiety and confusion
most pitiable to witness. Men, women, and children stood, without other
protection than their thin garments, in the pitiless rain, praying,
shouting, discussing, asking questions which nobody could answer, and
crowding forward to scan, with breathless anxiety, the faces of each
car-load of miners as it reached the surface.
At the mouth of the slope stood Mr. Jones, in constant communication
with a trusty fellow down in the mine, at the other end of the
speaking-tube. With him were half a dozen steady men, upon whom he could
depend, and to whom he had given orders not to allow a living soul to go
down in any of the empty cars he was despatching as rapidly as possible
to those below,
"There are plenty down there now," he said, "and perhaps more than can
be drawn up before the water reaches them. You can do no good there yet
awhile. When the time comes that I want volunteers to go down I'll let
you know fast enough." He kept the mouth of the travelling-road
similarly guarded, and no one was allowed to descend.
Among those who pressed close to him, and begged, almost with tears in
their eyes, to be allowed to go down and make one effort to save their
loved ones before the waters reached them, was burly Tom Evert.
"My lad, my crippled lad's down there, boss; ye can't refuse a feyther
the chance to save his boy," pleaded the big miner.
"Tom, if he's not already at the foot of the slope, you know as well as
I that there's not one chance in ten thousand of finding and getting him
out. They tell me the water's rising fast on the upper level already.
No, my poor fellow, you must wait a bit. You're to be my right-hand man
in the work that I fear is ahead of us. I can't let you throw away your
life without a chance of its doing good."
"And Derrick, boss, the brave lad I left in the low level facing the
waters. It's fearful to think on. If he's drownded and my lad's
drownded, their death'll be on my hands. I might ha' gone more slow and
cautious like. I might ha' kep' out altogether the day, an' let the low
level flood, as ye talked of, boss, but for being a pig-headed fool."
"Don't take on that way, Tom. Cheer up, man. You'll see them all coming
up out of the trouble safe and sound yet. And don't take this matter to
heart as you're doing. If there's any blame to be placed it's on my
head; but I don't think there's blame to be placed on any of us. There's
One above who rules such matters, and who sends rain and floods as He
does the sunshine, all for some wise purpose."
Just then word came up the speaking-tube that the water was gaining so
fast that all hands were about to leave the mine. At the same instant
the harsh clang of the engine-room gong was heard. The wire cable was
strained taut, and then began to move slowly over its rollers. "They are
coming!" shouts the mine boss. "Stand back and give them room."
But the crowd could not stand back. Who were coming? Were all there, or
were some left? It was not in human nature to stand back. They must see,
and learn the worst at once.
Oh, how slowly the cable moved! How terrible was the suspense! A great
silence fell upon the waiting people. It was unbroken save by the
creaking of the rollers on the slope, the pattering of raindrops, and an
occasional hysterical sob.
At last the twinkling lights are seen down in the blackness. Then the
first car comes in sight; then another, and another, until at last the
entire train, with its human freight, has reached the surface.
"Stay where you are, men!" commands the mine boss, "Answer to your names
as I call them off."
The young man's voice rings out sharp and clear as he calls the long
roll, beginning, "Adams, Andrews, Apgar," and so on down the alphabet to
"Zegler"; and clear and prompt come back the answers, "Here, here,
here," of those who have come up from the pit.
At last it is finished, and the awful truth is known. Nine men and boys
are unaccounted for, and they were not at the foot of the slope when the
cruel waters sprang into the great chamber and the last car was drawn
up. Nine are down there, alive or dead; and among them are Derrick
Sterling, Paul Evert, and Monk Tooley.
With the cries and tears of joy over those who had come up and were
restored to loving hearts, a shudder passed over the assembly, and a
groan of anguish rose from it that was pierced by a single sharp cry. It
was that of a widowed mother for her only son.
Springing on an empty car, and standing where all could see him, the
mine boss spoke to them.
"It will all come out right yet," he said. "Keep up your courage. Those
brave fellows down there are not going to let themselves be drowned like
rats in a hole. They'll make a strong fight for life first, and it's
going to be a fight that we can help them in. They're safe enough for
the present, in some high place beyond the reach of the water, and there
they'll stay till we go for them and fetch them out. We'll have two more
pumps here and at work before morning. They will soon make room for us
to work down there. Then if we don't find the lads we're after, we are
no miners, that's all. There's a promise for you now! See it, men?"
With this the speaker pointed to the eastern sky, and all eyes were
turned in that direction. From horizon to horizon it was spanned by a
glorious rainbow. One end rested on the opposite side of their own
valley, above the old workings of the mine, while the other was uplifted
on a lofty mountain-top. In the west the sun had broken through the
black rain-clouds, and was now sinking in a glory that passes
description.