TOUCHES ON THE CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS: OLIVER IN A NEW LIGHT AND HIS UNCLE
IN A SAD ONE.
That was a sad day in St. Just which followed the event related in the
last chapter. Many a heart-broken wail was heard round the mouths of
the shafts, as the remains of those who perished were brought to the
surface, and conveyed to their former homes.
Saddest of all perhaps was the procession that marched slowly to the
cottage of blind John Batten, and laid the two fair-haired lads before
their stricken parents. Tears were wrung from the strongest men there
when they beheld the agonised but tearless mother guide her husband's
hand to their faces that he might for the last time feel the loved ones
whom, she said in the bitterness of her grief, "he should never see
more."
"Never see more, dear lass!" he replied with a sad smile, "how can thee
say so? Shall we not behold their dear faces again when we see our
blessed Lord face to face?"
Thus the Christian miner comforted himself and his sorrowing family.
It is right to add that such catastrophes are not of frequent occurrence
in the mines. The danger of "holing to a house of water," is so great
and so well known that the operation is usually conducted with great
care, and accident is well guarded against.
Nevertheless, an occasional act of carelessness will now and then result
in a terrible disaster. A catastrophe, similar in all its chief
features to that which has been related in the last chapter, happened in
North Levant mine many years ago, and in the burying-ground of the
Wesleyan Chapel of St. Just may be seen a tombstone, which bears record
of the sad event as follows:--
_Sacred to the memory of_ JAMES, _aged_ 20, _and_ JOHN, _aged_ 15
_years, sons of James and Nanny Thomas of Bollowall, in this Parish,
who were drowned (with three others) by the holing to a house of water
in North Levant Mine on the first of April_ 1867.
A "house" of much larger dimensions, and containing a much greater body
of water than that which caused the latest destruction of life in North
Levant mine, was cleared of water not long ago in Botallack. The agents
knew of its existence, for, the whole region both above and below ground
being measured off and planned, they could lay their finger on the exact
spot where they knew that an old mine existed. They kept a large borer,
six feet long, going constantly before them as they cut their way
towards the point of danger. The result was that when the borer at last
pierced through to the old mine, there were six feet of solid rock
between them and the water. Through the small hole the water flowed,
and thus the mine was slowly but safely drained. In the other case, the
ground happened to be soft, and had been somewhat recklessly cut away.
Of course, there are occasions--proving the truth of the proverb that
"accidents will happen in the best regulated families"--in which neither
foresight nor precaution can prevent evil; but these are comparatively
few. Sometimes the cupidity of a miner will lead him, for the sake of
following a rich lode, to approach too near and too recklessly to
danger, despite the vigilance of captains, and cause considerable risk
to the mine as well as to themselves. Such was the case once long ago
at Botallack, when the miners below the sea cut away the rock to within
three or four feet of the water, and actually made a small hole through
so that they had to plug it up with a piece of wood.
This is a fact which we can vouch for, having seen the plug, and heard
the boulders rattling loudly over our head with each successive wave;
but there is no danger here, because the cutting under the sea is
narrow, and the rock solid and intensely hard.
Such also was the case, not many years since, at Levant mine, where the
men working in the levels under the sea drove upwards until the salt
water began to trickle through to them in alarming quantities--insomuch
that the other miners struck work, and refused to go again into the
mine, unless the workings in that part were stopped, and the place made
secure. This was accordingly done, and the men returned to the mine.
The danger here was really great, because the cutting that had been made
was wide, and the ground overhead comparatively soft.
But, to return to our tale.
For many days after the catastrophe Oliver Trembath lay in his bed
suffering from severe cuts and bruises, as well as from what must have
been, as nearly as possible, concussion of the brain, for he had
certainly been washed down one of the winzes, although he himself
retained only a confused recollection of the events of that terrible
day, and could not tell what had befallen him. At length, however, he
became convalescent, and a good deal of his old vigour returned.
During this period of illness and convalescence Oliver had been
constrained by old Mr Donnithorne to take up his abode in his house,
and the young doctor could not have experienced more attention and
kindness from the old couple if he had been their son. Rose Ellis, too,
did her best to cheer him, and, as we need scarcely add, was wonderfully
successful in her efforts!
It was during this period that Oliver made the acquaintance of a young
man of St. Just, named Charles Tregarthen--a congenial spirit--and one
who was, besides, a thorough gentleman and an earnest Christian. With
this youth he formed a sincere friendship, and although the subject of
religion was never obtrusively thrust upon him by young Tregarthen, it
entered so obviously into all his thoughts, and shone so clearly in his
words and conduct, that Oliver's heart was touched, and he received
impressions at that time which never left him.
Oliver and his friend were sitting one forenoon in Mr Donnithorne's
dining-room, which commanded an extensive view of green fields and
grass-covered stone walls, with the beams and machinery of mines on the
horizon, and the blue sea beyond. They were planning a short walking
tour, which it was thought would be of great benefit to Oliver in that
stage of his recovery, when old Mr Donnithorne entered the room with a
somewhat perturbed expression of countenance.
"How are you, Charlie my boy?" he said. "Oliver, I want to have a few
minutes' talk with you in my room on business; I know Charlie will
excuse you."
"I was on the point of taking leave at any rate," said Tregarthen with a
smile, as he grasped Oliver's hand; "think over our plan, like a good
fellow; I am sure Mr Donnithorne will approve of it, and I'll look in
to-morrow forenoon to hear what decision you come to."
"Oliver," said Mr Donnithorne, sitting down opposite the invalid when
his friend had left, and frowning portentously, "d'you know I'm a ruined
man?"
"I trust not, uncle," replied Oliver with an incredulous smile,
supposing that the old gentleman was jesting.
"Yes, but I am," he repeated with tremendous gravity. "At all events, I
shall be ere long. These--these--vile jewels will be the death of me."
Having thus broken the ice Mr Donnithorne went on with much volubility
of utterance and exasperation of tone to explain that legal proceedings
had been instituted for the recovery of the jewels which he had
purchased from the fishermen; that things seemed almost certain to go
against him; and that in all probability he should be compelled to sell
his estate in order to refund the money.
"But can you not sell your shares in Botallack and refund with the
proceeds?" said Oliver.
"No, I cannot," replied the old gentleman. "You know that at present
these shares are scarcely saleable except at a ruinous discount, and it
would be a pity to part with them just now, seeing that there is some
hope of improvement at this time. There is nothing for it but to sell
my estate, and I don't think there will be enough left to buy butter to
my bread after this unhappy affair is settled, for it amounts to some
thousands of pounds."
"Indeed, uncle! how comes it that they found out the value of them?"
"Oh, simply enough, Oliver, but strangely too. You must know that
Maggot, the scoundrel (and yet not such a scoundrel either, for the
fellow informed on me in a passion, without having any idea of the
severity of the consequences that would follow),--Maggot, it seems, kept
the cloth belt in which the jewels were found tied round the owner's
waist, and there happened to be a piece of parchment sewed up in the
folds of it, in which the number and value of the jewels were
enumerated. This belt was ferreted out by the lawyers, and the result
is that, as I said before, I shall be a ruined man. Verily," added Mr
Donnithorne, with a look of vexation, as he stumped up and down the room
with his hands thrust deep into his breeches pockets, "verily, my wife
was a true prophetess when she told me that my sin would be sure to find
me out, and that honesty was the best policy. 'Pon my conscience, I'm
half inclined to haul down my colours and let her manage me after all!"
"I am much concerned at what you tell me," said Oliver, "and I regret
now very deeply that the few hundreds which I possessed when I came
here--and which you know are all my fortune--have also been invested in
Botallack shares, for they should have been heartily at your service,
uncle."
"Don't trouble yourself about your hundreds, lad," said the old
gentleman testily; "I didn't come here to ask assistance from you in
that way, but to tell you the facts of the case, and ask you to do me
the favour to carry a letter to my lawyer in Penzance, and inquire into
the condition of a mine I have something to do with there--a somewhat
singular mine, which I think will surprise as well as interest you; will
you do this, for me, lad?"
"Most willingly," replied Oliver. "You heard my friend Charlie
Tregarthen speak of our intention to go on a walking tour for a couple
of days; now, if you have no objection, he and I will set off together
without delay, and make Penzance our goal, going round by the Land's End
and the coast."
"So be it, Oliver, and don't hurry yourselves, for the business will
wait well enough for a day or two. But take care of yourself, lad;
don't go swimming off the Land's End again, and above all things avoid
smugglers. The scoundrels! they have been the ruin of me, Oliver. Not
bad fellows in their way either, but unprincipled characters--
desperately regardless of the national laws; and--and--keep clear of
'em, I advise you strongly--have nothing to do with 'em, Oliver, my
son."
So saying the old gentleman left the room, shaking his head with
profound gravity.