THE SCOTCH PIT DISASTER.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 20 November 1901, Page 4

THE SCOTCH PIT DISASTER.

Three more men Rescued.

The three men who were imprisoned in Donibristle Colliery, Dunfermline, were rescued at a quarter past 2 on Thursday morning Sept 8. Throughout Wednesday night the work of reaching the entombed men was carried on vigorously, and at half past lon Thursday morning Robert Law, a miner, made the descent into the pit. He quickly established communication with the imprisoned men, and in a short time one of the men named Jones was broughjj to the surface amid the cheers of the anxious watchers. Two minutes later Alexander Bould, who had been entombed for 66 hours, was carried up the gangway across the moss, and within a minute Shcddcn, the last man, was also brought safely out. There was an intense feeling of relief among the crowd when it was announced that Law, the gallant rescuer, had been safely brought up the pit. Loud cheers were raised for Law, and the crowd dispersed after giving cheers for the manager who'had directed the operations for saving the men. The Hero of The Day. Robert Law, who rescued the three men, said that when he made his appearance underground the scene was a most affecting one, tho imprisoned men, bosido themselves with joy throwing their arms round him and kissing him. Law and Shedden' singularly enough, formed two of the heroic but unsuccessful rescue party who discovered the bodies after the catastrope at the neighbouring colliery of Heath,'in February last, in which seven men were suffocated by poisonous fnmes. Eight men now remain in tho pit, but of these it is all but certain from the narratives of survivors, that two are already dead. But littlo hope, indeed, is ontertained of any of the rest being still a'ive.

A consultation as to wha' measures should be caken towards the rescue of the men still entombed was held by the colliery managers on Thursday afternoon. It was decided thit nothing could be done in the absence of Mr J. B Atkinson, H. M. Inspector of Mines, who was accordingly communicated with. Mr Atkinson subsequently intimated that no ono should at present be allowed to descend the aperture by which the men were brought up on Thursday morning. During tho afternoon an exploring party of six men entered the workings by means of an air shaft, but returned without any result. Another party which descended in the evening was equally unsuccessful.

John Beveridge's Story. The last man got out alive, John Beveridge, has given a graphic description of his experiences. He says : " While I was working with Andrew Love he came over and cried to me, 'Do you hear that ?' I asked. 'What is it ?' He replied, 1 think tju- hole is through.' I cried this to my neighbours above me, the Baulds, and the elder brother, Sandy Bauld (who has also been rescued) said, 'lsn't that awful ?' I ran for our coats, and returned to where the Baulds were. "We sat there for a long time. There we got speech with Farquhar and asked him how many were beside him. All that we could make out through the horrid noise was the one word 'Hutchison.' Parker and Colville then came down from the upper road, sliding down the guide rope, and we thought it was a rescue party. Bound one light we had to sit to prevent it from being blown out by the I rush of air.

A Terrible Night ''We sat still and saw the stuff going down past us at a tremendous rata. I cannot describe the noise. It was louder than the loudest thunder I ever heard. At half-past 4 o'clock, or thereabout, as wo sat we saw the lower brae choked. We then thought things were getting serious. We placed planks on the top of the mos 3 in order to prevent our sinking into it, We sat down and contented ourselves as best we could, it being then about midnight. About half-past sin the morning, thinking I saw a light, I cried ' Halloa !' with great Jo3'. Thero was no reply. I went farther forward and saw that it was daylight, and thinking there was somebody at the surface, I again cried ' Halloa !' Still there was no response. I went down and told the others that I had seen daylight, and we were all greatly uplifted. We sat there till about half-past 6. We expected that there would be a crowd at the head, and when got no answer our spirits were knocked down again. There was enough tobacco among us to last until 2 o'clock, and, of course, we shared it in common. We kindled a fire, but wo were glad to damp it out because of the smoke. We had plenty of air for ourselves, but not for the fire. That would be about a quarter to 2 o'clock.

"We were all sitting quiet when I said 'Hush! I hear them clapping in nails.' I went myself and 'clapped' on an empty , hutch that was standing. We thought we got an answer the same as I 'clapped,' and that raised our spirits again. We felt now that the men above, having heard from us, and knowing that we were alive, would hurry up. Then Alec Bauld and I got on top of a hutch and got a 'halloa' from the surface about 2 o'clock or shortly afterwards. Buoyed up with hope, we all sat down together and put out our lights, which were almost exhausted. We fancied from the hammering that they were putting up props as if to timber the hole all the way down. We then relit our lamps. 'Boys,' said Farquhar, who was a little better of hearing than the rest of us, 'they are coming down with a rope.' I told him to cry up, and he did so, getting back an answer. I said, 'I think that is like Jamie Battray's tongue,' and I cried, 'Haw, Jamie.' He answered me, and asked how many there were of us. I told him there were six of us, all alive, and we r ave him the names. The Work of Rescue. "Dick add bhedden then came down with the rope, and Farquhar, getting it tied securely round his waist, was the first to go up. There was no way of bringing the rope down other than sending down a man with it. Jack Jones came down with the rope after Farquhar was taken up, and that left us with the three rescuers down instead of the two there would have been if some one had gone up along with Farquhar. Colviile was the next to go up with Shedden, who brought down the rope again. Thomas Bauld went up third, also accompanied by Shedden. A great lot of stuff came away at that time, and we were all in a kind of fright. Shedden and Bauld were stopped two or three times on the way up; then Shedden came down with a rope once more, and Andrew Love was taken up in company with Dick. That left us with Shedden and Jones. Jamie Dick came back with the rope, and then I went up along with him. It was a fearful draw. Dick was hauled up on his stomach most of the way, being unable to keep his feet. I left John Shedden and Alec Bauld at tho mouth of the Baulds' road, so that when tho last rush of stuff took place I think they would be quite clear. The rescuers brought down bovril and tea with them, but somehow I never felt hungry. We had also some water with us, but the only time when I felt thirsty was when I was trying to cut a hole. Though it was a terrible experience I somehow never gave up hope all the way through." Another descent into the Pit. An exploring party descended the aperture in the mine on Tuesday, and were lowered by means of a rope into the workings. They made an inspection of all the branch roads, but did not find any of the bodies of entombed men. During their search a vest and a watch belonging to one of the inspectors were found. A breakdown of the pumping engine is retarding the removal of the debris. The Rescuers Rewarded. Four of the men who took a leading part in the rescue of the entombed miners at Donibristle Colliery have each received a cheque for J6IOO from Mr Andrew Carnegie.

The presentation was made at an openair meeting at Cowdenbeath on Monday night by Mr John Boss, solicitor, of Dumferline, Mr Carnegie's agent. The recipients were Messrs James Dick, John Jones, Bobert Shedden, and Bobert Law, to whom Mr Carnegie desired Mr Boss to say that "the man who risks his own life to save the life of others is the only hero that a true civilization can honour."