Narrow Escape of Three Men.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4587, 17 September 1883, Page 2

Narrow Escape of Three Men.

Two men, named Richard Casely and James Ellis, and another named Arthur Richards,:had a narrow escape, the two former from suffocation and 1 the hitter from having his head smashed, this afternoon at the Caledonian mine. The circumstances are as follows:—Casely and Kllis were working at No. 2 level, and Mr Hicks, who wasafcNo.lin company with J. Mclnnis and A. Richards, hearing a shot fired, despatched .Richard's, to see if they were all right, as he feared the gas might rise and " nip " them. Ob reaohing No. 2 level Richards at once went in search of the two men, and found them coming out of the drive, half suffocated with the gas, which had risen. He helped them to the chamber, and all three climbed to No. 1 lerel. Mr Hicks at once sent. Ellis to the surface, and he was so weak that Mcjnniß, who went with him, had to hold him while they were going up- In the next cage Mr Hicks, , Casely and Richards were coming up, and they all being half stupefied by the gas, did not notice that Richards' thumb was jambed in the chain. After coming up some distance Mr Hicks observed Richards' head go back and strike one of the sets of timber. He called on;t to him to keep his head in, hut ins|;ead of doing this, his head again went back and struck the shaft. Mr Hicks then saw that he had fainted, and, reaching through the cage, caught hold of him and held him up till the surface wai reached, when both he and the other; two men soon came round. Be Hnxtable was quickly on the spot, but fortunately his services were not needed- It is, supposed that Richards fainted from the pain when his thumb wq.3 caught, but the fact of jts being caught saved his life, as if it had come out of the chain he would hay© fallen back and his head would have been, smashed by coming in contact w jtb, {foe shaft timbers, ,