THE “IMPS” OF THE BREAKER
Remarkable Descent of one of them into the Chute
and his recovery from a pressure of
six tons of coal after quarter of an hour burial.
1876
That the boys “down in the coal mines underneath the ground”, have the same hold on life as a cat, was instanced yesterday in a remarkable accident which befell two of the “impls” in the Plank Ridge Colliery. As it resulted without doing any special damage to either, excepting to give them a first class scare, the relation of it cannot but fall to raise a laugh. The breaker being stopped these two youngsters, each about the size of Tom Thumb, indulged in a favorite pastime among them when the “boss” is not around of sliding down the “Telegraph” upon which the coal runs from the screen to the bins below and thence the cars. But yesterday the speed made was so great that they did not stop until they got down into the chute and just at that moment when a car was being loaded of coal. The suction caused by the coal falling into the care drew the boys down and they were huddled into the coal as if they were pieces of “black diamonds” themselves. The alarm was immediately given by their companions to the front of the breaker and soon one of the boys was rescued unhurt from his dangerous position. But fifteen or twenty minutes elapsed before the other could be discovered. He was as much lost to the world as Dr. Livingstone was in the heart of Africa before Stanley, of the New York herald, discovered him. The loads of six cars were as rapidly as possible drawn out of the chute upon the track, but was not until nearly thirty tons had been that the little drawn legs of the youngster were discovered coming out of the chute. Everyone thought they were surely pulling out a corpse when they seized his feet and handed him out. But as it turned out he was mighty live one. After Captain Hoskins had stood over him on his feet, shaken him well and got the coal dust out of his mouth, ears and eyes, the young imp set up a hearty laugh. “How did you get in there, “demanded the superintendent when he saw the youngster sound in life and limb. The “original sin” could not help sticking out even at this moment of a rescue from death. “A boy pushed me in.” replied he, to whom lying was as natural as eating. He may live to be a member of the legislature or congress yet or at least a delegate to a county convention.
