OCR Text |
Show i Chosts in Coal Jlincs. , Working alone In the depths of I the earth miners are oftentimes ex-' tremely superstitious, and the recurrence recur-rence or anything which they have learned tn regard as an omen is sufficient to cnU'e them to qull work. Strange sights and sounds are claimed to be heard and seen by these tollers. A few years Mnce an old trustworthy miner tamo from' his worktop in one the principal collleiies at noon and announced bis intention of quitting work fog the day. When pressed for a ri. son he demurred at giving txco, but finally slated that wfcvti hard at work in a new renm, far distant from any other ohamber. he had heard tho measured tolling of a vhuch bell. He was laughed at, but persisted In going home, and subsequent events proved hLs good fortune in m doing, for btfore the night ttieettire gallery in which he had been working work-ing caved in and it wn only by chance that a largo number of miners min-ers were not burled tinder tin, ,llr- and clay. Other minus have the reputation of bein? haunted, and there are dhused workings into which the men could not bo tempted to enter. Sometimes the phantom tnVea Uie place of an uncouth beat;, ol whie-li large lirey eyes fjleaaing through the darkness Sora the chief component com-ponent pasts; in others the spirit of some comrade miner, whoso lite iiad been crushed out In one of the frequent casualties, stalks through the galleries pick In hand aud lamp burning in his cap. Net a sound does he make, but slowly traversing the main gallery he goes to the j point at which his body was found and disappears. The news spreads through the mlno that old Jemmy has been seen and with one accord the miners min-ers throw down their tools and flock homeward to escape the disaster the spectre is said to betoken. Sometimes these tales assurjsa a darker hue. It is related that la an old mine which had been worked for many years, and, which was 3, network of tunnels, a certain alntr met hUdea'.Uitudcra. heavy fall 0f earth, vhile his cctmpanion laborer 1 Wasu&hurt. Atthetline.lhercwasj considerable talk e-f the allair, aud ' some hinted darkly that perhaps ' poor Tiui'a death was not accidental j after all. Nothing was done, how- 1 ever, and the subject lost Interest I and died out. Tim's tcllow-mlncr, J Jack, toiled as of yore, but It was I noticed he never approached the spot where he had so narrowly escaped death, nor would j;e Iravi r-e the galleries alone. One day wliea lifc'auJ a number cf others we-ra working together In a new drill as jet not opened far from the branch gallery connecting with the main tunntl, their one large -torch went out and they were left ' in darkness. One of the oldest and most experienced miners volun- : teered to ga la the nearest working 1 S J relight tho lamp and the others 1 I ceased toil and took the oPl"""" for .t few m.nuteV rest. 1 or o .to w seconds .fur the fccL-tcp of their comrade died away none spoke-Theu spoke-Theu a voice w hicli u!l retognUetl as Jack's broke the silence. "There, boys, there got oinjoio wlthalamp. I'll catch him and fjer, I a light." , . . ,. All eves were turned toward tne gallery," but nothing met their gw. Vou liad better come back, Jack," one of the men shouted after him, but thinking that possibly lie had seen a miner pass the mouth ot the room, no furtner attention was given the matter. A few second tewed nndfuddenly a hoarse yell of terror lurt upon tne ears of the waiting men. "Tim! oh, God, Tim!" Then silence, then another yell of horror and a sound as of a heavy bedy falling fall-ing into deep water. Heaven?, boys., Jack's tumbled Into the test hole," ejaculated one of the men. Well Knowing the U'elesMiess of starting In quest of the poor victim In the darkness and, Indeed, quaking with Inward terror, the miners awaited the coming of a light, which, after what seemed to them an age, finally nppeared. The party hastened to the test hole, a pie suuk years ago In a chamber long disused, aud there, filiating 01. the surface of the water, twenty feet below, was the tody of Jack. When brought tu the light of day a sharp, deep wound on the mlner'sforehead shewed death had been instantaneous. instant-aneous. Orders were at once given to wall up the eu ranee to the fatal chamber, cham-ber, and now its very existence Is unknown to the miners working in tho colliery. Cleveland l'law Heater. |