little
below the 600-foot level. When the rope was examined, it was found that
the flames from the burning timbers had made it so hot that the tension
of the skip drew out the wires to fine needle points which snapped
under the strain. When the first signal to hoist was given, there were
ten or twelve men in the skip, but the majority left it when the signal
to hoist met with no response. It was impossible for the men at the
600-foot level to know that the shaft through which they wished to be
hoisted was on fire a hundred feet above them, nor could we on the
surface know what was happening 500 feet below.
The
mine was ventilated at the time through an outlet into the old open
workings, and through the Gem shaft on the east side of the mine. The
Gem shaft was a small, old working shaft that had been sunk from a
terrace in the blue ground. Unfortunately it had been partially closed
by a recent ground slide in that part of the mine. It was, however,
still sufficiently open to be of invaluable ventilating service at this
crisis, and it could have been opened for the rescue of the men in the
mine if there had been no other means of escape through the outlet into
the open workings. During the hours of fearful anxiety that followed
the closing of the two main shafts, the outlet from the mine to the
open workings was intently watched, and daring parties penetrated far
within it in the hope of communicating with miners escaping from the
range of the fire. Almost all of the men in the mine were well
acquainted with this passage to the surface, and it was confidently
hoped that many, at least, would contrive to grope their way upward
through this outlet to safety. Fortunately the air draught through this
passage was downcast, and the inrush of air cleared the passage from
smoke.
To
the immeasurable relief of all, so anxiously expectant, one white man
and six native miners came climbing through this passage into the open
workings at about ten o'clock on the night of the fire. This showed
that a practicable way of escape from the mines was open, but many
hours of fearful suspense followed throughout that night and the
following day, while the
