The Life of Sir Humphry Davy, Bart. LL.D., Volume 2 (of 2)Paris, John Ayrton
History
The Life of Sir Humphry Davy, Bart. LL.D., Volume 2 (of 2)
Paris, John Ayrton
Chemists -- England -- Biography; Davy, Humphry, Sir, 1778-1829
On Tuesday the 26th, that natural propensity in the human mind to
derive gratification from spectacles of horror, was exemplified in
a very striking manner. An immense crowd of colliers from various
parts, but more especially from the banks of the river Wear,
assembled around the pit, and were clamorous in their reproaches of
the persons concerned in the management of the mine, accusing them
of want of perseverance in their attempts to rescue the unhappy
sufferers. Every one had some successful adventure to relate; all
were liberal in their professions of readiness to give assistance;
but not one was found hardy enough to enter the jaws of the burning
cavern.
The leaders of this outcry, however, who had been led into error
by an impulse which did honour to their hearts, were soon brought
to listen with patience to a relation of all the circumstances
of the explosion, and of the reasons for concluding that the
mine was then actually on fire, and the persons enclosed in it
beyond the hope of recovery. They very candidly allowed, after
this explanation, the impracticability of any attempt to reach
the bodies of the sufferers, until the fire was extinguished; and
they accordingly urged the propriety of excluding from the mine
the access of air, as the only means of accomplishing the object.
At the same time, the proprietors gave the strongest assurances
to the multitude, that if any project could be devised for the
recovery of their friends, no cost or labour should be spared in
executing it; that, if any person could be found willing to enter
the mine, every facility and assistance should be afforded him;
but, as they were assured by the most eminent Viewers that the
workings were inaccessible, they would not hold out any reward for
the attempt,--they would not be accessary to the death of any one,
either by persuasion or bribery.
At the clamorous solicitation, however, of the populace, two
persons again descended the shaft, and very nearly lost their
lives in the attempt. The report of these last adventurers, in a
great measure, convinced the people of the impossibility of their
friends' survival in so deadly an atmosphere, and reconciled them
to the plan of excluding the air. The operation was accordingly
commenced, and it proceeded without interruption; but from various
accidents, more than a month elapsed before the mine was in a
state to admit of examination; and during this interval, numerous
were the idle tales which had been circulated throughout the
country. Several of the sufferers, it was said, had found their
way to the shafts, and been recovered. Their number even had been
circumstantially told--how they had subsisted on candles, oats, and
beans, and how they had heard the different persons who explored
the mine in the hope of rescuing them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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