MINER'S THRILLING ESCAPE FROM DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 23, 27 January 1900, Page 5 (Supplement)

MINER'S THRILLING ESCAPE FROM DEATH.

■ The men employed at Glanmerriog colliery, near Llanelly, had a very'narrow escape of being drowned on Saturday, December 9th,' when as the result of one. of the colliers tapping an old working, a large volume of water rushed with terrific force into the pit. David Thomas,

who dealt the unfortunate blow, at once gave the alarm, and all within hearingescaped. Two men, however, named Thomas Williams and David Lloyd, were some distance away, and without the least warning they were imprisoned. Their lamps went out, and Williams was carried away and drowned. Lloyd, wrio had a most fearful experience, succeeded in finding an aperture in the wooden cross pillar supporting the roof, into which he put his arm. There he hung for nearly eleven hours. Several attempts Were made by his, fellow workmen 10 rescue him, but each effort, gallant and determined as it Was, had to be abandoned in consequence of the water being within a few inches of the roof. His faint cries for help could be heard all day from the pit's mouth, and a comforting reply was returned to the unfortunate collier. In the evening the water fell four inches as the result of the pumping operations, and shortly before seven o'clock three men, Thomas Francis, Joan Harms, and David Jones, again plunged into the water, and this time they overcame every obstacle and swam to Lloyd's rescue. They found him still clinging to the roof, and in an exhausted and benumbed condition. A rope was placed1 round him, and the unfortunate fellow was pulled through the water about forty yards. He was then put into a tram and taken to the surface, where he was attended to by Dr. John, and recovered. When interviewed on Sunday Lloyd, who appeared-weak, ascribed his miraculous escape to the gallant efforts of, the three men named. He himself had, in the darkness, attempted to swim towards the pit's mouth, but he knocked his head against the roof, and it was some time before he was able to again find the timber he had been clinging to: He groped about until he found it, and here he remained until rescued. He sustained many nasty bruises on the body, but he thought the end was nigh when the water rose within a few inches of the roof, and he had to place his head sideways so as to prevent the water going into his mouth. As it was he had swallowed a large quantity of the filthy water.