A TERRIBLE SITUATION.

Lake County Press, Issue 52, 31 May 1872, Page 3

A TERRIBLE SITUATION.

In the year 1859 I was a gold miner on the Durham Lead, Victoria, Australia. I had been tenderly raised in childhood, but that did not prevent me from following the calling of a gold digger and all its ups-and-downs. I have run many risks from ground caving in, fording rivers, &c, but the greatest and most thrilling I think I ever experienced is the subject of this narrative. The Durham Lead is on the Ovens Diggings, and was pretty good. I had r-orked on it some year or two previous to the time of which I write. 1 was doiug nothing then and was induced by an old friend to try my luck in an old claim which he thought would remuneiate us for our labour. The shaft on this claim, I will mention, was 230 feet deep from the surface to the bottom. It will not be out of place to say the manner in which we worked the claim was by a perpendicular pillar or derrick raised over the shaft with a wheel to the other end, in which the rope was run, and led out to a walk for a hoi se who hauled all the washdii t or gravel from the claim. This appliance was also used for lowering and raising the men who worked down below. We had two ropes—the one for raising the men was new and strong, and the one that raised the gold and gravel was rotten. I tookthe management of the underground work, and my mate always'stayed on top, and attended to the Work there. The company consisting of but two of us, we had to employ labour ; and as white men were very scarce and hard to get, we had recourse to Chinamen and I may here add, for the benefit of that much abused and derided nation, very efficient good workmen they are. We worked the claim some month or six weeks before we found payable gold, when we were rewarded by obtaining very good prospects. One evening about six o'c ock my mate made the signal down the shaft that it was time to quit, but I was anxious to have a certain piece of work done and secured, so I told the Chinamen to go jjp and I would follow, as I invariably stayed down the last. At last I got to the foot of the shaft, and found that they had all gone up and the rope was waiting for me. I blew out the candle, put my foot in the rope, clutched hold of the rope above my head, gave the signal, and slowly commenced the ascent. Up, up ! Every foot I went the more disastrous it would be if anything went wrong. Looking above me I saw a small opening like a pane of glass It was the mouth of the shaft, the distance making it look very small. When nearly half way up I heard a sharp twang —reader, I cau hear it now—which curdled my blood with an undefinable terror. What was it ? Ah ! my experience tol d me too plainly—a strand of the rope had parted ! What my exact feelings were I cannot define. A vague feeling of awe came over me. I trembled. I would hold on with an arm of iron, fingers of steel. But vain, all in vain ! I saw the strand separating itself from the main part. It was two feet above my head—it might as well have been fifty, for 1 could not reach it. Yearsof my life crowded into a few minutes. Should I cry for help ? Of what avail; if I could, tliey would never hear me ! Instinctively I gave an inward groan for no sound escaped my lips—my tongue telt too large for my mouth. But love ol life is strong; it worked a powerful differ, euce in me; I saw I could do no good but keep perfectly still. I held my breath, thinking to make myself lighter—for in a few seconds I should be on the surface, or —oh, horror !—a poor, smashed, bleeding broken mass at.the bottom, Slowly slowly, I ascended! " Hold on, you few threads ! hold on! a human life is depending on your feeble strength ! I mentally prayed. I felt my body getting heavier and heavier the two small strands that were holding me were getting longer and longer! In this moment I became conscious that it was lighter—l could see the daylight ! I was n. arer the top, 1 was half way out of the shaft! I made a clutch at the framework or timber of the shaft. I was safe! A dizzy feeling came over me; I felt too thankful to speak. I sat however, until I could hear my partner say—" \Y r hat's th« matter?" I asked him to look at the rope. A light was brocght. I partly fancied it waa dream or horrible nightmare but no, it was reality ! They had sent down the old rope for the new one. lam a heavy man, the Chinamen wi re light. The rope was never used again. I could have brokeu it with my hands. My partner was very muoh chagrined at his careless ness, and felt it very much, no doubt.