240 An Account of the Inundation of 



in danger of being scorched by inflammable gas, of being- 

 drowned in subterranean lakes, and crushed by falls. 



M. Mathieu, chief engineer of the mines, and Migneron, his 

 deputy, as soon as they heard of this accident, hastened to the 

 spot. Already the lamentations of the women and children 

 filled the air, and in this scene of distress orders were given to 

 bring all necessary assistance. The water, which rose on the 

 following days to the height of twenty-eight yards above the 

 level of the bottom of the shaft, was at this moment fifteen 

 yards. All hopes of deliverance by Beaujonc was therefore at 

 an end. 



It was impossible to raise in a little time this immense and 

 increasing quantity of water. The inundation might even reach 

 the highest parts of the rise-boards, or, at least, confine the work- 

 men to so small a space as to suffocate them by want of air. 

 Shall we despair like the surrounding multitude, we said ? or 

 dare to undertake works of which the history of the country 

 about Liege, where coal has been wrought for eight centuries, 

 furnishes no example ? — or shall we leave these men, who have 

 given us such a lesson of courage and constancy, to perish in 

 the mine ? No, certainly ! Our first care is to reduce the wa- 

 ter, in order that the works may not be inefficacious, which the 

 engineers and Mr Colson, after inspecting the places, have 

 agreed to commence in the Mamonster pit, distant from Beau- 

 jonc about 190 yards. Immediately, besides the fire-pump, the 

 power of the machine a lamotte was added. The directors of 

 the collieries were informed of the disaster, and sent 100 horses. 

 Every thing was instantly in motion, and the dispositions that 

 had been made insured 6000 cubic yards of water being drawn 

 up in twenty-four hours. 



The fire-pump has a stroke 78.74 inches, and the diameter is 

 11.77292 inches. It makes at least twelve strokes in a minute. 

 We cannot dissemble that the machine a lamotte is of little use 

 in such extraordinary cases as this. A few casks of water are of 

 trifling importance, but it was necessary to animate the public 

 by complying with its sentiments. Besides, the tubs in falling 

 agitated the water, and compressed the air in such a manner, 

 that globules of it might reach the men, and favour their respi- 

 ration. If the tubs, seven of which were left at the bottom, had 



