250 Imindat'ion of a Coal-work, t^c 



times ; but our happiness was incomplete. Of the 91 persons 

 who were shut up in the mine, only 70 were restored to their 

 friends ; of the whole number 127 who were in the pit at the 

 irruption of the water, 83 saved themselves by the corf, 22 were 

 drowned, 70 escaped by the drift. Goffin and his son ascended 

 the last, with M. Migneron, who had been 24 hours in the pit, 

 and conducted himself with a zeal worthy of the highest recom- 

 mendation *. The air was now rent with acclamations of joy ; 

 but in this moment of strong feeling it was necessary to pre- 

 vent the relatives of the persons restored to life from rushing in 

 upon them in a body. The Colonel of the Gendarmerie was 

 every where exerting himself to restrain the imprudent populace. 

 M. Mathieu, who had attended most of the operations, and shared 

 the responsibility of the recovery of the men, partook of the 

 blessings of the multitude. Migneron and myself returned to 

 town at 4 o'clock ; but M. Mathieu remained on the spot till 8, 

 giving directions about another visit to the pit ; but the air, al- 

 ready highly impregnated with noxious gas, did not permit 

 the men to go, even without a light, beyond the scene of our la- 

 bour. 



Such is the faithful account of events which has caused so 

 deep an interest in all ranks of society. The difficulty of ob- 

 taining information from common workmen, who cannot speak 

 in French, the desire to meet the impatience of the public, my 

 constant occupation, and want of time, must be my apologies 

 for any defect in style ; but facts have been collected with scru- 

 pulous care, the deposition of every workman having been se- 

 parately taken ; yet we give but feebly the energetic expres- 

 sions of veneration which the workmen have for Goffin. 



Sir Frederick Mohs, Professor of Mineralogy, in Vienna. 



r REDERicK MoHs, formerly Professor of Mineralogy in the 

 Mining Academy at Freyberg, and Counsellor of Mines, was 

 born in the beginning of the year 1770, in a little town in the 



" The king of the Netherlands bestowed the decoration of the Legion of 

 Honour on the active, energetic, and noble-minded Hubert Goffin. 



2 



