Page:Walker (1888) The Severn Tunnel.djvu/188

Rh ponies in the various break-ups took the alarm, and galloped down in the direction of the winding-shaft, trampling on the prostrate bodies of the men.

One ganger, a little stout fellow, who was working at the 5-ft barrel, was, on account of his short legs and stout body, unable to keep up with the others; and he was said to have uttered the most piteous entreaties to the men to carry him, and not leave him to be drowned.

The principal foreman afterwards asked one of the men why he had thrown away his clothes.

‘To zwim, zur,' he said.

I fear he would have made a bad hand at swimming in a 7-ft. heading, if any large volume of water from the river had really entered the works.

When the men reached the top of the pit, the night-shift—which would go below at two o’clock—had already received their pay, and were gathering in preparation to descend. It may be imagined that these men cruelly chaffed the others who had come up, as soon as it was known that there was no danger below; and I have reason to think they reaped quite a harvest of neckties and other things, thrown away by the others, when they went down to their work.

It would be wrong for anyone reading this account to blame the men for cowardice. I am sure that a finer body of men could not be found in England. They were men who had had a thoroughly hard