"Overtaken by a fall of coal in the mine of Creuzot in 1864, he (Cochet) had sufficient strength to call for help. His comrade, who had left him for a moment, returned and gave the alarm. The most skilfully devised means of rescuing him were immediately commenced. One pat of the coal having been removed from around the sufferer, his head and one hand became visible. Cochet was lying under a mass of broken timber, thrown upon the floor of the gallery on his right side, with his legs doubled under him. To move was impossible; but fortunately his chest was not compressed. Air was supplied by means of a ventilator and a tube. The rails were sawn, as well a the cross-pieces and other timbering in which the miner was entangled. When the gallery was cleared so as to reach him from below, his legs were first set free. As for himself, he did not lose courage; he retained all his composure, and gave his preservers more than one useful suggestion. Finally, after six hours of horrible suffering, he was literally withdrawn from this tomb, where he was upon the point of being buried alive. All the workmen had vied with each other in ardour and skill to save their comrade from death. In such cases, zeal and energy are never wanting in the miner, and he is never deficient in those sentiments of strict confraternity which ought to subsist between all who are liable to the same accidents." (Simonin, 1868, p.181)
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 10:05:59 +0000
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