Truly it was bad enough. The fire boss and safety engineer had reported that fire had broken out in some part of the mine, probably, for white damp was leaking through. The report of the mining engineer was graver still. The first subsidence of the mine had caused the landslide, and the shock of the landslide had crushed all the galleries leading from the shafts.
"You mean that all the workings are smashed in?"
"I wouldn't say that. They can't be, the way the workings are laid out. But there's more rock to be cleared away than I like to think about. How many men are caught?"
"Eight."
"Do you know whereabouts, Mr Owens?"
"I'll tell you in a minute. Here's the clerk now." He scanned the list. "Well, three of them were working in the end galleries."
"They might be safe," interjected the mining engineer. "That's under the hill."
"Two of them," the superintendent continued, "were working in the broken, out towards the old workings, and the other three were near the North Gallery."
"We might get at the last three, but, judging from the lie, the old workings section will be choked until Doomsday."