longer talked
of. Politics, and the state of parties in Paris, exclusively occupied
the public attention.

The engineers of the mines, however, and some of their pupils, who, on
the first alarm, had hastened to the spot, still remained there,
continuing their indefatigable endeavors to discover the miners who were
missing. Nothing that mechanical science, manual labor, and
perseverance, prompted by humanity, could perform, was left undone.

Thirty hours had already elapsed since the fatal accident, when two
workmen announced the discovery of a jacket and some provisions
belonging to the miners. The engineers immediately essayed to penetrate
into the galleries where these objects had been found, which they
accomplished with much difficulty, by crawling on their hands and feet.
In vain they repeatedly called aloud; no voice, save the echo of their
own, answered from those narrow and gloomy vaults. It then occurred to
them to strike with their pickaxes against the roof of the mine. Still
the same uncheering silence! Listen! yes! the sounds are answered by
similar blows! Every heart beats, every pulse quickens, every breath is
contracted; yet, perhaps, it is but an illusion of their wishes--or,
perhaps, some deceitful echo. They again strike the vaulted roof. There
is no longer any doubt. The same number of strokes is returned. No words
can paint the varied feelings that pervaded every heart. It was (to use
the expression of a person present) a veritable delirium of joy, of
fear, and of hope.

Without losing an instant, the engineers ordered a hole to be bored in
the direction of the galleries, where the miners were presumed to be; at
the same time, they directed, on another point, the formation of an
inclined well, for the purpose of communicating with them.

Two of the engineer's pupils were now dispatched to the mayor of St.
Etienne, to procure a couple of fire pumps, which they conducted back to
the mine, accompanied by two firemen. In the ardor of youthful humanity,
these young men imagined that the deliverance of the miners was but the
affair of a few hours; and, wishing to prepare an "agreeable surprise"
for the friends of the supposed victims, they gave strict injunctions at
the mayoralty to keep the object of their expedition a profound secret.

Notwithstanding the untiring efforts made to place these pumps in the
mine, it was found impossible. Either they were upon a plane too much
inclined to admit of their