True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-12-12


his wife had just told him sent cold shud-
der through his frame, and he had not re-
covered his usual gaiety when he reached
the mouth of the shaft. Here, in the ga
lera, or, great shed surrounding the pit, he
found the English director, Don Jayne,
the overseer, Miguel Gomez. and several
clerks, miners, porters, and mule-drivers.
Don Jayne seemed to be in bad humor,
and the overseer looked black and sullen.
"In good time, my man." said the direc-
tor. "We are all ready for you; and now
let every one here be attentive to his du-
ties. There has been too much careless
ness heretofore, particularly in the busting.
Many complaints have been made among
the townspeople and Proprietors, of the ac-
cidents which occur here. You, am told
are very skilllul and quick-witted work.
man." he continued, addressing Manuel.
alt is we'll that we have some on whom
we can rely"
Gomez listened to this significant speech
without venturing to reply, but his swarthy
face grew livid, and his eyes flashed with
a baleful fire. Two horses, especially train
ed to the duty, were now attached to the
malacate, a machine by which the buckets
were raised and lowered in the shaft. Man
uel then placed upon his head a conical hat,
having socket on the top, which held a
lighted candle. He took in one hand u
small rope, Of which the other end was
held by the overseer, and by shaking which
the matchlighter was to give the signal
when he was ready to ascend. On the
prompttude with which his ascent took
place depended, of course, his safety from
the effects of the explosion. Manuel now
stepped into the bucket, which was slowly
lowered down the shaft, distance of about
hundred yards. Two arreadores, or dri.
vers, held the horses heads, and waited ir
anxious silence for the signal from Gomez
All was still as death in the galera.
"Let go!" shouted the overseer.
The drivers loosed the heads Of the hor.
ses, and the well-traned animals dashed
off at once, and crcled the malacate at full
speed. In a minute the bucket rose tc
view-empty
"Back Down with it! For life fol
life! exclaimed the director, stamping with
impaticnce and anger. "Oh, what idiotcy
what insanity. is ths!"
The men hastened to obey his order, but
before the bucket had descended dozer
yards, the roar of the explosion smotc upon
their ears, and a cloud of smoke and dus,
was driven violently up the shaft and filled
the gaera. When it cl arcd away, the
faces of all present were seen to be pale
with horror.
"You villain !" cried the director to Go.
mez 'what is the meaning of this 7"
"Upon my life-as | am Christian
the rope shook in my hands" replied Go.
mez, whose teeth chattered, and whose
whole frame seemed to trembe with ner.
vons agitation, while his eyes carefully
avoided those of the director.
The latter did not waste another worC
upon him but seizing shovel he sprang in
to the bucket, along with two of the mi
ners, and was quickly lowered down the
shaft. Here they set about removing a.
rapidly and carefully as possible, the pile
of earth and stones with which the ex
plosion had filled the bottom of the shaft
not doubling that they should find the man
glcd remains of the poor matchlignter be-
meath them. ....
While they are thus engaged in fruit
less search, let us follow the actual course
of Manuel's proceedings. He had just light
ed the matches, and was on the point o
stepping into the basket, when it was sud
denly drawn up. A conviction of the over.
seers petfdity instantly flashed upon him
and with it n sense Of the horror of his po
sition. But Manuel was, as the director
had said, quick-wtted fellow. He knew
that the wcrkmen employed in the shat
had, few days before, come upon smal
side cut, or passage, barely large enough
to admit the body of man, and that, OF
tracing IL to its termination, it was fount
to lead to an immense chamber in the oil
mine of San Adrian. This famous mine
as is well known, was worked shortly aftel
the conquest of Mexico, and, having yield
ed immense wealth to it's proprietors, wal
abandoned about the end of the sixteenth
century; on account of the difficulty expe
rienced in it's drainage. The workmer
who had explored the passage had reportet
that the chamber was nearly full of water
and was so large that the light of thei
candles did not penetrate to the further ex
tremity. The recollection of this discov
cry now occurred to Manuel's mind, an,
seemed to offer him chance to escape
Looking eagerly around, he observed tn,
opening about three feet above his head
Z and gaining it by desperate spring, h