Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-06-05
explosions within :the WIRE work, sas

we'll as his own difficulty of BREATH
ing, told him of the infammable ma
ture of the atmosphere around him.
Now he was at the bottom, and his
great fear~was that he might find the
entrance to the workings closed by
the falling debris. To his great JOY
he found it compare lively clear, and
he then extinguished the. lamp-the
danger from which was enormous
his instructions being so clear that he
needed it no longer. So sitting did
! ne feel the air that he lay down and
crawed along upon his breast-lt
was but few PAGES: then he felt ii
door. lie gave low mnttled cry.
which was answered by dull knock
ing within.
Thank God Mr.. Hernshaws was
alive, sheltered i'll the small room
from the violence OF the first blast.
The thoughts of Laur;,s delight gaze
u new. strength to him, and revived
the consciousness which had ne-
ment before seemed fast deserting
him. Feeling upon the ground, he
found that some pieces of the ROOT
had fallen and blocked the door.
With short prayer for strength, he
began to remove them several times
he desisted, and lay almost insensiole,
but each time the thought Of Laura
seemed to call him back to life AS
he removed the last piece, and felt
the door pushed open from within,
life seemed to leave him, and he be-
came unconscious.
Terrible was thesuspense upon the,
surface after the clergyman had dis
appeared. Very rapidly tie men
let the rope slip through their fingers.
Every moment, was ;wertn a life. for
at any instant they might: hear fthe
low rumbling sound, followed instant
" by Il rush Of fame, of stone, and
OF AL that remained of the brave
man who had ventured down. No
one spoke. In spite of tile danger,
ouc the men leaned over the shaft,
and his raised hand and attentive
eye &bpw@i that thc iiglft sti'l burnett.
Mose Slowly noY the yereE was run
olt|fo, tiN.y l,fcw hewa&ncar lie
bo tom, which might be so,illed with
rabhsh that even Il foothold might
be impossible. The light had disap-
peared, now lost mgthe thick vapour;
but still the rope ran out Presently
it stopped. Now was the question,
was he insehsible already? The men
stood blythe rope ready to run it over
the sheaf as quickly as possible, and
all stood breathless. In a moment
there was a faint but decided jerk of
the rope.
Thank God ! broke from all stand
ing round; and the rope was Stacked
to allow the adventurer to proceed
into the workings At this moment
a fresh spectator wasiadded to those
round the shaft. Laur: Hernshawe
had recovered from Ler fainting, and
had ref, ed to listen to the prayers
of the women to stop where she was
until the result was known. She had
listened as if she had not heard and
then had risen and walked in among
the group, who separated at her ap-
proach. She neared the edge of the
shaft, and then without a word drop
ped upon her knees, and with her
face pale as marble, her lips moving
in prayer, but no sound issuing from
them, she watched the mouth of the
shaft.
All was-husheA around now; the
women had ceased their wailing cries,
and for a moment forgot their own
grici in the terrible interest Of the
-c@ir. Their sympathy lop.her over !.
rowered ior a time the thought oi
heir own voc. One minnie, two.
'ree passed and then the li,n he-
IN TO murn.ur among Themselves
;ia! the Clergyman must lpny orc
lis be iiisei*ibie. and i'a't they
night to bring him up before tie
ireai led explosion came Another
:a;i.u,e passed. and then the lore,aan
poke.
Us 40 use. ln;ss: he must te III
sensible now: the choke damp will
iiave done it.
a sharp spaSm Of anguish passed
.vcr her face, then her lips moycd.
One minute more 1t seemed an
age. 1t passed; and then the
1vcrseer reluctantly, for the intense
anguish Of the silent face swed I'm,
gave signs 10 the'lncn to:prepare to
host. Just al. this moment -eneNof
the men exclaimed, She shakes !
There was apanse, and then IL strong
er pull. 4 deep suppressed cheer
or rather ejaculation, broke from the
throng. -
NE OVeTSeeI lIIeu, dHlt llie IOi'e ld..
rapidly over the sheaf.
There were too many willing hands
attached to it for any to be able to
say whether one or two bodies were
attached. 1t was u moment OF fear
ful suspense. Laura had risen nov,
and stood with both hands pressing
her hair back from her temples Her
breath came ip short gasps, and her
figure swayed to and fro. Each mo-
ment the men who lad quietly sta
toned themselves upon each side Of
her thought she would fall. Fast the
rope runs over the sheaf; and now
the overseer who igspeer:ng over the
pit, exclaims#,
I see him, SEE him Thank God,
there are t%o 7 STEADY men Steady
they are both insensiblesSF is the
master sure enough IL
Now re >dW Bands lift Ahs bodies
rom the sa,fI; knd fhe loesor, who
,as Been stg"'knS j" rHyHiFss Puts
:aiis ear 10 # Hir hlr'.. 'Thenk God,