The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-09
no one, seeing how I am placed, strive

no ne one one, seeing how I am placed, strive
Again l turned my eyes downward,
In the courtyard of the brewery and in
the street below people were fast collect
ing windows were being thrown open,
and women and children, shriehina aud
sosblng, were sazina ftom them at me;
The ciowd below thickened; running
hlther and thither A large kite futter:
ed nearer and nearer. How / tFiei To
steady myself with nnc land, that I
might grasp The cord with the other MS
soon as it was within reach, comes vivid
~ before me now. But it never did
come within reach, gust of the breeze
carrying it far away, and dashing it to
the ground,
An honr passed on, and though cling
ing to the brickwork, it was almost un-
consciously, for cold and fear had SO
workedupo me that became quite daz-
ed, and the chimneys, the people, the
confused noise from the streets, and
my own perilons position, seemed to be
lrmped together i'll a tangle which 1
could not put straight. While in this
half-sensible state | heard voice shout
my name. But it had to be repeated
twice before | could rouse myself sufli=
ciently to heed What Was said.
Bill, Bill Lindsay cheer up. mate !
help is coming" were the words which
rumbled up the shaft.
After this there was pause for some
minutes, and scarce able to control my
excitement, l tried to think how this
help could come. Then there was n
warning shouted to me to keep my head
back, followed by a whizzing, kissing
sound, and looking within the shaft. l
saw bright shower of golden sparks
lighting up the well-like hole, and
knew that a rocket had been fired.
But it struck the brickwork in its as
cent and failed to reach me, so that once
more | was left to wait and hope until
the voice again shouted for me to keep
clear. A moment after a fiery tnil of
sparks shot Upward far above me, and
an earnest "Thank God ~ came from
my heart as I grasped thin cord that
fell by my side as the rocket descended.
By this communication a stouter and
stronger rope was sent me. But nv
danger was not over, for in my weaken
Ell and numbed state, it was perilous
slide down it. AT first I could scarcely
brace my nerves up sufficiently to launch
myself over the brickwork, and my head
turning dizzy for Il moment, 1 thought
myself gone, but, conquering the feel
ing by a great effort, slowly descended
until about half the distance was ac-
complished.
Then the horid fear seized me,
"What if the rope should break or not
be securely fastened ~ and dreading
each second that my fears would be full
filled, in feverish haste L slid on.
Within a few yards of the bottom,
Overtasked nature would bear the strain
no longer, and, loosening my hold,
dropped into the arms of those who had
been breathlessly waiting my descent.
Other hands than mine finished the
shaft in calmer weather, and, on more
securely-fastened scaffold : and I, well
cared for by the best of little wives,
soon got over the shock of my accident ;
but, as I go to and fro to my work, and
look up to the huge chimney, I often
recall with shudder the hour when I
chung to its summit, counting the mo-
ments, each one of which seemed to
bring me nearer TO a dreadful death.