The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-03-18
4 KANSAS HERO,

The sticlzful OF information in the AS
sociated Press dispatches concerning the
recent coal mine fire at Usage, Kan.
conveys but stingy idea of the horrors
attending that event as related by the
local papers. The fire broke out about
midday, and when first discovered the
main shaft of the mine was in blaze. with
thirty-two men and boys at work beneath
the flames, nearly forty feet below the
level of the earth In few minutes the
whole population of the place rushed to
the scene, and a thousand OF more of
men, women, and chilGren-the relatives
friends, and neighbors Of the entombed
lniners-were gathered at the mouth of
the buring shaft, stupefed with fear and
anguish. All the wells in the town had
run dry weeks before, and scarcely
enough water could be obtained to sub
due the heat above ground, much less
to subdue the contiagration inside the
mine. Thus matters stood for two aw-
fuI hours, when q railroad engineer ar
rived wit a full tank, which was hurried
~ emptied into the shaft, and d great
shout OF hope went up from the people.
At this Juncture man emerged ike
spectre, from the blaze and smoke and
fell IN a swoon at the very edge of the
shaft. An hour later, two more men
cried up through the flames for help
and ladder was lowered them, on
which they made their way to the top
and were dragged forth alive, but burn
ed and blackened beyond recognition.
Three were now saved, but twentynine
others were still below, and the fire was
not yet under control. The terrified
crowd stood aghast for few moments,
and then SUDDENLY a panic of despair
seemed to seize them, the stifed means
of che women and children breaking out
afresh, and the men drawing back from
the mine with blanched and averted
faces.
The supreme moment of the emergen-
cy had come and the one man to meet it
was there, thank God, as he always IS.
His name this time was Nfarks-William
Marks-and he stepped to the front
with the promptness and 1nodesty OF
true hero. ''Fasten rope around me
and let me down into the shaft, % said he.
The proposition was appalling, but the
quiet courage Of the man tied every
tongue and stilled the agony of the trem-
ulOus crowd like a special providence.
Down he went into the horrible cavern,
without another word, and reaching the
bottom freed himself for mis- search in
the entries diverging from the main
shaft. At almost the first step into the
sitting darkness he stumbled upon the
inanimate form of one Of the miners in
coal car, which he pushed to the en-
trance, secured rope around the body,
called to those above to hoist away and
in a moment the man was safe. Further
search soon revealed the whereabouts of
the remaining twenty-eight, and slowly
but surely Marks piIoted them to the
mouth OF the mine and delivered them,
one by one-many insensible, but all
alive-out of the jaws OF death into the
hands of their wives and children. Then
when the last one had been rescued he
came himself to the surface, scorched
and blinded, and nearly suffocated, and
stood there among the cheering towns
people, the master of the situation.
Thus the peril was surmounted with
out any sacrifice Of life; but the heroism
was there all the same. The rescue of
the helpless miners, AMI the escape OF
the man who gave death scorne to save
them, spoiled the perfection of a TRACE
gy; but the destruction Of all concerned
could not have added to the radiance
which belongs to the superb unselfish
bravery of William Marks.
Hewas only acommon workingman fac
ing duty to his fellows but he met that
duty like Roman and made grasshop-
per Kansas splenid for one day with his
coquering courage. He probably never
heard of Cato pausing. sword IN hand, to
welcome death or Cleopatra putting on
a crown to make royal ending OF even
of Hays slim Bludso," or Hartes
'sFlynn, of Virginia. He merely saw
and felt the imminent need Of risking
one life to redeem twenty-nine other
lives, and coolly accepted the challenge.
He was the right man in the right place
at the right time.-,t. Louis Globe.
-5rzrz,x