The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-11-04

Was it too late? Every moment new
assures opened in the doomed furnace.
Some of the upper stones TOPPED over
Still the metal poured out into the mold.
But the waste was great from those gal =
ing flaws. The pressure was relieved by
the open vent, but the leaks multiplied
continually. 1t was art running Il race
with ruin.
Poor "Mopus' stood rowcrless before
the coming catastrophe. His knees
Knocked together and his head swan. a
rrest heap of red hot bricks and rubbish
fell at his feet. He had barely thought
to get out Of the way and save his lie.
He heard wild shout OF human voices
in the distance, then al awful roar be-
hind him. and he saw and felt himself
pursued by surgcs Of seething lire.
Sharp, blistering pains pierced his hesh
ut hundred points. The rest was AL
horrible, unintellisible dream. 1t was
as if he had suddenly sank into the earth
and had been swallowed up torevcr.
By seven o'clock comparative quiet
reigning again on the scene of the dis
sster. Ruins lay everywhere; the en-
gines had quenched the flames that had
caught the building. and the men, black
ened with smoke. stood in silent groups
around the remains OF the furnace. It
had fallen to pieces and nothing was lett
but heaps of stcaming rubbish.
Poor "lnventor.' who had been found
with the tapping iron in his hands, lying
on his face in the sand, frightful!y harmed
had been carried TO his home.
Little was SAID, but the few words spoken
uttered with no mild emphasis the
wrath of the master and hands against
the man George, whose excuses for HIM
self only exaggerated the oifense.
"See what hc has done" said they, u
few duvs later, as they stood in the half
burned foundry, Five thousand dollars
gone to waste ina minute! The best,
lob in twenty years spoiled The rascal
to 60 hunting for his pipe, and leaV" that
Suffering idiot ~ watch, l. that All n"
can say for HIMSELF Ont upon such
carele,snes-l Why, the boy dIdn even
know enough to bpwl out when he must
have seen the furnace tumblng topleceS .
The master, who had more at stake
than the men. of course felt the loss more
kaenlv than they. He almost wrpt with
mingled grief and rage. Suddenly
something peculiar caught hiS eye among
the debris. and he cried in startled
voice:
Halo! What's this? What's ths?'
He snatched up 1t fragment OF one Of
the troughs which bad led from
the mold There we're traces Of the stream
OF bronze still running in it. Then the
possible meaning OF the iron found in
the injured boys hand flashed upon him
Bring mra shovel, quick he shouted
4 spade was put into his hands and he
began nervousiy to heave away the hot
mass that lay piled over the bell
mold. 1t was hercuean task, hut he
worked like Il giant, and three or four OF
his men took hold and helped him.
Brick bats, ore, Stag and ashes flew IN
every direction. Presently the masters
spade penetrated the sand and struck
something hard. He stopped down
Then he eaped up like one half frantic,
and PLYING his spade with redouQ,ed
euprrv, tore away the remaining sand
disclosing what looked like great me
tsllic ring.
"Men." he cried out, lifting his flushed
'"t, i;,,t tne a. a., - a.l,ed ovory oxcfted
; " ~ s Wv, 49, tho cTerr,nc died away
.Cd,no with mo two or three of youl''
"a An, ,ho master ~ think | Know who
~ ~, :. IT, ,,irocIa9'.
~ Tho,. hnrr;.1 away IN the home of the
~ h",? y,' - hnv Tho sttendnnt met
, ."a, Win h.. fprer on his lips.
'" urL., n,or hov i in brain fever said