Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-11-03

VI an GU iSdA tht up vi tiC
mace. Then another crack, and scorch-
ground at his feet!
The lad opened his mouth to shrek,
but so terrified was he that the sounds
stuck in his throat, as if he had been in
fit of nightmare.
A thin req stream followed the fallen
brick, and trickled down the furnace
side like running lava. Then came an
other alarming noise, and a thin gap
halfway down the masonry let out
more of the Kissing metal.
Where was George? Was the un-
faithful fellow still hunting for his
pipe? The furnace was bursting, with
only poor, half idiot lad to guard it!
What could he doS He did what per-
haps lad in his right mind would not
have dared to do. Rushing to the mouth
of the furnace, he seized the long iron
rod that stood near, and tapped the vent.
One desperate thrust with the sharp
point up the terrible tunnel-a few
quick, prying strokes! Stand back, now !!
The combining clay fell away, and the
yellow-white flood spurted out with re-
sistless force. 1t leaped into the clay
lined troughs, and hissed its way, fam
ing, down to the mouth of the bell
mould.
The ''fool'' had done deed worthy of
general on a field of battle.
Was it too late? Every moment new
assures opened into the doomed furnace.
Some of the upper stones toppled over.
Still the metal poured out into the
mould. But the waste was great from
the gaping flaws. The pressure was
relieved by the opened vent, but the
leaks multiplied continually. 1t was
art running a race with ruin.
Poor "Mopus" stood powerless before
the coming catastrophe. His knees
knocked together, and his head swan.
A great heap of red hot bricks and rub
bish fell at his feet. He had barely
thought to get out of the way and save
his life. He heard a wild shout of
human voices in the distance, then an
awful roar behind him, and he saw and
felt himself pursued by surges of seeth-
ing fire. Sharp, blistering pains pierced
his flesh at hundred points. The rest
was all horrible, uniDtelligible dream.
1t was as if he had suddenly sunk into
the earth and been swallowed up for
ever.
By seven O'Clock comparative quiet
reigned again on the scene of disaster.
Ruins lay everywhere. The engines
had quenched the flames that had caught
the building, and the men, blackened
with smoke, stood in silent groups
about the remains of the furnace. 1t
/ had fallen to pieces, and nothing was
left but heaps of steaming rubbish.
Poor s.Inventor," who had been found
with the tapping-rod i'm his hand, lying
on his face i'm the sand, frightfully
burned, had been carried to his home.
Little was said, but the few words
spoken, uttered with no mild emphasis
the natural wrath of the master and the
hands against the man George, whose
excuses for himself only exaggerated
the offence.
See what he's done,' said they few
DAYS later, as they stood in the half
burned foundry. Five thousand dol
lars gone to waste in a minute! The
best job i'm twenty years spoiled! The
rascal, to go hunting for his pipe, and
leave that suffering idiot to watch. Is
| that all he can say for himself? Out
upon such carelessness! Why, the boy
didn't know enough to bawl out when
he must have seen the furnace tun bling
TO piecesr
The master, who had more at stake
than the men, of course felt the loss
more keenly than they. He almost
wept with mingled grief and rage.
Suddenly something peculiar caught
his eve among the debris, and he cried
in a startled voice:
'Hallol What's this? What's this?
He snatched up a fragment of one OF
the troughs which had led from the
furnace to the mould. There were
traces of the stream of bronze still run
ming i'm it. Then the possible meaning
of the iron found i'm the injured boys
hand flashed upon him.
Bring me a shovel. quick !! he shouted
A spade was put into his hands, and
he began nervously to heave away the
hot mass that lay piled over the bell
mould. 1t was a herculean task, but h,
worked like giant, and three or foul
of his men took hold and helped him.
Brick-bats. ore, Stag and ashes flew in
every direction. Presently the master
spade penetrated the sarJ and touched
something hard. He stopped down
Then he leaped up like one half frantic
and. plying his spade with redoubleC
energy, tore away the remaining sand
disclosing what looked like grea
metallic ring.
Men, he cried out, lifting his nusnet
face, the bell is cast!'
sWho did this?' asked every excited
voice, as soon as the cheering died away
Come with me, two or three OF you
cried the master. Il think l know whit
did il. It's a miracle!
They hurried away to the home of thu
ha s.sf mt
them with her finger on her lips.
'The poor lad is in brain fever, sh'
said.
Does he say anything in his deIirium
whispered the master.
90. yes, he raves all the time about tn
big bell mould. 4 hope it will fill
hope it will fill, he says
The men exchanged glances. 1t wa
indeed true. The idiot had cast tn
great bell of st. Johns. just then tn
physician came out. perhaps he viii
recover his reason by this shock ant
: Sickness he said, Such things hav'
happened
Do YOU think so? Pray Heaven h
mavr solemnly calculated the maste
: and his men; and they turned away
deeply moved.
Two months later the great bell hun:
from huge derrick in the lathe-roon
/. of the factory, and beneath 1t stood
heavy truck upon which il was about Q
be lowered. A silence fell upon tn
group of workmen as the pale face an.
feeble form of Inventor" appeared
horne in on small soft reclining chair
: He had recovered his reason. and wa
/ fast getting back his strength. Hi
large gray eyes instantly fastened them
: selves on the bell, that splendid master
piece, whose making meant so much :
: him. They had told him the Who'll
story of the casting, and the disaster II
the foundry, but it all sounded ike
wild romance to him.
: Il remember nothing that happened,
said, he, shaking his head with smiie
Its all new to me, all new anu straiis
so stranger 9.
, .vo- sa;d tho MASTER. deyoutedly, i