River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-11-18

head, intiicting serious injury. From
THIS he partially recovered, and only par
tally, for his reason was impaired. But
his natural love for machinery and me-
chanical experiments remained, and as he
regained his bodily strength he spent
most Of his time in making small wheels
and shafts, and putting together odd con
trivances, which he would exhibit with
immense pride and satisfaction.
This peculiar trait in the young fellow
gained for him the humorous title of the
Inventor. All the men felt great
kindness for him, even though their
manner toward him was occasionally
harsh and impatient.
Such was the person left to help to
watch the great blast for the casting of
the king bell Of the chime Of St. Johns.
Faithfully he kept his place before the
furnace, while the man George sat down
at little distance and began to eat his
supper. Doubtless the latter intended to
keep general oversight, but he certainly
made the inventors eyes do the most of
the looking. Whether he felt kind oil
reckless trust in the instinct Of his half.
witted companion, or indolently con-
cluded nothing wrong could happen, he
was sadly to blame for charging himself
so little with the important duty before
him.
Not word was said by either watcher,
and only the deep roar Of the furnace
was heard through the vast foundry.
George ficished his supper and saun-
tered into one of the tool shops to find
his pipe. Inventor" sat alone before
the great blast. The one rational faculty
Of his feeble mind enabled him to COM
prehend what it meant, and even some
thing of the magnitude Of the enterprise
that was ripening inside those burning
walls. lie knew that the furnace was
full of valuable metal, and that close be-
side him, buried out Of sight in the deep
sand, was the huge mold, so soon to be
filled with the precious cast. He knew
and could see that all the channels for
the flow Of the fiery liquid were ready,
and that near the mouth of the furnace
stood the long iron rod that was to be
used when the moment came to let on the
molten stream.
All this his limited thoughts took in
by habit. Dimly conscious that some.
thing was soon to be done, he sat with
his eyes on the furnace absorbed and in
tent.
Suddenly something startled him.
There was slight noise, and burning
crack appeared near the top of the fur
mace. Then another crack, and a scorch-
ing brick fell out and rolled to the
ground at his feet.
The lad opened his mouth to shrek,
bst so terrified was he that the sound
stuck in his throat, as if he had been in
fit of nightmare.
A thin red stream followed the fallen
brick, and trickled down the fOrnace side
like running lava. Then came another
alarming noise, and thin gap half way
down the masonry let out more of the
kissing metal.
Where was George! Was the unfaith-
full fellow still hunting for his pipe !
The furnace was bursting with only a
poor, half.idiot lad to guard it.
What could he do! 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, AID tapped The vent.
One desperate thrust with sharp point
up the terrible funnel-a few quick pry-
ing strokes. Stand back now. The con-
filming clay fell away, and the yellow-white
food spurted out with resistless force.
1t leaped into the clay-lined troughs; and
Kissed its way, flaming down to the
mouth Of the bell mold.
The STOOL" hadNdone deed worthy Of
a general on field of battle.
Was it too late! Every moment new
fissares opened in The doomed furnace.
Some Of the upper stones toppled over.
Still the INITIAL poured out into the mold.
But the waste was great from those gap
ing flaws. The pressure was relieved up.
on the open vent, but the leaks multi.
piled continually. 1t was art running
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 rubbish
fell at his feet. lie had barely thought
to save his life. He heard 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, unintelligible dream.
1t was as if he had suddenly sank into
the earth and had been swallowed up for
ever.
By seven o'clock comparative quiet
regned again on the scene Of the disas-
ter. Ruins lay everywhere. The engines
had qrenched the flames that had caught
the building, and the men, black with
smoke, stood in silent groups around the
remains of the farnace. 1t had fallen to
pieces and nothing was left but heaps of
stcaming rubbish.
Poor "Inventor" who had been found
with The tapping.rod in his hands, lying,
on his face in the sand, frightiully burn
ed, had been carried to his home.
Little was said, but the few words spok.
en- uttered with no mild emphasis the
natural wrath Of the master and hands
against the man George, whose excuses
for himself only exaggerated his oaense.
"See what he's done" said they, few
days latoB, as they stood in the halfburn.
ed foundry. Five thousand dollars gone
to waste in minute The best Job in