, 1875-03-20
1 Kansas II erO.

THE sijckful Of information in the As
soCiajCG FICsS dispatches concerning tin
recent coal-mine fire at Usage, Kan,
conveys but a stingy idea Of the horrors
attending that event, as related by the
local papers The fire broke out about
mid day, and when GUst discovered tue
main shaft Of the mine was IN a blaze,
with thirty-twO men and boys at work
beV0ud and beneath the flames, nearly
forty feet below the level of tHe earth.
In a few minutes the whole population
Of the place rushed Ia the scene and Il
thousand OF more men, women and chl!-
dren-the relatives, friends and neigh
borS of the entombed minerS-Were gath
cred at the mouth of the burning shaft,
Stupeiied with fear and anguish. All the
wells in the town had run nearly dry
weeks before and scarcely enough water
could be obtained TO suhdue the heat
above ground, much less TO arrest the
cOnfagration inside the mine Thus
matters stood for two awful hours, when
q railroad engine arrived with iuil
tank, which was hUrriedly emptied into
the shaft and Il great shout OF hope went
up from the people At this juncture
a man emerged, like a specter, from the
blaze and smoke and fell in swoOn al
the very edge 0f the shaft. An hour
later two more men cried up through the
flames for help, and ladder was lowered
10 them, on which they made their way
10 the top and were dragged forth, alive,
but burned and hiackcned beyond recog-
nition Three were now saved, bat
twentv-nine others were sill below and
the fire was not vet under control The
terrified crowd stood aghast Tor d lev
minutes, and then suddenly panic oil
despair seemed 10 seize them, the siIiied
mOans of the women and children break
ing out afrcsh and the men drawing
hack from the mines with bianched ana
averted faces.
The suprr me moment Of the emergency
had come and the one man 10 meet II was
there, thank God, as he always Is. hls
name this time was MaTks-Niillam
Marks-aud stepped to the front with the
promptness and the mOdesty OF q true
hero. Fasten a rope around me ana
let me down into the shaft he said
The proposition was appalling, hui Inc
CuIet courage of the man tied every
tongue and sJilled the agony ~ the tTehl-
ulous crowd ike a special providence
Down he went into the horrible cavern,
without another word, and, re+chIng the
hottom. freed himself for his search IN
the entries dIYerging from the man
shaft At almost the tlrst step INT" ne
sitting darkness he stumbled upon Tue
iuaninate form Of one OF the miners IN 4
coal car. which he pushed to the en-
trance, secured the rope around the
hody. called 10 those above 10 hOlst Az az,
and n moment the man Was SAFE
Further search soon revealed the Whele-
abours of the remaining tWenty-elEhi'
and slowly but surely Marks FLotcn lh''h
n the mouth of the mine aad deh'eIeu
them. one by one-many insenslole' nu'
all aIive-out Of the jaws OF deaih INTO
the hands Of their wives and cLAo'. L.
Then when the last one had been res
cued. he came himself TO the sor!a
scorched and blinded, and nearly SUMO
Gated. and stood there silently among tue
cheering towrspeople, the master OF the
situation ;,,
Thus the peril was surnlounted win
out anv sacrifice Of life; but the he1olsu
was there all the same The rescue OF
the brIDIess miners, and the escape OF
tba man who gave death scorn 10 save
them spoiled the perfection Of q tragedy;
bnt The destruction of all concerned
conld no, have added 10 the radiance
TTLicb belongs 10 the superb and unsel-
6sh bravery of William Marks He was
nrJv a common workingman facing
JTtv IN mis- fellows; but he met that duty
Ike = Roman monarch. and made grass
bonper Kansas splendid for one day With
Ii5 coucuering courage. He probably
Dlrar heard OF Cato pausicg. sword n