Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-11-17

/ Poor " Mopus stood powerless be-
fore the coming catastrophe. His
knees knocked together and his head
swan. A great heap of red hot bricks
and rubbish fell at his feet. He had
barely thought to get out Of the way
and 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 seething fire. Sharp, blistering
| pains pierced his flesh at a hundred
| points. The rest was all horrible. un-
Ineligible dream. It was as If he had
suddenly sank into the earth and had
been swallowed up.
By seven o'clock comparative quiet
reigned again on the scene of the dis
aster. Ruins lay everywhere. The
engines had quonched the flames that
had caught the building, and the men,
blackened with smoke, stood in silent
groups around the remains of the fur
mace. It had fallen to pieces and
nothing was left but heaps Of steaming
rubbish.
Poor Inventor" who had been
| found with the tapping rod in his hands,
lying on his face n.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
hands against the man George, whose
excuses for himself only exaggerated
his offense.
''See what he's done," said they, a
few days later, as they stood in the
half-burned foundry. give thousand
dollars gone to waste in minute! The
best job in twenty years spoiled! The
rascal, to go hunting for his pipe and
leave that suffering idiot to witch! Is
that all he can say for himself? Out
upon such carelessnessl Why, the boy
didn't even know enough to bawl cut
when he must have seen the furnace
tumbling to pieces?'' ..o
The master, who had more at stake
than the men, of course felt tic
loss more keenly than they. He almost
wept with mingled grief and rage. Sud
denly something peculiar caught his
eye among the debris, and he cried in q
startled voice:
"Hallo! What's this What's this ?"
He snatched up fragment of one of
the troughs which had led from the
mold There were traces of the stream
of bronze still running in it. Then the
possible meaning of the iron found in
the injured boys Land flashed upon
him.
"Bring me a shovel, quick p he
shouted.
A spade was put into his hands, and
he began nervously to heave away the
hot mess that lay piled over the belt
mold. 1t was herculean task, but he
worked like giant, and three or four
of his men took hold and helped him.
Brick bats, ore, Stag, and ashes few
in every direction. Presently the
masters spade penetrated the sand and
touched something hard. He stopped
down. Then he leaped up like one
half frantic, and plying his spade with
redoubled energy, tore away the re-
manning sand, disclosing what looked
like great metallic ring
men," he cried out, lifting his
flushed face. the bell is cast!''
"Who did this p asked every excit
ed voice, as soon as the cheering died
away.
"Come with me two or three of you p
cried the master ct think I know who
did it. It's miracle 70
They hurried away to the home of the
half -witted boy. The attendant met
him with his finger on his lips.
"The poor bov has brain fever, !"
said he.
"Does he say anything in his de-
lirium 2" whispered the master.
On, yes, he raves nI the time about
the big bell mold. Z hope it will fill
[ hope it will fill, he says
The men exchanged chances, It was
indeed true. The idiot has cast the
great bell of st. Johns. Just then the
physician came out. "Perhaps he will
recover his reason by this shock and
Sickness he said. sssuch things have
happened"
"Do you think SO? Pray heaven he
may !" solemnly CALCULATED the master
and his men; and turned away deeply
moved. k<
Two months later the great bell hung
from huge derrick in the lathe room
OF the factory, and beneath it stood a
heavy truck upon which it was about to
be lowered. A silence fell upon the
group of workmen as the pale face and
feeble form of Inventor" appeared.
borne in on small reclining chair. He
had recovered his reason, and was fast
getting back his strength. His large
gray e.~es instantly fastened themselves
on the bell, hat splendid masterpiece,
whose making mear so much to him.
They had told him the wlole story of
the casting, and the disaster II the
foundry, but it all sounded like wild
romance to him. .ziA'.t
81 remember nothing that happen
| ed, !" said he, shaking his head, with
smile. It's all new to me; all new
and strange-so strange!' - a#g
eyes, said the master, devoutly; sit
was Gods hand.
Every eye turned upon the invalid.
Some of the men felt almost afraid, it
was SO much like resurree ion to have
him there among them, the boy they
bad known SO long unidentified, now a
young man, keen and intelligent, as if
changed into another being. -. ag