The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-10-12
From.the New y ork Heraldl }
LITTLE EGRT NEWTON.
A Graphic Description or The Seehe
when she Touched the Wire NJ He'll
GaLF.

A black tug touched the little dock
aud after some bnstle and ado q lady
emerged from the cabin, escorted bl
? Lieutenant Willard, ami followed bJ
s nurse, carrying a sweet-iaced, blue
eyed girl. They hurried across tn
narrow gangvay and stepped into thi
shanty, the original tenants mAkins
way for them by serambling up thS
slope on the wet grass.
The babe seemed to inspire awe ana
wonder among the gaZers. As they
stared, Lieutenant willard whispereC
to the man At his side. The listsnel
wheeled instantly toward his nexi
neighbOr and whispered in turn, anC
that electric message fssbiag through
the crowd exploded the mine o.
curiosity in burst Of surpriae
] The baby is going to tire the
mine :"
The boom Of the second gun came
across the water, giving warning thAt
but ten minutes remained % eOmplstG
the work. General Newton and hi:
assistant were seen to descend from
the bOmb-prOOf tOWard the launch
evidence that the last task, that Ol
connecting the wires, had been "a.
eOmpiished. As the launch left the
side Of the dam, and steamed toward
the ''firing point" word was passed
that the last man had abandoned The
mine, aud that everything was ready
/ for the climax. When within a few
feet of the shanty General Newton
sprang to the gsngway aud thence tO
shore. Going ihtO the hut he first
unlocked and adjusted the instru-
ment. Then lifting the blue-eysd
baby To the table, he said "DI you
know what you are going tO do,
Mary ~
The child, timid and confused, made
no reply. Her nurse mOtiOned toward
the instrument aud the chubby hand
reached out To touch the key. The
wires were detached and she WAS suf-
fered TO play with the elinking toy for
moment. 1t Was a most impressive
scene. All that Indicated the giant
slumbering in his den yOnder WAS
this double wire, ~ though an arm
reached from the pit had bsen dIssect-
ell To the nerves which would stRrtle
the sleepy monster to fury at the
slightest touch. The toy was rs-
moved for an instant and the wires
replaced.
Boom ! brOks the report OF the third
signal gun upon the air. The mo
ment had arrived. Every member OF
the little group held his breath as
Lieutenant Willard, running out upon
the pier, waved q handkerchief for
the last signal To Colonel Abbot, and
then sprang back inside the hut. ifne
chubby fist OF the baby girl was
stretched toward the key amid 3
silence like that 81 death. An In
slant Of terrible suspense-twO-three /;
the child had Withdrawn her arm In
fright at the general hush and looked
inquiringly At her father. mNOW,
Mary ~ he said, and seizing the tiny
hand he drew 1t tOwsrd the kew.
Click
And simultaneously with that click,
the earth quIvered an instant, while q
grand crown of water, boiling white
at the crest, rose majestically from
the mine, while thunder-elsp smOte
the air. Another eOnvOlutiOn, with
jets rising here and there out Of the
crest-the black mud at the bottom
showing now, with masses OF rock
and timber struggling amid tile chaos.
Then a second report, duller than the
first, rumbled along the water. Only
an instant OF this. The next second,
and the mass had tum bled fOaming to
its place, sending wave elrcllng
into the river, and the climax had
passed.
Then came chaos and Babel to-
gether. A confusion Of tongues at
first, followed by definite exclama-
ton of relief, for the suspense had
been terrible. Suddenly q ringing
voice called
"rhree cheers for General New
ton 90
Never did huZZas .-ise from more
enthusiastic thrOats. DeafenlnR
rounds Of believing voices fairly out
did the explosion Of the mine.